Carli Lloyd has been a member of the United States women’s national team since 2005 and has enjoyed a certain symmetry to the biggest moments of her career: she scored the game-winning goals that gave the Americans the gold medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and also scored a hat-trick in the 2015 Women’s World Cup final as the United States won the sport’s showpiece for a third time.
Now, at 34 and with her public profile at its peak, Lloyd is at the heart of the national team during a period which has featured success (at the World Cup) and disappointment (at the Rio Olympics), as well as controversy surrounding her teammates on issues ranging from player discipline to patriotism to pay equality.