By Sarah Berkowitz
The honors keep pouring in for South Jersey’s Carli Lloyd.
After leading the U.S. women to a World Cup trophy, Lloyd was named FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year today in Zurich..
Lloyd was selected over finalists Aya Miyama of Japan and Celia Sasic of Germany at a ceremony in Zurich.
“I honestly wouldn’t be standing up here without my incredible team. We all know it took 23 players to win the World Cup,” she said and thanked U.S. Soccer, its president Sunil Gulati and coach Jill Ellis.
Against Japan in the Women’s World Cup final in July, Lloyd scored a hat trick over the course of 16 minutes to blow the game open in a 5-2 victory. The United States became the first team to win three Women’s World Cup championships.
Lloyd received the Golden Ball award as the Cup’s best player. She’s the second American to win the Golden Ball, joining Carin Jennings, who won it in 1991. The midfielder also became the first American to score in four consecutive games in a World Cup.
The 33-year-old from New Jersey was named a co-captain of the U.S. team on Saturday along with defender Becky Sauerbrunn. Lloyd has 211 caps, which ranks eighth in U.S. history, and 79 goals.
She is the third American woman to win the award, following Mia Hamm (2001-02) and Abby Wambach (2012).
Ellis was named Women’s Coach of the Year earlier in the ceremony.
Sasic’s six goals and one assist earned her the World Cup’s Golden Boot as the top scorer. She retired from the game in July after 111 caps and scoring 63 times for Germany.
Miyama was the captain of Japan’s team at the World Cup. She’s a three-time Asian player of the year.
