“It Became Toxic”: USWNT Legend Carli Lloyd Opens Up on the Incident That Changed Team’s Unity and Culture

Gone are those days when the USWNT decimated teams left, right, and centre. Scoring goals aplenty, exhibiting gracious teamwork, a bunch of determined women dominated the game from start to finish; Carli Lloyd was a major factor in those victories. She won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals in her career; however, she retired last year because of various reasons. One of those she suggested was the toxic nature inside the camp.

Winning the 2015 World Cup, according to Lloyd, put the USWNT on the map. However, complacency crept in and she knew things were not going the way it was meant to anymore.

Carli Lloyd reveals toxicity in team

In a recent interview, Lloyd talked about the shifting changes in the mentality of the players. Heading to the 2015 World Cup, they won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, which automatically made them favorites for the competition. Thus, Lloyd talked about the determined bunch back before the toxicity issues crept in.

“What made this team so successful throughout the years is that we stepped between the lines and fought for one another. Whether it was a player in front of you, the side of you, behind you. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter what you looked like and it didn’t matter what you stood for. Didn’t matter what car you drove,” said Lloyd.

With unprecedented success, mindsets started to change as fame came in. While some individuals handled it well, some didn’t. Highlighting the same, Lloyd spoke about the troubles it caused after the 2015 World Cup win.

“What we (@USWNT) had in the last several years was not a good culture, and the mentality changed, and it became toxic,” said Lloyd. 

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The fame game

Achieving 316 caps for the USWNT is one of Lloyd’s many incredible feats, but more importantly, not the number of caps, but the consistency she had throughout is what made her special. That comes down to hard work and an incredible amount of determination. However, she saw a shift in mentalities after the World Cup, which, understandably, wasn’t pleasing to see.

“In 2015, winning a World Cup, obviously put us on a really big, big stage. Endorsements started coming, and the spotlight started coming. I just saw a shift in people’s mindsets. It became more about, ‘what can I do to build my brand off the field. What can I do to get an endorsement deal and less about what we have to do when we step in between those lines,'” said Lloyd.

It is sad to see that one of the most successful teams in the game is not the way it used to be anymore. The golden generation of Lloyd, Rapinoe, and Morgan entertained fans with stunning soccer and took women’s football to greater heights in the country. But with a rather young roster now, do you think the USWNT can taste similar success?