Carli Lloyd’s playing career is over. Lloyd’s Gotham FC fell to Mal Pugh and the Chicago Red Stars in the 2021 NWSL quarterfinals, marking the start of a new phase in Lloyd’s life. We thought we’d look back to the Carli Lloyd first college goal, which you know was an absolute banger.
Mallory Pugh is back.
After playing an ever-present role in Chicago’s regular season campaign — second most minutes, second most goals, joint-most assists — Pugh’s resurgent year continued on Sunday with her biggest strike yet: the game-winner against NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals.
To much fanfare (maybe too much?), Carli Lloyd played her final USWNT match last week. At the club level, she’s got at least one more match left before she fully retires. When is Carli Lloyd's last game? That depends on her and her Gotham FC teammates as the NWSL playoffs begin Sunday.
Carli Lloyd played the last regular season game of her career on Sunday and went out in style with a goal to her name during a 1-1 draw vs. Racing Louisville. Lloyd hasn’t been the most prolific scorer in league play, but she was never going to miss this open header.
Carli Lloyd might only have one match left in her career, but she’s still showing she can dice up an NWSL defense. If her own team’s defense can shore up, she’ll earn another match before she retires.
Cisgender men’s footballers have it pretty easy if they want to start a family: Either they get someone pregnant or they adopt. Regardless, outside of some paternity leave near the birth, they generally don’t miss much playing time, rarely have major physical side effects and don’t have to choose between a playing career or starting a family.
Footballers who want to become pregnant, on the other hand, face much more difficult decisions when it comes to having children. Either they pause their career to bear children or put it off until after retirement.
Carli Lloyd’s career on the field has already been badass enough. She had one last trick up her sleeve during Tuesday night’s 6-0 thumping of South Korea when she revealed she had played the game (or at least 20 minutes of the second half) with two jerseys on. When her curtain call came, she took off her Lloyd jersey to reveal a Hollins jersey.
Lloyd has been married to her husband, Brian Hollins, since 2016. Hollins and Lloyd have been together since high school and officially tied the knot five years ago. Here was the special moment when Lloyd revealed the second jersey.
What’s the appropriate way to send off a player who has reached heights few before her have achieved? As Carli Lloyd prepares for her final USWNT match, everyone from her male and female U.S. Soccer counterparts to Tom Brady has weighed in on the legendary player. But is it too much? Some people certainly think so, given her uncomfortable, often undiscussed stances on certain off-the-field issues.
One of the greatest players in U.S. Soccer history will sign off on Tuesday. After 16 incredible years on the field with the USWNT Carli Lloyd will hang up her cleats. Fans, players and other athletes are all preparing for the emotional moment when Lloyd plays her final game against for the national team against South Korea Tuesday night.
Twice World Cup winner Carli Lloyd will put on the United States jersey one last time on Tuesday but was adamant she would not be leaving the sport of soccer entirely.
With two Olympic golds and the fourth-highest total of international goals to her name, the 39-year-old forward will leave a big pair of boots to fill after playing her final game for the U.S. against South Korea in Minnesota.