The life of Carli Lloyd is about to seriously change. It’s time to party like it’s 1999, which was the last time the USA Women’s soccer team won the World Cup. They did it again last night in style, by totally dominating Japan from the start.
@IamJoeSports
As the minutes of extra time ticked away Sunday, Carli Lloyd flicked the ball past a Japanese defender, collected it on the far side and played it down the sideline to run off still more time. Then she turned to the referee and raised her arms in the universal indication that it was time to bring the game to a close.
On this particular field on this particular night, one might have thought she would wish to linger as long as possible, to never let the game of a lifetime escape her grasp.
Then again, you don’t get many opportunities for a celebration like that which awaited when the whistle finally did make a 5-2 win for the United States official.
Those moments can be a long time in the making.
“I’ve dedicated my whole life to this,” Lloyd said. “And everything [else] comes second. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
In one of the truly remarkable displays in World Cup history, Lloyd not only became the first woman, and the second player, to score a hat trick in a final; she scored her three goals in the first 16 minutes. She closed her scoring binge with a shot she launched just as the ball rolled across the midfield stripe. It wasn’t a hopeful lob or lucky chip. It was sent with intent, as if she took umbrage at the idea that Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori would stray to the edge of her 18-yard box when Lloyd had the ball and sight of the goal.
Thanks to her fast start, team USA never looked back and Abby Wambach, who has been with the team since 2001, was finally able to raise the trophy. Congrats to the entire team and what a way to come home with the win.
