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USWNT legend Carli Lloyd made headlines during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 for her bold criticism of Team USA.  In a no-holds-barred manner, Lloyd questioned the mentality of the team including that of the legendary Megan Rapinoe, whose missed penalty in the Round of 16 against Sweden contributed to Team USA getting knocked out of the World Cup. Despite facing backlash for her remarks, a recent Netflix documentary, “Under Pressure,” reveals that the two-time Olympic gold medalist stands by her words and has no regrets about speaking her mind.

Before the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup, Carli Lloyd slammed the team, including Rapinoe, for “dancing.” This eventually caused quite a stir among players and former players alike who slammed the 41-year-old for her negative remarks.

Carli Lloyd is not apologetic about her harsh criticism

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In Episode 4, the documentary showcases various individuals including USWNT’s former coach, Vlatko Andonovski, and USWNT star Tobin Heath slamming Lloyd for her negative remarks, but Carli Lloyd remains unfazed. In the episode, the former midfielder explains her motives for speaking out, saying, “As a player, I was always somebody who tried different things, got out of my comfort zone. And that’s exactly what I did with this.”

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She goes on to highlight the importance of honesty asserting that “I think I’m the only US Women’s National Team player that has been this open and honest about what I’m seeing, and I think for so long, it’s fluff, and it’s you know, saying what we all wanna hear.” Lloyd further added, “My job is to say what I feel, and I’m not afraid to say what I feel.”

She also acknowledged that her honesty may upset some players, but she remains resolute in her commitment to expressing her true feelings. However, all this begs the question of what Carli Lloyd exactly said about Megan Rapinoe and others that led to this drama.

The USWNT legend bluntly criticized Megan Rapinoe and others

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Carli Lloyd expressed her initial criticism during the USWNT’s Group stage final game against Portugal. The team barely drew the match to make it past the group stage and were spotted smiling and dancing after the match which Lloyd found inappropriate. She strongly voiced her disapproval, stating, “I have never witnessed something like that.” 

via Getty

She questioned their dancing and singing gestures and criticized them by saying, “I mean, the player of the match was that post. You were fortunate to not be eliminated right now. Subsequently, in the Round of 16, the team suffered a loss against Sweden after Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty at a time when they were leading 3-2. Under ensuing pressure, Sofia Smith and Kelley O’Hara missed as well. This led Carli Lloyd to further criticize them and call them “arrogant.”

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Written by

Saransh Chauhan

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My name is Saransh Chauhan and I am an experienced soccer writer at EssentiallySports. With over a year of experience at EssentiallySports, I have covered various aspects of the magnificent sport. While I strive to provide comprehensive coverage of core sports topics, I also explore off-court and entertainment subjects.
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Edited by

Nischal Kandpal