ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Carli Lloyd, the World Cup final hero for the U.S. women's team, had sharp criticism for her former NWSL team that didn't abate after she scored the winner during the weekend.
On Friday, Lloyd made it clear she was upset with the way she was traded to the Houston Dash by the Western New York Flash last October.
"That's the reason no one wants to go play there," she told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "Because if you don't treat people with respect, you're not going to get respect in return and I have lost all respect for the organization."
Lloyd said neither she nor her trainer, James Galanis, were given any warning she was being dealt to Houston for defender Whitney Engen and midfielder Becky Edwards. The move reunited Engen and Edwards under Flash coach and general manager Aaran Lines.
"I'm genuinely and sincerely grateful for her service to the club for two years and I'm really, really happy that she's been successful because she worked her (behind) off here," Lines said of Lloyd. "We've rebuilt with a younger team this year. Ultimately, this was a business decision, but this is professional sports. When players are traded, there's no courtesy call."
Lloyd scored Saturday for Houston in the 49th minute of a 1-0 win that marked the first time she had faced her old team. Second later, she put an index finger to her lips and directed the "shhh" gesture at the Western New York Flash bench.
"Just a different celebration to mix it up," Lloyd said. "... I meant what I said and I'm not just talking about my situation in the league. I'm talking about the ladies across the league. I don't think it's a lot to ask to get a little bit of respect in this league. We don't get paid millions of dollars to just be uprooted from our families and friends and homes and be traded on the spot. If we were getting paid millions of dollars, different story."