Delran’s Carli Lloyd Reaches Yet...
Delran’s Carli Lloyd Reaches Yet Another Big Soccer Milestone Carli Lloyd will go down as one of the most successful athletes in South Jersey history and Sunday was another demonstration why.
The former star at Delran High and Rutgers University became the sixth U.S. women’s soccer player to score 100 goals in international competition during a 6-2 win over Mexico.
The game was played in Houston, which provided some irony since Lloyd has played for the National Women’s Soccer League for the Houston Dash until being traded to New Jersey’s Sky Blue in the offseason.
(Lloyd had requested the trade to be closer to her South Jersey home).
The goal against Mexico, which came in the 34th minute, was the game-winner, breaking a 2-2 tie. Lloyd headed the ball off the bounce into the goal.
According to data provided by the U.S. Women’s National Team, Lloyd scored her 100th goal in her 252nd cap (appearance) with the squad.
She is the first player to hit the 100-goal mark since Abby Wambach in 2009.
According to the USWNT, Lloyd scored 36 international goals between the time she debuted six days before her 23rd birthday, and her 30th birthday. Since turning 30, she has scored 64 goals in 117 games in just under six years. The 117 games after the age of 30 rank her seventh all-time in U.S. history that category.
Here is the company Lloyd is now keeping as a member of the 100-goal club, led by Wambach with 184 goals. The others are Mia Hamm (158), Kristine Lilly (130), Michelle Akers (105) and Tiffeny Milbrett (100).
The fact that Lloyd made her debut just before her 23rd birthday, makes the record that much more incredible. Many players join the USWNT before this age. As the statistics show, Lloyd has gotten better with age. She turns 36 in July.
This was just another in a celebrated career for Lloyd, a midfielder with one of the hardest shots in the world.
As most know, she not only helped the USWNT win goal medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, but scored the winning goal in the gold medal games each year.
Still, her most impressive triumph was leading the U.S. to the 2015 FIFA World Cup. In the 5-2 championship game win over Japan, she scored a hat trick.
She received the Golden Ball Trophy as the best player in that tournament and the Silver Boot for scoring six goals (while adding one assist).
Lloyd is also a two-time FIFA Player of the Year, winning in 2015 and 2016.
She has become a hero to many young girls following the sport and remains a true leader for the USWNT.
The 100th goal was yet a milestone in what will surely be a Hall of Fame career.
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Author: Marc Narducci
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