Carli Lloyd Shocked by Hope Solo Joining The Soccer Tournament: ‘Bring It On’

SCOTTSDALE — Carli Lloyd had no idea Hope Solo planned to create her own team and enter The Soccer Tournament.

Now, the former U.S. Women’s soccer superstar is ready to face off against her legendary goalkeeper teammate in the 7-on-7 tournament this June in North Carolina.

“That was very surprising,”  Lloyd told SportsCasting in an exclusive interview from the WM Phoenix Open last week, where she played in the Pro-Am golf tournament. “Threw us for a little loop. But good for her. It’s only going to make the tournament more popular, more competitive. So bring it on.”

Lloyd will suit up alongside former USWNT teammates Ali Krieger and Heather O’Reilly for the U.S. Women in the 16-team tournament, which features a $1 million winner-take-all prize.

Solo announced that she is creating her own team, Solo FC, as she returns to the field for the first time since 2016. Lloyd and Solo were teammates on the U.S. Women’s National Team from 2005-2016.

Lloyd, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, two-time World Cup Champion and a two-time FIFA Player of the Year, had a baby girl, Harper, in October, and is gearing up to compete at the TST less than a year later.

“I am excited,” said the 42-year-old Lloyd, who retired from professional soccer in 2021. “I’m looking forward to having a goal, getting myself back into shape. I have a three-and-a-half-month old so the body is a little out of shape, as expected. It’s going to be fun to reunite with some former teammates.”

While the TST has the $1 million prize for the winner, Lloyd said the social aspect of seeing other former USWNT stars is something she will cherish.

“We’ve spent way more time together than with our family, friends and significant others,” Lloyd said. “Maybe five or 10 years pass until we see each other, but we always just pick up where we left off. It’ll be a lot of fun.”

Lloyd: USWNT Reunion Will Be Fun Despite Past Friction

The USWNT team had its fair share of internal friction when Lloyd and Solo were on the team, but Lloyd said every team has a host of different personalities, and “I think everybody is going to be excited to see one another” at the TST.

It will be held in Cary, North Carolina from June 4-9.

“Look, anytime you have a group of people together, it’s oftentimes difficult and tough,” Lloyd said. “We always came together for one common goal, and that was to win. I think what our team has done special over the years was accepting everybody for who they are. Everybody brings something really unique. There couldn’t be 23 Carli Lloyds on the team. The reality is, you need those different players, different styles, different personalities to make a stellar team. So, yeah, I think everybody is going to be excited to see one another.”

Lloyd: Emma Hayes One Of Best USWNT Managers Ever

The USWNT has a new wave of players now leading the charge, and it won gold at the Paris Olympics in August. 

Lloyd says it’s “amazing” to see the success of the next generation of athletes and gave high praise to U.S. soccer manager Emma Hayes. 

“Emma is one of the most complete managers the team has ever had, as far as taking all the pressure off the players, motivating the players, getting the best out of the players, tactically playing in a style that fits the team,” Lloyd said.  “It’s really exciting and I’m really happy for them. I’m glad they turned things around from 2023. Sometimes you just need humble experiences and losses to reset everything.”

Lloyd highlighted some of the young stars and talked about the consistency they will need to keep securing accolades for the USWNT.

“Naomi Girma, obviously, is one I see leading the team,” Lloyd said. “She is well beyond her years, the way she plays and thinks. Players like Mal (Swanson) and Trinity (Rodman), the Triple Espresso up top, Soph (Smith), they are doing well. For some of the young ones, it’s going to be a big test for them, because they are going to consistently have to play well. I think there are some very young and exciting players coming up, and it’s going to be up to them to see how far they go.”