Lindsey Horan scored a revenge goal after a mid-game fight. It saved the USWNT from their first World Cup defeat in over 10 years.
- Lindsey Horan scored the USWNT's equalizer vs the Netherlands in their 2023 World Cup match.
- The goal came mere moments after the US captain nearly brawled with Dutch star Daniëlle van de Donk.
You don't want to make Lindsey Horan angry.
Dutch star Daniëlle van de Donk learned that lesson the hard way Wednesday night, or Thursday afternoon local time, as her Netherlands side took on Horan and the US Women's National Team in the 2023 World Cup group stage. Horan and van de Donk play side-by-side for French powerhouse club Olympique Lyonnais Féminin — better known as Lyon — but that didn't stop the midfielders from getting chippy in the heat of the game.
With the Netherlands looking to hold onto a 1-0 lead and the Americans growing increasingly desperate for a second-half equalizer, Horan and van de Donk stepped up their aggression as they battled for control of the midfield. The strife came to a head in the 59th minute of the contest, when the USWNT captain settled the ball along the sideline and van de Donk stepped in for a hard tackle that many — including the commentators for the match — thought warranted a card.
Horan needed more than a minute to rise to her feet and hobble off the field. But within just a few moments, she was back on the pitch and looking to exact her revenge.
As teammate Rose Lavelle placed the ball down and prepared to take a corner kick for the US, the 29-year-old sidled up next to van de Donk and let out some of her frustration. The Lyon stars exchanged shoves and, as the cameras panned in on the brewing brawl, Horan appeared to tell her club counterpart to "shut your fucking mouth."
On the very next play — after a long, heated discussion between Horan, van de Donk, and the referee — Lavelle lofted in "an absolute dime," as Horan recalled after the game, "and I got on the end of it." She rose up above the sea of orange and redirected the ball into the back of the net with the flick of her head.
Tie game.
"I don't think you ever want to get me mad, because I don't react in a good way," Horan told The Athletic's Meg Linehan. "Usually I just go and I want something more. I want to win more. I want to score more. I want to do more for my team."
Both sides had their chances from there, but the game finished in a 1-1 tie. Had Horan not equalized, the Stars and Stripes would have suffered their first World Cup loss since 2011.
Shortly after the final whistle sounded, Horan and her friend-turned-foe found their way to one another and seemingly made amends. The pair were spotted hugging and sharing a few laughs out on the field. They even exchanged some playful banter in front of the media a few minutes later.
The thrilling draw in Wellington left the US and Netherlands tied for the lead in Group E, which also includes Vietnam and Portugal. If each side wins its final group stage match on Tuesday — the USWNT vs Portugal and the Dutch against Vietnam — they'll both advance to the knockout round of the tournament.