Lindsey Horan, who wears No. 10 for her club team, the Portland Thorns, will wear the same number for the USWNT. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
On Tuesday, Carli Lloyd will wear her No. 10 jersey for the U.S. women’s national team for the final time in her final international match.
But that doesn’t mean the number will be retired.
Before the Americans played the Korea Republic in its penultimate international of the year Thursday night, Lloyd said on Instagram that Lindsey Horan would wear her famed shirt starting in 2022.
“Seems fitting as we celebrate your 💯 cap to also pass the #🔟 to you @lindseyhoran10,” Lloyd said. “Could not be more proud of the player you have become and the player you continue to push yourself to be. You are an amazing human being. Never change. I am so honored to pass the 🔟 to you when I say goodbye on 10/26. Wear it with pride every second you take the field. I will always be with you. I’ll be your biggest fan forever! Love ya my friend. ❤️”
During a postgame press conference at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., Horan got emotional over the moment.
“I’m going to try my best not to cry,” Horan said. “I get excited and cried about seven times today, but to be perfectly honest, the meeting we had before the game Carlo presented the jersey to me with my name and No. 10 on it. And I think it was probably one of the most special moments in my career. I think Carli Lloyd is truly one of the most incredible woman’s national team players that has come through the system. Over the past few years, she’s been such a role model for me and I’ve gotten closer and closer with her and gotten to learn so much from her and even in the Olympics.”
During the Olympics, Horan and Lloyd sat at the same meal table.
“Table three, that was, that was my meal table,” Horan said. “Just having conversations with her and hearing her stories, and what she’s been through with this national team, things that no one else knows, is, is really, really cool. And I think those are the moments that last forever, for us and are kind of the most important. Soccer aside that 100 caps aside, Carli doing that for me and giving me the opportunity to wear her jersey and I’m so honored and I’m going to try to represent it in the best way I possibly can, and think of her every time I put it on.”
Horan has worn another famous USWNT number, No. 9, which was on the backs of Mia Hamm and Heather O’Reilly.
According to Anthony DiCicco, only three USWNT players have worn No. 10 since 1985:
* Michelle Akers10 (1985-2000)
* Aly Wagner (2000-2008)
* Lloyd (2008-2021)
Prior to the game, Horan was honored by U.S. Soccer for reaching 100th career matches. She captained the USWNT as well, for the first time in her career.
Lloyd’s final game of her storied career will be against Korea in Minneapolis, Minn. Tuesday night.
