REUNITED: ENGLAND LIONESS AND CUBS
Welcome home: England women’s football star Casey Stoney is reunited with her twins Teddy and Tilly as the team arrive at Heathrow today after winning bronze at the World Cup in Canada
CARLI LLOYD hit a hat-trick — including a goal from the halfway line — as United States beat Japan 5-2 to win the Women’s World Cup and then said she had dreamed of scoring four in the final.
The American captain claimed her treble within the first 16 minutes as her side raced into a 4-0 lead in Vancouver last night.
Lloyd, who was then named player of the tournament, revealed that in the run-up to the World Cup she had sensed she could make a dramatic impact.
“The break we had before we met up in Jersey I was home and it was just my headphones, myself and I at the field and I’m running and I’m doing sprints and I just completely zoned out,” she said.
“I dreamed of and visualised playing in a World Cup final and scoring four goals.
“Sounds pretty funny but that’s what it is all about. For me I am just constantly visualising… and I was on a mission today.”
Lloyd also had visions about her stunning strike from 50 yards out.
“You train and train and train and I’ve dreamed of scoring one shot like that,” she said. “I did it once, I think, when I was younger on the national team in a training environment but very rarely do you just wind up and hit it.”
Meanwhile, England returned home today after winning the bronze thanks to a 1-0 victory over Germany in the third place play-off.
On arrival at Heathrow, captain Steph Houghton said: “Every member of the squad and the backroom staff would like to say a massive ‘thank you’ for all the support we’ve received.”