Carli Lloyd back on track
Carli Lloyd has been moving and travel last seven months, since she got married last November, soccer has taken her to six countries, plus a full complement of American cities, with her club team and the U.S. national team.
Only rarely has she been able to settle down in one place. There were a few weeks while playing in Manchester City, and the month or so that has passed since she returned to the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash.
Now the Delran native is about to hit the road again, as the national team prepares for a round-robin tournament with Australia, Brazil, and Japan on the West Coast later this month.
Has it been the busiest stretch of her career? Not quite, she said in a recent interview, but it’s pretty close.
“I’d probably have to say post-World Cup [in 2015] was pretty crazy, but that was off-the-field crazy, with loads of appearances and all sorts of stuff,” she said. “But I’d have to say since then, life has changed for the good, and I’ve been very busy, which is awesome.”
The highlight of all the highlights was Lloyd’s time in Manchester. It gave her a great taste of European life on and off the field.
From a personal standpoint, it was just a great cultural experience — something that money can’t buy, school can’t buy,” she said. “Living abroad, living in a different country, living in a different city, it’s just something that I can look back upon and say, ‘You know what, that was awesome, that I got to live in a different country and play for a different team, and take in a different culture.’ I’m thrilled that I was able to be a part of it, and it has definitely opened up doors.”
While in Manchester, Lloyd helped Man City win the FA Cup, finish second in the Super League, and reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
Going back to Houston has been an adjustment. Not only has she had to transition from rainy English springs to brutally hot Texas summers, butthe Dash fired longtime coach Randy Waldrum just before Lloyd’s return. At the time, the team was languishing near the bottom of the standings, and she could only watch from afar.
“It just didn’t sound like a very good environment — I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Lloyd said. “Obviously, we live in a world where results matter. … I guess his luck had kind of worn out. I sent Randy a text and wished him well, and thanked him, but it’s one of those things where you just kind of have to carry on. We were in the middle of the season, and just had to get right back to it.”
The Dash have gotten better since Waldrum’s departure and Lloyd’s return. The campaign doesn’t end until late September, so there’s still time to move up the standings.
“Honestly, I don’t even ever look at the standings,” Lloyd said. “It’s just all about focusing on one game at a time. And we know, because we’ve been there before, that it’s going to go down to the wire and it’s going to be a very close race.”
