Carli craves another crack at cup glory

Lloyd played with a few of the 99ers early in her career, and she forged her own standard in the game with back-to-back FIFA Player of the Year awards and that World Cup star turn.

She became a household name and an icon of women's sports, dabbling in everything from worldwide endorsement deals to writing her autobiography.

Lloyd had already shown she was a big-game player before the 2015 World Cup, scoring goals to win the Olympic tournaments in 2008 in and 2012 in London-but she insists her days of excellence are far from finished.

When asked how she stayed motivated and focused to overcome age and obstacles, Lloyd cited everyone from LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to Tom Brady and Michael Jordan.

"They're just addicted to winning, and that's no different than how I am as a person," Lloyd said.

"I know that I can contribute. I know what I'm capable of, and it's just about putting the work in day in and day out, being ready for the moment, seizing the opportunity and being ready. Mentally and physically, I couldn't have been more ready for this opportunity."

Ellis' decision to scale back Lloyd's playing time has clearly motivated the player, who previously acknowledged her disappointment with playing only 34 minutes this year before Sunday.

Ellis must settle on her final World Cup roster in the next few weeks, so those decisions are taking up much of her time.

When asked about Lloyd's potential to play her way into a bigger role, the coach gently deflected the notion, noting that Lloyd already has an important part to play in France.

"I've said Carli's a game-changer, whether she's on the pitch or coming onto the pitch," said Ellis.

"That's her role. I thought tonight, she was sharp, fantastic, played her role perfectly in getting on the end of things and getting results. That's why she's special. That's what I want to see from her, and she delivered tonight.

"I think it just speaks of our depth and our ability to have multiple players come in and be a difference-maker for us."