Other members of the women’s soccer team are weighing retirement. Midfielder Megan Rapinoe and defender Becky Sauerbrunn, who are both 36 and like Lloyd longtime fixtures of the United States team, both said in Japan that they would consider their soccer futures after the Games. Unlike some national teams in other sports, the women’s team operates in multiyear cycles rather than on a year-to-year basis, meaning players like Lloyd, Rapinoe and Sauerbrunn — and any others considering stepping away for any reason — faced the decision of most likely committing to the team through the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Rapinoe said she would discuss retirement with her partner, the basketball star Sue Bird, who is considering stepping away from her sport after winning her fifth gold medal at age 40. One of the most driven and dedicated players in the team’s history, she talked freely — and with rare candor — about what might come next.

Source: International New York Times August 16, 2021 16:41 UTC