The United States Women’s National Team was eliminated from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after losing a penalty kick shootout to Sweden, and that loss included a brutal miss from USWNT young star Sophia Smith on a shot that would have given the team the victory. But USWNT co-captain Lindsey Horan doesn’t want her to dwell on it.
During a press conference this week, Lindsey Horan revealed that she consoled Sophia Smith with the fact that all great players sometimes miss penalty kicks. In fact, Horan herself failed to convert a crucial PK recently for Lyon in a Champions League match.
“I just told her the best players in the world miss PKs,” Horan said according to Fox Sports. “Everyone misses. It sucks. It absolutely sucks.
“But you’ve gotta remember this is part of football. You get back up. And it’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt forever. I think the one I missed versus Chelsea [in Champions League] hurt until the one [I made] tonight. It is what it is.”
Smith is just 22 years old and was playing her first major tournament with the team, so she has a long and bright future ahead of her and will undoubtedly have plenty of time to make up for the brutal miss.
