Jill Ellis snubbing Lindsey Horan is a mistake

The USWNT has arguably the best center midfielder in the world in Lindsey Horan – and the NWSL’s reigning MVP – yet manager Jill Ellis is intent on keeping her on the bench.

On Friday at 3 p.m. ET, the USWNT will take on France in one of the most highly-anticipated games in the history of women’s football. Although this isn’t a World Cup final, but rather a quarterfinal matchup, it sure has all the buzz of a final.

The United States are the defending champions and widely seen as the best team in the world, but France are just as impressive on paper and have the pressure of being the host nation.

For a match as big as this, fans would expect both teams to send out their best possible starting lineups. Yet according to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl, it sounds like the USWNT will not start Lindsey Horan in the center of the pitch.

Update: The USWNT Twitter account confirmed Horan will not be in starting lineup against France.

Horan is arguably the best player on the team and is also the best player in the world at her position. She has no glaring weaknesses in her game and can either operate as a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder. Unbeatable in the air and smart with her range of passing, Horan can create chances and finish them off.

She’s the reigning 2018 NWSL MVP, having scored 13 goals in 22 games for the Portland Thorns. And when in the starting lineup in this year’s World Cup, Horan has been exceptionally good, even scoring the opener against Sweden in the third minute that allowed the United States to cruise to victory.

USWNT manager Jill Ellis has been criticized frequently for her personnel decisions, but this may be the most bizarre decision yet. Most USWNT experts, such as SB Nation’s Kim McCauley, believe Horan should start in the center of the park with Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle, shifting Julie Ertz to center back to replace the out-of-form Becky Sauerbrunn. This is the same lineup the USWNT used to devastating effect in their first World Cup game, when they defeated Thailand 13-0.

France feature some of the best attacking talent in the world, and Amandine Henry’s late runs from center midfield have been a handful for defenses. Likewise, Eugenie Le Sommer is a lethal goal-scoring threat when cutting inside from the left, and the United States need someone who can control the middle of the pitch against a team as tactically brilliant as France.

Horan is one of the smartest and most composed players in the world on both ends of the pitch, in addition to being a premier goal scoring threat as a center midfielder. Her versatility and all-around effectiveness could make all the difference in the world against France. Benching Horan against Spain may have been excusable due to Horan’s yellow card and the threat of a suspension against a bigger opponent in France, but Ellis brought her off the bench as a substitute with the game already won.

For some reason, Ellis doesn’t value the MVP of one of the most competitive leagues, and this head-scratching decision could come back to bite the United States. Of course, a midfield trio of Ertz, Mewis, and Lavelle is also elite, and Sauerbrunn has been one of the best defenders in the country’s history. The USWNT are still the favorites and can somehow afford to bench one of their top players, but if France win this game, Ellis will have a difficult time answering why she didn’t start a player of Horan’s caliber and tactical importance.