Carli Lloyd reflects back on injury as she gears up for USWNT training camp
HARRISON, N.J. (BVM) — Sky Blue FC forward Carli Lloyd is back in the game after spending months of 2020 in recovery after sustaining a knee injury. Now, Lloyd is starting off the new year by joining the USWNT training camp.
The USWNT camp will kick off Jan. 9 and run for two weeks. The opportunity comes just four months after Lloyd began jogging for the first time in several months.
“Almost forgot how to run, hence why my lungs are breathing extremely heavy,” Lloyd said in a Facebook video from Sept. 8. “You’ve got to be patient. Although mine has been a long injury, I haven’t taken any steps backward. Our bodies heal when you allow them to heal.”
Lloyd picked up her injury shortly before her thirty-eighth birthday and also prior to the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She was forced to drop out of the tournament in order to focus on recovery in her hometown.
Thanks to the @FieldHouseMtown for giving me a place to train this fall/winter! A great facility and great people. Some soccer tennis to warm up today. One day at a time I keep building! #BetterEveryDay pic.twitter.com/8s1d9Z2PTA
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) November 13, 2020
After spending “nine straight months at home,” the training camp is giving Lloyd the chance to catch up to speed. She was invited to join 26 other professional soccer players in Orlando, Fla., as she gears up to train and professionally compete post-injury.
Let’s get to work! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/f22KgvuOXL
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) January 6, 2021
Following what she described as a “much needed mental and physical break” during her time off in recovery, Lloyd has made it clear that she is ready for the training camp considering it is a big step in qualifying for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The training camp will conclude with two matches against Colombia. Currently, Team USA is ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA while Columbia is ranked No. 26.
At the training camp, Lloyd is joining forwards Mallory Pugh of the Chicago Red Stars, Megan Rapinoe from OL Reign, Sophia Smith from Portland Thorns FC and Lynn Williams of the North Carolina Courage.
Lloyd, a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012), FIFA Player of the Year (2015, 2016) and World Cup champion (2015, 2019), has a total of 294 appearances for the USWNT, making her just six games away from reaching a milestone of 300 for Team USA.
If she qualifies for a USWNT spot, Lloyd is likely to retire following what would be her fourth Olympic appearance. Even so, she plans on staying in the game one way or another, but she also plans to manage her personal life a whole lot more.
“During my 15-year career, I’ve had to make so many sacrifices and have never really been able to shut off,” Lloyd shared in a Facebook post on Dec. 31. “I can honestly say [during her recovery] I was able to shut off my competitive mindset and live life to the fullest.”
After committing a third of her life for her soccer career, Lloyd said everything that 2020 brought ultimately helped her reconnect with the people that belong in her life.
“I’ve never been happier and more at peace as I am right now,” Lloyd continued in her post.
