Lindsey Horan’s penalty kick gives US a 2-1 win over Japan in SheBelieves Cup

Lindsey Horan scored on a penalty kick in the 77th minute and allowed the United States to get past Japan 2-1 in the SheBelieves Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.

Japan forward Kiko Seike dashed down the wing and evaded a defender with a shot that was out of the reach of U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. With Seike’s goal in the first thirty seconds, it was the earliest the United States allowed a goal since 2003.

Notably, there were 50,644 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a record for a friendly match for the United States women on home soil. It was also the largest crowd for a women’s game in the United States since the 1999 World Cup final.

“I think being able to have 50,000 people support us, rally behind us and as always, like the fans are amazing, and they support us so much, and we feel it, we hear it and I’m just super thankful and I know the team is as well,” said forward Mal Swanson.

Swanson looked very comfortable playing in an advanced attacking role, nine months after a devastating injury prevented her from participating in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In the 63rd minute, Swanson moved to the right wing, when Sophia Smith entered the match as a substitute. They played together for fifteen minutes and combined very well as they unlocked the Japan defense.

Notably, Korbin Albert came into the match as a second-half substitute. Albert plays professionally for Paris Saint-Germain. She reposted anti-LGBTQ+ content on her TikTok account. In the run-up to the match, she would later apologize for her conduct.

“Liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive and hurtful was immature and disrespectful which was never my intent,” Albert explained.

All in all, it was a festival of fútbol inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The reaction among the fans and social media alike is clear: Atlanta is a soccer hub.

“I mean, you see this in women’s football like around the world and I think that was amazing to see from from this city and to have them behind our behind us this entire game, especially now going down early,” explained Horan. “It’s always like having an extra man on the field. Having that kind of crowd atmosphere and cheering it was it was so cool to see.”