Every player has a process to mentally prepare for the task ahead, especially those getting ready to represent their country in the World Cup. paris olympics,
to the United States Women’s national football team captains Lindsey Horan uses the national anthem to keep her focused every time she steps on the field.
Though the national anthem has been a controversial topic for the U.S. women’s national team, including during last year’s Women’s World Cup, Horan has been spotted singing the anthem in line with her teammates before a match.
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Lindsey Horan, ranked #10 of the United States, sings along with the national anthem during the game between the Republic of Korea and the USWNT at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on June 1, 2024 in Commerce City, Colorado. (Erin Chang/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Ahead of this year’s Paris Olympics, Horan explained why he loves singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” when the song echoes through stadiums around the world, and how it gets his mind in the right direction before a competition.
“I think it’s obviously a personal choice,” Horan told Fox News Digital when discussing his partnership. Francis Ford Coppola Winery And its Diamond Collection was launched earlier this week.
“I think, for me, without getting emotional, it’s one of the coolest moments in a football game. It’s like the moment before you step out on the field. You can sit there, and mentally, you can be totally prepared for what you’re about to do. In that moment, I’m singing the national anthem and I’m just (like), ‘I’m playing for my country. I’m representing the USA, which is one of the coolest things in the world. I’m representing my family, here in the stands, and the fans watching at home.'”
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Horan dreamed as a child of the moment when he could represent the United States on a soccer field as part of one of the best teams in the world.
“That little girl wanted to be in that position,” Horan said. “I think about all of those things, and I will always sing the national anthem because it’s a very special moment for me.”
Hearing the national anthem before a match is one thing, but having a gold medal hanging around her neck and standing on top of the Olympic podium when the tournament ends is something Horan is constantly looking for.
This will be her third Olympic Games, and the US, despite its talented teams in past years, has not won a gold medal since 2012.
At his first Olympics, Horan saw his US team lose to Sweden in a quarterfinal penalty shootout. Then, at the Tokyo Olympics, the US failed to score and lost 1-0 to Canada – who eventually became the gold medalists.
Lindsey Horan, #10 player of the United States, salutes fans after the game against the Republic of Korea at Allianz Field on June 4, 2024 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (David Berding/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Horan was on the podium with a bronze medal after beating Australia in the third-place game, but it’s not quite the same. She knows what her team is capable of, and so does he Stu Holden of Fox Sportswho recently told Fox News Digital that anything less than an Olympic final match would be a “failure” for the USWNT.
Horan agrees.
“I think it shows what he thinks about our national team, so I like that,” Horan said. “Again, there’s no extra pressure here. We keep talking about the process, everything we’re doing to prepare for this Olympics. Now, moving forward, we’re going to take each game at a time.
“But, at the end of the day, this is the U.S. Women’s National Team, and we want to be on the podium at the end of the tournament, winning a gold medal.”
If that day comes, Horan will sing the national anthem at the top of her lungs once again.
“It takes time to become a diamond”
The Coppola Diamond Collection slogan is very important to Horan, which is why he believes this partnership with Coppola Wines is a perfect fit for his third Olympics.
When she has some free time and can enjoy a glass of wine with her fiancé and family, Horan reflected on what she’s been through in her career to get to this point where she’s the captain of the USWNT.
Like anything that reaches its maximum potential, it took time and hard work to become the player he is today.
Lindsey Horan of USA sings the national anthem before the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between Portugal and USA at Eden Park on August 1, 2023 in Auckland/Tamaki Makaurau, New Zealand. (Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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“To be honest, when I first heard the slogan I was doing a shoot and I thought it was really cool,” she said. “Looking back on my career, it’s the perfect slogan for me in terms of what I’ve experienced, which is comparable to wine. It really took time to become the player that I am today and it’s still going on. You’re still trying to improve and grow and become a diamond in the rough.
“It’s hard work, it’s perseverance, it’s everything that goes into getting to the top of your career and staying at the top. It’s special.”
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