Olympians phased back to competition
Forward Carli Lloyd is taking an extended break from the Dash, which includes missing Saturday’s road game against the Western New York Flash.
Dash coach Randy Waldrum said Lloyd, the U.S. women’s national team captain, told him she will rejoin the club Monday. That is 17 days after the Americans were eliminated in the Olympic quarterfinals.
Midfielder Morgan Brian said she will be available for the Dash on Saturday, and Waldrum said she will be considered for the lineup if she feels fine during training Thursday. Brian played every minute of the Americans’ fourgame run in Brazil and returned to Dash training Tuesday.
Brian and Lloyd missed the Dash’s 2-1 loss to Washington last week, which came six days after the quarterfinal. Fellow national team player Ali Krieger started that game for Washington.
Lloyd, the 2015 FIFA World Player of the Year, injured her knee in the Dash’s second regular-season game and missed the next 10 games leading up to the National Women’s Soccer League’s Olympic break. Brian dealt with injuries to both hamstrings before the Olympic break and was in and out of the lineup.
Dash goalkeeper Lydia
Williams played for Australia in the Olympics and returned to Houston last week. Williams will be available Saturday.
Canadian Olympians forward Janine Beckie and defender Allysha Chapman, along with Brazilian Olympians midfielder Andressa and defender Poliana, are expected to return to the Dash this week. They played against one another in the bronze-medal game Friday.