World Cup Soccer: Former Team Captain Carli Lloyd Blasts U.S. Women’s National Squad For Celebrating After Lackluster Tie
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U.S. soccer legend Carli Lloyd blasted the U.S. Women’s national team after a lackluster 0-0 tie today in the final group stage match against a game Portugal squad.
The U.S. outshot Portugal 17-6, but was almost eliminated from the tournament when a strike from Portuguese sub Ana Capeta hit the right post in extra minutes.
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Lloyd, speaking on the Fox Soccer aftershow was very clear how close the No. 1 ranked, reigning 2-time champion U.S. women came to being eliminated and how little they had to do in preventing that catastrophe.
“The player of the match was that post. You’re lucky not to be going home right now.”
It doesn't get much closer than this 😱🫢 pic.twitter.com/OdiVCvQkaY
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 1, 2023
Lloyd knows whereof she speaks. The two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time FIFA Player of the Year,[4] and a four-time Olympian also ripped her former team for smiling, celebrating and taking selfies with fans after the game.
“I have never witnessed something like that,” she said as images of a celebrating U.S. women’s team flashed onscreen. “There’s a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying ‘hello’ to your family, but yo be dancing? To be smiling?”
"There's a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family, but to be dancing and smiling…"@CarliLloyd on the USWNT after the match 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/38zm1eC76r
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 1, 2023
With the tie, the U.S. women move out of the initial Group stage to the Round of 16 Elimination stage. But for a team expected to dominate, doing so with a 0-0 tie was underwhelming to say the least, especially on a night that saw the team who won Group E overall, the Netherlands, decimated Vietnam 7-0.
“I’m all for positivity — they have advanced out of the group,” Lloyd, who retired in 2021. “But at the same time the cheering, the dancing — I’ve got a problem with that because I wouldn’t be happy. I know several of their players, former players, ’99ers [1999 champions] — they wouldn’t be happy with that tie. It hasn’t been good overall in these first three games. I understand the players doing interviews, I was in that position before. You don’t want to speak negatively, you don’t want to actually say what is going on, I understand that.”
Alex Morgan tied to do just that in a postgame interview with Fox Soccer, saying, “It’s tough to be second… This team gave everything, we just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”
"It's tough to be second… This team gave everything, we just didn't put the ball in the back of the net."
Alex Morgan checks in after the @USWNT's draw vs Portugal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/AvXgkwfFlg— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 1, 2023
Meanwhile, the team’s coach Vlatko Andonovski hit back when asked about the criticism.
“The one thing I want to say is that this team wanted to win this game more than anything else,” said Andonovski to the media. “They’ve put everything they could in preparation for this tournament and every game that they go into, so to question the mentality of this team, to question the willingness to win, to compete, I think it’s insane.
“It’s not like we played well by any means. We owned it. We know it’s not good enough. We’re not happy with our performance, but we qualified for the next round. We’re moving on.”
"To question the mentality of this team, to question the willingness to win, to compete… I think it's insane."
USWNT Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski, when asked to respond to postgame criticisms made by @CarliLloyd and some of the @FOXSports crew https://t.co/PFn5C8cDZJ pic.twitter.com/O600CE3BW4— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 1, 2023
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