Lloyd plays final match for U.S. in rout of South Korea
ST. PAUL, MINN. » The U.S. women sent Carli Lloyd into retirement with a 6-0 rout of South Korea on Tuesday night.
Lloyd didn’t score in her final match, but it hardly mattered because the night was all about her. Fans chanted Lloyd’s name before the match, with one holding a sign that read: “One More World Cup, Please?”
Lloyd is retiring after a career that includes two World Cup titles and a pair of Olympic gold medals. She scored three goals in the opening 16 minutes of the U.S. victory over Japan in the 2015 Women’s World Cup final.
Lloyd’s final match was her 316th with the national team, the secondmost international appearances of any player. She scored 134 goals for the United States, third most in team history, along with 61 assists.
Lloyd was subbed out in the 65th minute and sobbed as she left to a standing ovation by the crowd of 18,115 at Allianz Field. She removed her cleats and pulled off her jersey, revealing another jersey with her married name, Hollins, emblazoned on the back.
Lloyd, 39, had hinted she was nearing the end of her career before the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. won the bronze medal this summer, with Lloyd scoring a pair of goals in a 4-3 victory over Australia. She announced plans to retire shortly thereafter.
She became the first American to score in four different Olympics, and her 10 goals in the event are the most for a U.S. player.
Following the team’s 0-0 draw last week against South Korea in Kansas City, Kansas, Lloyd passed her No. 10 jersey to Lindsey Horan, who will wear the number starting in 2022.
Lloyd made her first appearance with the national team in 2005 and her career reached its high point with her hat trick in the World Cup final. Her third goal against Japan was a blistering strike from midfield.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lloyd scored in a 1-0 overtime victory over Brazil for the gold medal.