The U.S. women’s national soccer team international won the prestigious award for the first time in his career and has now joined fellow countrywomen Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach as recipients of this top prize.
Lloyd was the hero of all Americans when her three goals in mere 16 minutes in the final of the women’s world cup in Canada this summer, were enough to give her side the title. Those 16 minutes might have given the US their well-deserved title but it was no mere luck but rather sheer hard work and commitment from the recently crowned world woman footballer of the year.
“Those 16 minutes were 13 years in the making,” said the third U.S. player to win this price. Before her, Mia Hamm had won this trophy twice in her career in 2001 and 2002. Abby Wambach was the other U.S. national to win this award when she was crowned the best female footballer in the world in 2012.
It would have been hard for Lloyd to win this award had it not been for her mind blowing hat-trick in the final against Japan. She has revealed her happiness at notching up the price terming it as a dream come true moment for her.
“It’s truly an honor. It has been a dream come true.”
While talking to reporters, she also congratulated Celia Sasic of Germany and Aya Miyama of Japan, who were the other two frontrunners for the award. She also thanked all her teammates and added that all 23 players of the team contributed in their win in Canada this summers because Soccer is a team game and she could not have scored those goals without the contribution and efforts of the other players.
“We all know it took 23 players to win the World Cup,’’ she praised her teammates.
Lloyd was also named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in December and was the winner of prestigious Golden Ball and Silver Boot honors during the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Lloyd thinks that it is her mental strength more than physical attributes that has taken her to this place. Reflecting on her current achievements while talking to reporters, she said that being mentally strong is very important.
“I think it’s being mentally prepared. Physical preparation gets you there and keeps you there, being mentally strong and tough, visualizing, being ready and focused keeps you there. A switch goes off in crunch situations when my team needs me.”
Lloyd was also the match winner for the United States in the 2008 as well as 2012 Olympic gold medal matches. And now she has made sure that her name stays in the history books forever by becoming the hero of the nation with her heroics in the 2015 World Cup. And with the retirement of Wambach, more responsibility will be on her shoulders as she looks towards the future of the national team.
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