KASHIMA, Japan – Carli Lloyd had no time left and all the time she needed, a miserable combination. As her U.S. teammates congratulated Canada on its Olympic semifinal victory, Lloyd squatted, head down. The U.S. women's national team’s 1–0 loss did not necessarily sting her more than it stung anybody else. She did not have more to lose than other players. But she had more soccer behind her.
The U.S. lost its Olympic gold-medal hopes. Lloyd lost what could be her last chance to win a major tournament. U.S. fans could begin to lose a group of women that built on the work of previous generations and cultivated a legacy of its own.