Soccer Legend Carli Lloyd Retires

By Talia Silbermann ‘23 

Over the last 15 years, Carli Lloyd has built one of the most reputable careers of any female soccer player in the world. Now, she is leaving the game of soccer, ending her incredible career on the team representing New Jersey in the National Women’s Soccer League. 

Lloyd was born and raised in New Jersey. At the age of five, she discovered her passion for soccer and since then, she has been an all-star player on the field. 
In high school, Lloyd was known for her incredible ball control and ball work. In her senior year alone, Lloyd was the captain of her team and scored 26 goals with 8 assists. This helped her be named Girls’ High School Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000. 
Continuing her career at Rutgers University, she was a trailblazer as the first athlete at the university to be named First-Team-All-Big-East. By the time she finished her college career, she was the school’s all-time leader with 117 points and 50 goals. Lloyd was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni because of her inspirational college career.
Golda Och Academy physical education teacher, Mr. Cohen, called Lloyd “one of the best players to ever attend Rutgers.”
After she graduated from Rutgers University in 2004, Carli Lloyd began her impressive career in the National Women’s Soccer League. She started by playing for the Chicago Red Stars for 2 years, Sky Blue FC for 1 year and the Atlanta Beat for 1 year.
From 2013 to 2014, Lloyd represented the Western New York Flash. In the 2013 season, the Flash finished in first place and made the playoffs. Lloyd was then traded to the Houston Dash and played in Texas from 2015-2017. She finished her career on the NJ/NY Gotham from 2018 until she announced her retirement. 
Around the time she began her National Women’s Soccer League career, on Jul. 10, 2005, Lloyd started her United States Women’s National Soccer Team career. 
Speaking about her United States Soccer beginnings, junior Isabelle Zellan remarked, “She wasn’t that popular in the beginning of her career, but she kept going and became one of the best players in soccer.”
She went on to play in her first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2007 and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lloyd scored a dramatic game-winning goal in overtime against Brazil to win gold at the games. She went on to be named 2008 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. 
In the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Lloyd helped the United States make their way through the tournament and contributed to the United States’ second place finish in the tournament which earned them the silver medal.
In the 2012 London Olympics, the United States played their way into the finals against Japan, who they had previously lost the Gold to in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Lloyd scored both goals during the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 2-1 victory against Japan to win the 2012 London Olympics. 
Reflecting on Lloyd’s strong performances in clutch moments, freshman Alyson Biloon said that Lloyd “scored important goals when needed, and is a leader on and off the field.” 
In the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the American team made it to the finals against Japan again. 
Mr. Cohen said that Lloyd’s greatest accomplishment in this game was her “hat trick within the first 15 minutes or so with the third being an amazing shot from midfield.” 
In this tournament, Lloyd won the Golden Ball award showing that she was the greatest player in the tournament. 
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in the summer of 2021 due to COVID-19, Lloyd set the United States women’s record for goals scored in the Olympics with 10 total goals. 
She leaves the game with 316 appearances for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, and 134 goals within those games, leaving her as the fourth highest ranked female goal scorer for the United States. She leaves with the second highest number of appearances for the United States with 316, behind only Kristine Lilly. 
Mr. Cohen said, “She was the consummate midfielder, being able to score as well as set up goals for her teammates. She was one of the best ever.”