After former U.S. national team star and current Fox soccer analyst Carli Lloyd received some backlash after she criticized the USWNT’s 0–0 draw against Portugal, the two-time World Cup champion walked back some of her comments, emphasizing that her criticism came from her love of the team.
Lloyd also got messages of support from people who agreed with the sentiment of her words—including some from her Fox colleague, Alexi Lalas.
Lalas, who played for the U.S. men’s national team in the 1994 World Cup, defended Lloyd for her impassioned words in the aftermath of the USWNT’s uninspiring scoreless draw that secured their position as runners-up of Group E.
"You were wonderful yesterday."@AlexiLalas backs @CarliLloyd and shares his pride in the USWNT as well as how to look forward to a successful future for the team 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mJLv5C0YyJ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 2, 2023
“Not everybody is wired like Carli Lloyd—and, by the way, you were wonderful yesterday,” Lalas said to Lloyd. “Because it came, like you said, from a place that was personal, that was emotional, and that was honest. And while we’re not all wired the same, I think we do share that when we are talking about our national teams. Because, ultimately, we’re talking about our country, and we want this to go well. We also want to have pride with what is going on on the field.”
While the draw was far from an impressive showing, it earned the team a berth in the knockout stage, where a matchup with Sweden in the round of 16 awaits.
Ahead of that game, Lalas offered a word of warning for the USWNT if it wants to avoid an early exit from the tournament. The U.S. has won the last two World Cups and appeared in the finals in each of the last three.
“They’ve got to fix some things going forward. And the criticism that they got, I think, is warranted and fair,” Lalas said. “But there also is a belief that maybe there is another team hiding behind this one—maybe, big maybe—that can do better. Because if not, they’re gonna go home real quick.”
