Midfielder Lindsay Horan is not in the United States starting lineup for their World Cup quarterfinal matchup with France on Friday.
Horan is healthy, according to Sports Illustrated, and American head coach Jill Ellis will be viciously second-guessed if this lineup decision backfires against the high-powered French.
Julie Ertz, Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle will get the starts in the midfield, with Horan the odd woman out.
Horan, 25, also was benched in the Round of 16, when the U.S. struggled to get past Spain in a 2-1 victory. At the time, there was speculation Horan was held out to avoid a second yellow card, which would have resulted in her suspension for the France match. Horan did come on as a substitute in the 89th minute against Spain, which poked holes in that theory.
Horan is arguably the United States’ most imposing physical presence, and is widely considered one of the best players in the world. She scored twice in the group stage, once in the rout against Thailand and again against Sweden, a tally in the third minute that set the tone for that match.


