Tonight saw Carli Lloyd call time on her storied career, as she started the USWNT’s 6-0 rout of South Korea. She came off in the 66′ of this meaningless contest, replaced by Alex Morgan. Lloyd was presented with an honorary kit numbered 316, referencing her number of total caps, which places her second on the all-time list.
She also has the fourth-most goals and fifth-most assists, ever, in United States Women’s National Team history. This past March, she was named the highest paid female soccer player in the world.
Really coincidental that on the same day Carli Lloyd plays her final game, I visited a museum where she is very well represented. #equalpayforequalplay #USWNT #USA pic.twitter.com/VT1eyEQsaE
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) October 27, 2021
Lloyd has won the following honors twice each: Olympic Gold Medal, World Cup champion and FIFA Player of the Year. But it’s her off-the-pitch accomplishments that truly make her stand out. Lloyd fought for equal pay for equal play, regardless of gender, and is therefore an icon among those seeking social justice.
Today I took a private media tour of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, in Skokie, Illinois. The museum, whose hashtag is #TakeAStand, has rooms honoring those who fight for/have fought for social justice in our world, and Lloyd is prominently featured (see above).
The same goes for her teammates, who fight for the same cause with her. The fact that Carli Lloyd has a such a prominent place, in an institution like this, speaks volumes about who she is, sociopolitically.
While everyone will be honoring Lloyd for her on-the-pitch accomplishments, let’s not lose sight of who she is off of it as well.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.