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          USWNT star Lindsey Horan headed from Portland Thorns to Olympique Lyonnais on loan

          • Caitlin Murray, ESPNJan 27, 2022, 03:06 PM
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              Caitlin Murray is a general editor for ESPN.com. She has reported on and written about soccer for The New York Times, The Guardian, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, and others.

              She authored a book about the history of the U.S. women's national team called "The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer," which made "best of" lists in Vanity Fair, The Financial Times, NPR and The Los Angeles Times. On Twitter and Instagram, she's @caitlinmurr.
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          United States women's national team star Lindsey Horan is headed back to France.

          The former Paris Saint-Germain player is leaving the Portland Thorns for a loan until June 2023 with Olympique Lyonnais, both clubs confirmed on Thursday.

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          Horan is already in France -- she left camp with the USWNT on Tuesday and traveled to Lyon to complete the 18-month loan, sources told ESPN.

          Horan, 27, leaves the Thorns after six seasons. Along the way, she won an NWSL championship, two NWSL Shields and an NWSL Challenge Cup.

          Horan started her career in France, skipping college and going pro straight out of high school with PSG from 2012 to 2016. She then joined the Thorns and was named MVP of the NWSL for the 2018 season.

          At Lyon, Horan will be united with fellow USWNT player Catarina Macario, who joined the club last season to start her professional career. Lyon, a powerhouse in women's football, has won the French league 14 times and the UEFA Champions League seven times.

          For the USWNT, Horan has 108 appearances and 25 goals. The USWNT is currently in Austin, Texas, for its first camp of 2022.

          In another move, Olympic gold medalist Christine Sinclair signed a one-year contract extension with the Thorns. Sinclair is embarking on her 10th season with the Thorns this year. The contract, announced Thursday, has an option for 2023.

          Sinclair plays for the Canadian national team and is the all-time leading international goal scorer, among both men and women, with 188 career goals. The 38-year-old captained the Canadian team that won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.