What They’re Saying About World Cup Star Carli Lloyd

The Delran, New Jersey, soccer superstar is getting a lot of attention — from the media, from potential sponsors, and even from POTUS.
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Jul 5, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; United States midfielder Carli Lloyd (10) reacts after scoring a goal against Japan in the first half of the final of the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup at BC Place Stadium.

Jul 5, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; United States midfielder Carli Lloyd (10) reacts after scoring a goal against Japan in the first half of the final of the FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup at BC Place Stadium.

After last night’s record-setting performance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final against Japan — including the first-ever hat trick by a woman and second-ever in any World Cup Final — Delran native Carli Lloyd is getting a lot of play in the media, with articles, Tweets and videos showing wild support of her during her conquest for the Cup.

Even Wikipedia briefly listed Lloyd as President of the United States, instead of her usual position of midfielder for the U.S. Women’s National Team. If only for a fleeting moment, she might as well have been …

Here are some notable media hits pertaining to the area’s newest global superstar:

1. Carli Lloyd is a lot more valuable and well-known. And a lot more expensive.

The gist: ESPN sports business guru Darren Rovell says that Carli Lloyd is a lot more marketable now that she’s set some records, won some awards and held the World Cup trophy. She reportedly gained around 50,000 new Twitter followers over the course of the game, and autographed cards with her image are selling on auction sites for multiple times the amount they sold for before she pulled off a 16-minute hat trick in a World Cup Final:

One autographed card of Lloyd that closed on eBay during the game sold for $177.50. Another that closed after the game sold for $218. Before the World Cup started, Lloyd autographed cards could be had for $15 to $20.

She’ll also try to grab some sweet endorsement deals with a watch company, car company, training and nutrition companies (her preference), and major Olympics sponsors such as McDonald’s, AT&T, and Bridgestone, as her agent Josh Weil told Rovell and ESPN.com. She is currently the face of Nike’s “Training Club” campaign, Usana Health Services and, as of last week, Visa through next year’s 2016 Summer Olympics.

Why it matters: Lloyd, long overshadowed by better-known superstars Alex Morgan and Hope Solo, is finally getting her spot in the limelight after unbelievable performances throughout the World Cup knockout rounds. Lloyd’s stock had been building ever since the win against China, in which she scored the deciding goal on a penalty kick. Now that she’s made history and won a World Cup, she’ll have a chance to cash in and really brand herself ahead of and through the 2016 Summer Olympics next year, when the U.S. team will look to defend its 2004, 2008 and 2012 gold medals.

2. The Twittersphere is in love with her. 

The gist: Last night, Twitter began blowing up after Lloyd’s first goal, and with her second and third scores, the madness intensified.

Why it matters: It may ultimately be inconsequential, but for a fleeting moment, Carli Lloyd became a major thing on Twitter across the country. Some really important people — namely, President Obama and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — gave Lloyd a shoutout, and websites like the Seattle Times and South Jersey Courier-Post compiled some great tweets about Lloyd and her goals. See some of the more notable ones below:

3. People are beginning to understand exactly who she is. 

The gist: Carli Lloyd got a boost in her economic and brand value, and a sudden burst of love on Twitter, but still no one really knew exactly who she was until last night and this morning. Now slowly, article by article and Tweet by Tweet, the United States is getting to know Carli Lloyd as Carli Lloyd.

-Fans in Delran and nearby towns celebrated her breakout. The Medford Strikers, a youth team Carli helps coach, gathered in Evesham to watch her take down Japan last night.

-The New York Times ran a feature about Rudi Klobach, Lloyd’s coach during her years at Delran High School, who passed away in January, sadly unable to see his efforts come to ultimate and jubilant fruition. And that was on July 4th.

-CNN got to know Carli a bit more. She loves New Jersey.

-ESPNW reaffirmed even beyond Lloyd’s Golden Ball award that this past World Cup was her World Cup.

-Vox Media’s SBNation blog crowned Carli the “Weirdest World-Class Professional Athlete Ever” for her mix of nerve-racking, pathetic and utterly brilliant performances.

-And Rutgers, her alma mater, ran an article celebrating their alumna’s achievements.

Why it matters: Carli Lloyd has been a mainstay on the U.S. women’s starting roster for some time now, but she flew under the radar. Solo, Morgan and Abby Wambach got the bulk of the attention from the media and from fans. But now, Lloyd is mainstream. With a hat trick, a Golden Ball, a Silver Boot and a World Cup under her belt, it’s all about Carli Lloyd now.

Expect Carli Lloyd to suit up and be a huge factor for the United States when they head to Rio in 2016 looking to defend not one, not two, not three, but four world soccer titles: the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic gold medals, and thanks specifically to Carli, the 2015 World Cup.

Follow @MaxGRettig on Twitter.

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