#6 Carli Lloyd
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The United States after making short work of all their opponents ended up facing Japan in the 2015 World Cup final, the grandest stage of them all. A wondrous occasion for exceptional athletes. The kind of occasion where the mighty step up and the meek bow down. Well, special players produce special moments and boy, isn't Carli Lloyd special!
The American goal machine disembarked to the grandest stage of them all determined to occupy the pulpit. Lloyd scored an incredible World Cup final hat-trick; a feat never achieved before and she did it like it was just another day in the park.
Five minutes into the game and the the then 32-year-old had already rattled the Japs’ net twice and rounded up the third, a magnificent strike from the halfway line, before the clock showed 15 minutes! Lloyd won the Golden Ball for the Best Player of the tournament and the Silver Boot for the six goals and the one assist she amassed.
Famous for her obsession with hard work, the tall American striker is a goal hunter with an appetite that won't die down. Lloyd has made a habit out of making the most of the big occasions, scoring match-winning goals in the 2008 and 2009 Olympic Gold medal matches.
The New Jersey-born Manchester City forward has had her fair share of ups and downs and had even struggled to find a spot in the starting eleven in 2011. But she turned it around like all great players do and if not for her inconsistency Lloyd could definitely have been a greater player than she is. And that is saying a lot!
The US veteran has played for 10 different clubs since making her debut for Central Jersey Splash in 1999 and is currently on loan at Manchester City. In her club career spanning over 18 years and counting, she has played for Central Jersey Splash, New Brunswick Power, South Jersey Banshees, New Jersey Wildcats, Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC, Atlanta Beat, Western New York Flash, Houston Dash and Manchester City.
Besides the World Cup glory in 2015, Lloyd finished runner-up in 2011 and has 2 Olympic Gold medals to her name. The 35-year-old was CONCACAF Women’s Player Of The Year in 2015.
You can see her brilliant hat-trick from the 2015 World Cup final in the following video:
