Kicking It Home

Lindsey Horan and Mallory Pugh, Colorado natives and Women’s World Cup soccer champions, were welcomed with great fanfare home to Colorado on July 15 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park north of Park Hill.

Gov. Jared Polis proclaimed it a special day in honor of the entire U.S. Women’s National Team during halftime of a match between the Colorado Rapids and England’s Arsenal Football Club. Horan and Pugh (pictured above with Horan at left, Pugh at right, and Polis in the middle) are on a victory tour after the U.S. Team’s 2-0 World Cup final win over the Netherlands on July 7, in Lyon, France. 

Pugh, who hails from Golden, said the best part of the experience so far was the celebratory ticker-tape parade in New York. “There were millions and millions of people screaming at us and it was just cool to see the impact we had on so many fans, and so many different people.”

Horan, originally from Highlands Ranch, termed the journey to the World Cup and the ultimate win “so sweet and emotional.” She also spoke about the legacy of the 2019 Women’s National Team. “Obviously winning back-to-back World Cups is something in itself, but what we’re doing outside of the game as well. We’re fighting for women and equal pay and everything. The world is watching and everyone knows and I think so many people are standing up for it and coming in and joining us.”

Polis recognized the team’s achievements both on the soccer pitch and off, also highlighting the fight for equal pay. The team, he said, is a “source of inspiration for tens of millions of girls across the country and the world.” 

Story and photos by Reid Neureiter