US women's soccer team captain Lindsey Horan apologizes for saying American fans 'aren't smart'

U.S. women's national team captain Lindsey Horan offered a lengthy apology to fans, walking back comments criticizing American soccer fans for a lack of insight.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Horan drew a line between how fans and observers discuss the game in the U.S. as compared to what she's experienced in France playing for Lyon.

That included going so far as to say "American fans, most of them aren't smart," a remark that Horan expressed contrition about in a press conference from the USWNT's Concacaf W Gold Cup camp on Thursday.

"First and foremost, I would like to apologize to our fans," said Horan before taking questions from reporters. "Some of my comments were poorly expressed and there was a massive lesson learned for me. When I think about our fans, I love them so much, this team loves them so much, and I can't begin to explain how much they mean to us.

"Every time we step out and train, every time we step out and play in games, we play for you guys. You are our inspiration, you are our motivation, and seeing you wearing our jerseys and seeing you screaming our names and chanting 'USA,' that's what we play for. And I never wanted to take any of that away."

Horan went on to reiterate one of the points she made in that interview, discussing how fan culture in the United States is improving.

"The soccer culture in America is changing and growing so much, in such a positive way," stated Horan. "For me to be able to experience that firsthand playing for this U.S. women's national team, but also in the NWSL for the Portland Thorns, is something just so amazing. It is my absolute honor — and I will always say that — to be able to put on this crest every single day, to be in this environment and to go out and play in front of our fans and represent this national team.

"That is something...again, it is my greatest honor, and the last thing I ever wanted to do was to offend anyone in that manner. So again, I deeply, deeply apologize."

Horan would later say that she was not forced to offer the apology, explaining that her motivations to do so came from within.

"What I had inside of me, how I felt about it, and what I read, and my opinion of my own comments," offered Horan as reasons why she opened the press conference with her apology. "And also, me wanting to express how much the fans just mean to me personally and again, not wanting to take anything away from that. So I think that was just something always within me that I wanted to do."

Lindsey Horan: I want people to discuss USWNT like top clubs

Horan's prior comments delved into how the 29-year-old feels that there is sometimes a lack of criticism of the USWNT for poor performance, whether as a team or for individuals.

On Thursday, she expounded on that front, saying that a goal of hers is for the USWNT to be discussed for its style of play like some of the world's most famous clubs are.

"When I think of some of the best footballing teams in the world, and some that I watch — you guys know me, I'm just a football brain and I love watching soccer as much as I possibly can, and I love talking about it — and the way I talk about Man City, the way people talk about Man City, Arsenal, the old Barcelona, that's what I love," explained the USWNT captain.

"That's what I want people to say about us. I want people to talk about, you know, how incredible we are on the ball, the possession, the style of play, the technical ability, the tactical changes mid-game, these type of things that I've viewed when I do see some of the best teams in the world."

For the Colorado native, that desire to see the team's quality of play drawing deeper analysis was a possible factor in her less considered remarks.

"Maybe that was in my head, thinking of our team and what I want people to say about them on the field and how we're playing," concluded Horan.