Former United States star Ali Krieger told ESPN on Wednesday that some of the criticism of the USWNT’s World Cup struggles by her ex-teammate and current Fox Sports commentator Carli Lloyd was not necessary.
Lloyd, who retired in 2021 after playing in three World Cup squads alongside Krieger, spoke harshly of the USWNT’s drive to win after a listless draw in the Women’s World Cup on Tuesday.
– Women’s World Cup bracket and fixtures schedule
– How team’s can qualify from each World Cup group
The result was a disappointment for the No. 1-ranked U.S. team, the overwhelming favorite to beat No. 21-ranked Portugal, after having won the previous two Women’s World Cups. Now the USWNT heads to a round-of-16 matchup against Sweden.
“I don’t think it was really necessary to say what she, what she said,” Krieger told ESPN. “We got through, right? I feel like people were in panic mode because we haven’t had a really great game — feeling like we’re the team that’s going to win it — and pull through. But ultimately, we got through and that’s what’s most important.”
Lloyd unleashed several rounds of criticism in Tuesday’s broadcast.
“You never want to take anything for granted,” Lloyd said. “You put on that jersey and you want to give it everything you have, for the people that came before you and the people that are going to come after you, and I’m just not seeing that passion.
“I’m just seeing a very lackluster, uninspiring, taking-it-for-granted, where winning and training and doing all that you can to be the best possible individual player is not happening.”
Krieger, who won two World Cups with Lloyd, said she was glad to see USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski speak up against Lloyd, calling her comments “insane.”
“The one thing I want to say is that this team wanted to win this game more than anything else,” Andonovski said. “They’ve put everything they could in preparation for this tournament and every game that they go into, so to question the mentality of this team, to question the willingness to win, to compete, I think it’s insane.”
Krieger and Lloyd last played on the USWNT together in 2021 when Andonovski had only recently taken over the team reins.
“I agree with his comment about that being insane,” Krieger said. “Like they have all the willingness and the mentality in order to perform their best and win the tournament or else why would they even show up and be there?”
Krieger said she also took issue with Lloyd’s criticism of the team’s postmatch celebration after the tough draw on Tuesday.
As Lloyd saw the postgame videos on the broadcast of players dancing and taking selfies with fans, she said: “I have never witnessed something like that, to be dancing to be smiling, the Player of the Match was that post, you’re lucky to not be going home right now.”
Krieger, who currently plays with NJ/NY Gotham FC, said Lloyd was wrong to pile on.
“They’re allowed to smile. They’re allowed to enjoy the moment,” Krieger said. “They’re allowed to be happy that they made it into the 16 with, with a tie. Yeah. That’s not something we love to celebrate because we’re not used to that. We can say that in a way that’s, that’s not too arrogant.”
Lloyd walked back some of her criticism on Wednesday, saying “I was very critical of the team last night. I had some time to reflect, to sleep on it and I want people to understand that I care deeply about this team.
“I poured my heart and soul into this team for 17 years and it was based off of a legacy that was just passed down from generation to generation.”
This isn’t the first time Lloyd has criticized her former team, saying in a Fox radio interview last year that they were focused more on “building a brand” than caring about winning.
“What we had in the last several years was not a good culture,” she said last year. “The mentality changed, and it became toxic.”
