Carli Lloyd ended her illustrious soccer career with the United States Women's National Team in style with a 6-0 victory over South Korea in Minnesota.
Lloyd left in the 66th minute and got a rousing ovation from the adoring crowd:
👏👏 @CarliLloyd walks off the field for the last time in a @USWNT jersey 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GTGo4FzVCb
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 27, 2021
She also delivered an emotional speech on the field after the victory:
This is @CarliLloyd, signing off. ⬇️🎤 pic.twitter.com/CZ0841Abdo
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 27, 2021
More from Carli Lloyd on ESPN:
“It's been emotional. But there's just a sense of peace and contentment that I feel — it's just joy and happiness,” Lloyd said. “It's been an amazing journey and I gave it all I had, and now I can walk away into the next chapter.”
“I'm excited to see the future of this team. I'm saying goodbye on the field, but I want to continue to help in any way possible,” Lloyd said. “I'm going to be the biggest fan, biggest cheerleader, and I want to see this team continue to succeed.”
Carli Lloyd had herself an incredible international career, winning two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals. The 39-year-old ranks second all-time in international appearances with 315 and is third all-time in goals scored for the USWNT. She became the first American to score in four Olympics and her 10 Olympic goals set a record for USWNT players.
Perhaps her most notable moment came when she recorded a hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the 2015 Women's World Cup Final. The USWNT went on to beat Japan 5-2 after Lloyd's early onslaught.
Salute to Carli Lloyd and an incredible USWNT career.