Who Will Fill Carli Lloyd’s Shoes?
Carli Lloyd is going to go down as one of the best ever to play the game. Her on-the-field contributions to women’s soccer include a long list of accolades. But, after 16 years, 300 caps with the USWNT, two World Cup victories, and two Olympic gold medals, Carli Lloyd is hanging up her boots.
Lloyd’s shoes are going to be difficult to fill on both the club and international levels. So we take a look at some options for both squads.
USWNT
Catarina Macario
It was a big day for the USWNT when Macario chose the U.S. over Brazil as her national team. While she and Lloyd are vastly different players, Macario could be one to slide into the front line when Lloyd’s professional career wraps up. She’s a proven goalscorer that can create a ton of chances in the attack. At 22, she already has ten appearances for the USWNT, three goals, and an assist.
At Stanford, Macario finished her career with the second-most goals in school history, in 63, and the most assists (47). However, the former Cardinal decided to forgo her last year of college soccer and instead signed with Olympique Lyonnais at the beginning of 2021.
Margaret Purce
Another player that could step in for Carli Lloyd is Margaret Purce. Midge Purce has fallen out of favor with the national team for some reason, but she should be earning call-ups. Historically for the USWNT, she has been used as an outside back, but it’s not the position best suited for her.
If they play her at an attacking position and not an outside back, she could be a dangerous goal scorer for the USWNT for years to come. Currently, she has made seven appearances and scored two goals for the United States.
So far this season, she has eight goals in 14 games for NJ/NY Gotham FC. She’s a proven goalscorer that deserves another look-up top for the USWNT. She and Lloyd are a powerful force up top for Gotham, and once Lloyd retires, Purce could be leading the fight in the forward third.
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Evelyne Viens
Carli Lloyd will surely be missed on Gotham’s squad, and there are a few players that could step up in her absence. Evelyne Viens has had quite the last year and a half on the field. The USF alum was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NWSL College Draft. When COVID hit, she went on loan to Paris FC in France for six months. While with Paris FC, she scored 11 goals in 14 appearances. She returned to Gotham FC ahead of the 2021 season.
The attacker earned her first appearance for the Canadian National Team during the 2021 SheBelieves Cup. In June, she was named to Canada’s Olympic roster and became a Gold Medalist when Canada knocked off Sweden in the final. For the Canada women’s national team, she’s had nine appearances, three starts, and two goals.
At the age of 24, she’s a young attacker with a goal-scoring knack, and she could see a lot more playing time for the club next season.
Paige Monoghan
Monoghan isn’t new to Gotham, but she has struggled with an injury for a good amount of the 2021 season. The Butler alum was the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft by Sky Blue.
She’s seen a lot of playing time for the club with 46 appearances so far in her career; she has seven goals in those appearances. Her most recent goal came in Gotham’s 3-1 win over the North Carolina Courage. She looks confident up top and could definitely help fill the gap once Carli Lloyd is gone.
Featured image via @GothamFC on Twitter
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