7 Things Every Carli Lloyd Fan Should Know
Carli Lloyd and her trainer James Galanis decided to set a goal in 2004. That goal was to become the world’s greatest soccer player in the next decade. The two believe she’d achieve this goal. With hard work and determination, Lloyd was named FIFA’s World Player of the year in 2016. That’s just one fun fact about the incredible Carli Lloyd. Here are some more facts that you should know about her.
Philanthropist
The work doesn’t stop when Lloyd leaves the field. She likes to give back and has helped charities like Habitat for Humanity. Lloyd also teamed up with DoSomething.org for Steps for Soldiers, which aimed to raise money for the United Services organization. In New Jersey, she also runs a soccer camp for kids. The camp is for boys and girls between the ages of eight and eighteen and is open to any young soccer player of different skill levels.
High School Sweethearts
Carli married the love of her life, golf professional Brian Hollins, in January of 2016. The two had been dating for 15 years before Hollins popped the big question. Although the soccerista owns some serious bling, including her two Olympics gold medals, three World Cup medals, Gold Ball, and Silver Boot awards, her sparkly wedding ring just *might* be her favorite.
#EqualPayForEqualPlay
Last year, Lloyd joined USWNT members Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Hope Solo in filing a federal complaint. The complaint was with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding wage discrimination with U.S. Soccer. She joined this movement because she believes that people should be treated the way they deserve to be treated regardless of gender.
Dominated the College Field
Carli Lloyd attended Rutgers State University in New Jersey. She graduated in 2005 and studied Exercise Science and Sports Studies. When she wasn’t hitting the books, she was training in the field. She was a two-time NSCAA All-American and four-time NSCAA All-Region student-athlete. She also became the university’s all-time leading scorer, and the first player in the school’s history to earn first-team all-conference honors for four consecutive years.
New Jersey Hall of Famer
The two-time FIFA world player was inducted into the New Jersey’s Hall of Fame class of 2018. With so many accomplishments in Carli Lloyd’s career, this one is pretty cool. She is honored and looked up to by her home state. The honorees were recognized at the Historic Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Football player and New Jersey Eric LeGrand presented Lloyd during the induction ceremony.
Part of an Elite group of Women
Lloyd is only one of four American women to have won the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award at least once. The years she won were 2015 and 2016. She is joined by Mia Hamm (2001, 2002), Abby Wambach (2012), and teammate Megan Rapinoe (2019). If that’s not impressive, she is also one of four women to have won the award in back-to-back years. The other three women to have done so are Hamm, Birgit Prinz (2003, 2004, 2005), and Marta (2006-2010).
Captain America
Since 1985, the USWNT has only had 14 captains; and that’s including the team’s current
captains). The responsibility isn’t something that the team takes lightly. The captains are the ones who boost team morale and bring their team together. Of course, Carli Lloyd is one of the co-captain. The 2019 World cup was her fourth, and her second tournament as a co-captain. In 2015, Lloyd scored three goals in the World Cup Final to lead the U.S. to a 5-2 victory over Japan. This great accomplishment help Lloyd get the nickname, Captain America.
Carli Lloyd has worked hard and dedicated her life to soccer, and has never given up. Her main goal was to become the greatest soccer player in the next decade. She didn’t stop until she made her dream a reality. Even when she reached it, she continued to excel in her soccer career. Here’s to you, Carli!
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