Man City captures Women’s FA Cup
LONDON— Two-time world player of the year Carli Lloyd will return to the United States with at least one winner’s medal from her short stint at Manchester City after helping the team beat Birmingham 4-1 in Saturday’s final of the Women’s FA Cup.
The U.S captain scored City’s third goal in front of 35,271 spectators at Wembley Stadium, as City — also the Women’s Super League champion — won the competition for the first time.
Lloyd is playing for a club outside her home country for the first time, on a short-term deal. She’ll return next month to the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League. The NWSL made news later in the day when U.S. teen Mallory Pugh passed up European offers to join the Washington Spirit.
The 19-year-old forward recently became an allocated player, which means the U.S. soccer federation will pay her NWSL salary. The Spirit had the first spot in the selection process for her rights. She’ll likely make her pro debut next Saturday against FC Kansas City at
Nike also announced it had signed Pugh to a long-term sponsorship deal.
With blazing speed and refined technical skills, Pugh is widely considered the most talented young player to emerge from the prestigious U.S. women’s program in years. She scored in her senior national team debut in early 2016 while still in high school in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and, with a goal against Colombia last summer, became the youngest U.S. Olympic goal scorer in history.