In 2018, Thorns FC midfielder Lindsey Horan helped lead the club to a second place regular-season finish while becoming a dominant player all over the field. Horan finished the season ranked in the top five statistically in a wide variety of diverse categories. Here is a special #StatMan look at the MVP-caliber season of Horan.
13 Horan ended the season with 13 goals, good for third-most in the NWSL. The 24-year old midfielder was not a high volume shooter however, finishing with 56 and 45 less shots, respectively, than the two players that finished ahead of her 13 goal total.
6 One area that Horan stood out over the competition was her ability in the air. Horan's six goals from headers led the league and she finished the season with more headed goals than five of the eight other NWSL teams.
141 It wasn't just on the offensive end where Horan maintained her dominance in the air. In her third season with Portland, Horan won 141 aerial battles while no other player in the league was able to hit 100 aerials won in 2018.
44 Also showcasing a special ability when the ball was on the ground, Horan finished tied for second in the league for dribbles completed with 44. This is an incredible feat in a category filled with players who usually play out wide such as outside defenders and wide-playing forwards.
493 While some players rack up passes in the defensive end, the majority of Horan's passes were going forward. In fact, Horan had more successful passes in the opponent's half of the field (493) than any other player in NWSL.
218 Despite also having fantastic offensive numbers, the Golden, Colo. native also made her presence felt on the defensive end. Her 218 recoveries were first among all outfield players while her 68 tackles were fifth in NWSL.
