MONTREAL — Carli Lloyd was still in high school the last time the U.S. won a Women's World Cup. But she hasn't forgotten the experience.
"I remember thinking to myself, 'This would be a dream come true to be a part of a team like this,'" she said. "Never did I think it was really possible.
"Winning a World Cup would be an absolute dream."
A goal that could soon become reality largely because of Lloyd, who has willed, cajoled and pushed the U.S. into Sunday's tournament final.
After a shaky start in this World Cup, Lloyd has become the Americans' unquestioned leader, a role she never embraced more forcefully than Tuesday, when she scored one goal on a penalty kick and set up another in a 2-0 semifinal upset of top-ranked Germany.