16 August 2023 , 16:18
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Carli Lloyd has stood by her strong criticism of the USWNT following their disappointing Women's World Cup exit.
The two-time defending champions saw their quest for a third successive title come to a humbling end at the hands of Sweden in the last 16. Following a 0-0 draw after extra time, they lost 5-4 on penalties which resulted in the team’s worst result in World Cup history.
Lloyd, who won the 2015 and 2019 World Cups with the USWNT, is the team’s second-most capped player and her opinions carry weight in the football world. Following their goalless draw with Portugal in the group stages, a game which they almost lost after Portugal hit the post in injury time, Lloyd had her say.
The two-time Olympian blasted their most recent performances as "lackluster" and "uninspiring". During a conversation with The Athletic, the 41-year-old doubled down on her comments earlier in the tournament. “I think maybe I was the only one brave enough to say it how it is," she said.
“I've always been somebody that is blunt, that's honest, that maybe comes across to the media as being selfish, arrogant, all these words that I've heard about me and that's been pretty wild to hear because it's really not true. I think there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and I just saw this team go in a direction where the values that were built and instilled in this team is not what was displayed out at this World Cup.”
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The squad featured many young players along with some who were making their debut at the World Cup, and the two-time FIFA Player of the Year did not think the team was adequately prepared for the tournament. “The team was disjointed, was not a unit, and the coaching was not what this team needed,” Lloyd added. “So I saw this, I felt this, I experienced this.
“I wasn’t truly confident in this team winning the World Cup. That’s not because of the lack of talent or the lack of players wanting to win. Every player wants to win. But there are certain steps and processes that you have to go through in order to win. There’s a certain formula that a championship team has.”
USWNT were left devastated by their early exit from the World Cup (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)The likes of Megan Rapinoe were heavily criticised during the tournament, especially by journalist and TV personality Megyn Kelly who claimed the 38-year-old "poisoned" the team. Her missed penalty and the player’s subsequent reaction drew ire from supporters and her glittering career came to a sour end.
"Megan Rapinoe, she's the leader of all this," Kelly said. "She's not a starter. So that's why she's not on camera when they're doing the national anthem, but she's behind a lot of this.
"She's poisoned the entire team against the country for which they play. I don't know about you, but I'm not rooting for them. I'm not with them. I hope they lose… It's shameful. These girls are shameful. They ought to be ashamed of themselves."