Carli Lloyd warms up at Pratt & Whitney Stadium on July 05, 2021 in East Hartford, Connecticut.
There are a pair of numbers that help illustrate where the legendary international career of Carli Lloyd stands in its 17th year.
The first is 38. Lloyd turns 39 on July 16, but it was at 38 in June that she made some U.S. soccer history. In a friendly against Jamaica, Lloyd became the oldest player to score for the U.S. women, specifically at the age of 38 years, 332 days. Lloyd beat the record of Kristine Lilly, who incidentally is next up for Lloyd to pass on the U.S. all-time scoring list. For Lloyd, it was just another record among many she’s broken in her career.
“Records are records, they’re always going to be broken,” Lloyd told the Associated Press. “For me, it’s just about winning games, it’s helping the team. I don’t go searching for these records, it’s just a good reminder just to know how grateful I am to step out on the field. Nothing has ever been given to me. I’ve had to earn every single opportunity.”
The second number is 24. That goal Lloyd scored came just 24 seconds into the match. After kicking off, Lloyd used the instincts of a player who has 125 international goals to her name to find her way into the right position in the 18-yard box. That’s where Rose Lavelle found her, and Lloyd did the rest.
Sure, Lloyd is soon to be 39. But she can still change a game in just 24 seconds. That’s why U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski knew…
