US Women National Soccer Team: Auckland, New Zealand. Carli Lloyd’s latest criticisms may be good TV, but inside the US women’s national soccer team, they’re just wind.
The former leader, now a FOX Sports analyst, questioned the U.S. women’s team’s fundamentals in a public rage. She has assessed their readiness and begun discussing their dedication. Both of these indicate a waning drive to win.
In a Thursday press conference, club captain Lindsey Horan forcefully rebutted Lloyd’s doubts. This revealed the team’s complexity.
“Defending the team comes naturally to me,” Horan said. “I’d like to show that there’s a whole web of hard work and dedication behind the scenes.” Our sweat, group work, and other training and planning are
all there.
In a strong tone, she said, “It does hurt a little to have our mental strength questioned.” However, it isn’t significant. It’s about teamwork and fit.
Lloyd speaks her mind, especially when she thinks something is wrong. She frequently criticized her former boss, Jill Ellis, as a player. Lloyd’s criticism of the USWNT‘s advocacy for LGBTQ and racial equality garnered notice.
But her recent World Cup criticism has made many feel like she’s hitting them personally. After a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Portugal in the round of 16, Lloyd raged at the young players for dancing with fans and taking selfies to celebrate. People stared. She lamented “the relentless pursuit of excellence and the rigorous training needed to be top-tier individual players don’t seem to be there.”
The USWNT set lofty goals for this year’s World Cup. They aimed to be the first gender-neutral squad to win three straight World Cups. Their on-field performance hasn’t met expectations. The US women’s team rarely finishes second in their World Cup group, but they did this time and advanced to the next round despite having the fewest points.
Horan, resolute and angry, revealed why the squad was working so hard. “It’s strange to hear, especially when you think about how hard we work at every game, how carefully we prepare, and how hard we train,” remarked Horan. “It’s especially strange to hear when you think about how hard we work to get ready for every game.” You can’t compromise if you’re motivated to succeed.
The US women’s national team must navigate public discussion and the field at the World Cup. Off-field play is normal.
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