USWNT vs. France lineups: Lindsey Horan on the bench for quarterfinal

Marc Lancaster

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USWNT vs. France lineups: Lindsey Horan on the bench for quarterfinal image

The United States women's national team will start its biggest game in years with one of its most effective players on the bench. 

Lindsey Horan has been relegated to substitute duty for Friday's Women's World Cup quarterfinal against France, with U.S. coach Jill Ellis opting for a midfield of Samantha Mewis, Julie Ertz and Rose Lavelle against the tournament hosts. 

Horan, 25, has been widely praised for her performance during the tournament, and she scored the opening goal in the 2-0 U.S. defeat of Sweden to wrap up the group stage. She also might have the best first-hand knowledge of Friday's opponent, having played professionally for Paris Saint-Germain for four years. 

Horan also was a substitute for the round of 16 match against Spain, coming off the bench in the 89th minute, but the prevailing thought there was that Ellis didn't want to risk losing her for the quarterfinals because she was on a yellow card entering the game. 

While it's difficult to argue that Mewis, Ertz or Lavelle should be benched, Ellis could have moved Ertz back to her former position in central defense as she did for the tournament opener against Thailand. The U.S. back line was a clear weak point against Spain. 

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.