Somehow, the most talked-about USWNT player following the team's disappointing Portugal draw at the 2023 World Cup has been the one in the Fox Sports booth.
Former USWNT forward and current Fox analyst Carli Lloyd took a second crack at explaining her disappointment in her former team Wednesday, one day after she criticized their attitude in reaction to a second-place group play finish behind the Netherlands.
Lloyd's explanation:
"I'd like to state that obviously I was very critical of the team last night. I've had some time to reflect, to sleep on it. I want people to understand that I care deeply about this team. I've poured my heart and soul into this team for 17 years and it was based off of a legacy that was passed down from generation to generation, the mentality, the DNA of what makes that team so great.
"My comments were reflective on me wanting to see that legacy continue to be passed down generation to generation, and with that, it comes with hard work, it comes with focus, and so my hope is that that continues, because that is what makes the U.S. so special and so deadly, and that is what ultimately has won us championships."
Lloyd's comments the previous day triggered a backlash that included the current USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who said, "To question the mentality of this team, to question the willingness to win, to compete, I think is insane."
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Ali Krieger, Lloyd's USWNT teammate for several years, also took aim at Lloyd's message, saying "I don't think it was really necessary to say what she, what she said," and saying people were "in panic mode" despite the team advancing.
There are indeed many reasons to be critical of the USWNT, from composition to execution, but Lloyd instead took aim at the team's attitude following the Portugal draw, with the most discussed moment coming when she complained about some players taking pictures with fans and signing autographs after the match:
“I have never witnessed — and just seeing these images for the first time right now at the desk — I have never witnessed something like that. There’s a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family, but to be dancing, to be smiling, I mean, the player of that match was the post. You are lucky to not be going home right now.”
Later, when asked to expand on her thoughts, Lloyd alluded to "a lot of off-the-field things" as a reason for a shift in the USWNT since 2020, a span of time which also saw the team win bronze at the Tokyo Olympics:
"It started to shift post-2020. I just think there are a lot of off-the-field things that are happening. You never want to take anything for granted. You put on that jersey and you want to give it everything you have, for the people that came before you, for the people that are going to come after you, and I'm just not seeing that passion. I'm just seeing a very lackluster, uninspiring, taking-it-for-granted, where winning and training and doing all that you can to be the best possible individual player is not happening."
The USWNT is now scheduled to face Sweden in the first round of the knockout stages on Sunday at 5 a.m. ET, with the late time being a consequence for the second-place finish. One more loss, and Lloyd's sentiment will carry a lot more weight.
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