Biography of Carli Lloyd

Carli Lloyd’s game-winning goal in the final game against Brazil at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games secured the Gold Medal for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team. Carli is a strong attacking midfielder who is extremely quick and loves to push the tempo in head coach Pia Sundhage's scheme.

In the final of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in April, Lloyd showed her brilliance in dead-ball situations. In the 107th minute of a scoreless affair, Lloyd was tackled fiercely from behind by Canada's Kara Lang in the attacking third. She lay on the turf in agony as the referee issued Lang a yellow card, then picked herself up and drilled a 28-yard free kick over the Canadian wall and past the goalkeeper to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead. She sprinted to the bench, where she was engulfed by her joyful teammates. The Canadians would even it up before the Americans prevailed in a shootout.

Lloyd moved into a starting role in the center midfield in 2007. After scoring once in her first 24 matches, she scored four goals, one in each game, at the 2007 Algarve Cup in Portugal. In the final against Denmark, she fired a left-foot rocket from 35 yards that hit the under-side of the cross bar and bounced in, a goal she considers her best-ever as a member of the national team. Lloyd was the tournament's top scorer and earned MVP honors.

Carli Lloyd trained with the U.S. women's team during the 2004 Olympic Residency Training Camp but was not called up for duty until July 2005 in a friendly against Ukraine. She scored her first goal in October 2006 against Chinese Taipei.

At Rutgers University, Lloyd became the first Scarlet Knight to earn First-Team All-Big East honors four times during her career (2001-2004). She finished as Rutgers' all-time leader in points (117) and goals (50). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Sport Studies.