Photo: Paul Rudderow
Age changes you. It makes you see yourself differently, which makes you see everything else differently. You adapt to others in a new way. You develop new strengths to compensate for new weaknesses.
Some age gracefully. Others just fall apart.
Carli Lloyd is proving to be the former. At 36, she admits she is not the same player she once was, a two-time World Player of the Year for one of the world’s best national teams and a star at the club level.
Still, she remains a valuable player, a key contributor, and someone still fighting for a role with the U.S. Women’s National Team.
She is also once again PSP’s Women’s Player of the Year.
The native of Delran, N.J., lost her regular starting role this year, but when she got starts, she made them count.
In October, she started against Panama in a World Cup qualifier, her first start in eight games. She responded with a hat trick in a 5-0 U.S. romp.
In January, she returned home to New Jersey to join NWSL side Sky Blue FC and made all-league second team. For another player, that would be a fantastic award. For Lloyd, it was a fall-off, but don’t lose sight of the achievement.
She’s 36.
Most attacking midfielders are done by 36.
Carli Lloyd is still in the national team mix. She still has that special something that a team needs. Her role may be different, but she still has a role that matters.
There’s something to be appreciated in that.
One of the most dedicated players i’ve read about. i know it’s come at a cost but she strived to be the best and achieved it.
the move to Sky Blue this season was disappointing. the turmoil of that organization taints her return.
I appreciate all that Carli has done, but this strikes me as a lazy pick. So many other better players who could have been given 2018 POY. If you want to give credit to an “older” player who still kicks ass in a full-time starting role, why not Rapinoe?
Rapinoe has no connection to the Philadelphia area. We generally give these awards to people with local ties.
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That said, perhaps you’ve made a fair critique. We had another player in mind but chose to give that player the Amateur Player of the Year award, which will be announced here on Friday.
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Who would you suggest as a better awardee that has a connection to the Philly area?
My bad…I misapprehended we were talking about a nationally-oriented award. I follow the USWNT enough to have an opinion on that, but not enough other Philly-area soccer to speak knowledgeably to that angle.