Soccer star Lindsey Horan has a shot to do something bigger than local sports heroes and have ever achieved.
In the World Cup final, Horan can win a championship on her sportap biggest stage, while proudly representing Colorado.
“This has been everything a little girl has dreamt of,” Horan said Friday, with the undefeated U.S. women’s national team needing one more victory to capture soccer’s biggest prize for the fourth time.
Horan is 25 years old. She’s from up the street, born in Golden. Although she is an athletic contemporary nearly identical in age to a Rockies pitcher (Freeland) and Broncos running back (Lindsay), to say nothing of far more accomplished in her chosen field, Horan is nearly ignored in her home state.
Now, why do you suppose that would that be the case? Well, can you handle the truth? Could it be not only because soccer isn’t held in nearly the same esteem as football and baseball, but also because Horan is well … you know … a girl?
That dismissive attitude toward Horan’s achievements on the pitch is a bunch of sexist hooey. As the spouse and father of strong women, it irks me.
But even at the news organization where I work, I’m reminded our commitment to recognizing the excellence of women hitting a tennis ball, running track at the Olympics or scoring goals is nowhere near as great as to the fawning praise we routinely offer guys who surrender home runs in a Rockies uniform or get beat on the football field by the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the realm of athletics, itap amusing how dudes who operate the world, from the White House to FIFA headquarters, try to keep women in their place, whether itap with stern words of admonishment or a stubborn refusal to pay them what they’re worth.
And the women of the USWNT are having none it. That kick-down-doors and punch-the-glass-ceiling defiance is what you have to love about Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Horan, even more so than the respect demanded by this team’s ability to win six times by a cumulative score of 24-3 to reach the Cup final against the Netherlands.
Rapinoe has not only been the spark plug for her team, she has taken on everyone from U.S. president Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, demonstrating how both the LGBQT community and professional female soccer players must struggle and fight for every inch on every hill climbed.
Although Morgan is the loudest scorer in this tournament, perhaps the biggest noise about her performance resulted from her goal celebration against England, in which she rushed toward the sideline after the score and mimed sipping tea. Television commentator and notable old fogy Piers Morgan blasted the celebration as bordering on a declaration of war.
“There is some sort of double standard for females in sports, to feel like we have to be humble in our successes and have to celebrate, but not too much,” Morgan told reporters covering the World Cup in France.
“You see men celebrating all around the world in big tournaments, grabbing their sacks or whatever it is, and when I look at sipping a cup of tea, I’m a little taken aback and you have to kind of laugh about it.”
If she were excelling on the NFL field or in an NBA arena, the work Horan does for the USMNT would earn her toasts as a “glue guy.” Her work rate is relentless from box to box on the pitch, whether Horan is serving up the perfect cross for a header by Morgan that proved to be the decisive goal in the semifinal victory, or the Golden High alum is thwarting a foe’s attack by poke-checking away the ball at the defensive end.
But, of course, Horan faced criticism for cheering too loudly while walking through the stadium tunnel in the vicinity of an English player after the emotional victory that sent the USA to the championship game. In response, Horan sent a message of apology to Steph Houghton, captain of the English side.
Thatap all well and good. Letap hope good sportsmanship never dies.
But isn’t it about time female athletes stop apologizing for kicking butt and taking names?
