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Carli Lloyd not taking her third World Cup for granted

Carli Lloyd has played in two World Cups, two Olympics and 10 Algarve Cups. Her decade-long career with the U.S. national team has included 192 caps, 63 goals, 32 assists and countless memories on and off the field.

But for as much change as there has been in women's soccer during that time, two things have stayed the same for the Delran native. She still relishes every appearance for her country, and she doesn't take any of them for granted.

So even if it was no surprise that Lloyd was named to U.S. coach Jill Ellis' 23-player roster for this summer's World Cup, it was still a thrill to get the news.

"It's an honor to be named to this World Cup team," Lloyd told me in an exclusive interview Tuesday night. "You never want to take anything for granted, no matter how may caps you have, how many World Cups you've been part of, how many Olympics you've been part of."

With that said, there's no doubt that this summer's spectacle in Canada will be something special. Fox will broadcast the U.S. team's games live in prime time on its over-the-air network, and thousands of American fans are expected to cross the border to watch in person.

For Lloyd individually, there's the possibility that she'll wear the captain's armband, as she has done increasingly often in recent months. She called it "a tremendous honor," and is well aware of the symbolism involved.

"I'm going into this [World Cup] not only with pressure to win it, but I've got to lead my team and I've got to do everything possible to bring home that trophy," Lloyd said.

There is always pressure on the Americans, who have fallen from their longtime perch as the world's No. 1-ranked team. Anything short of winning any tournament they play in is usually considered a failure - and as Lloyd knows all too well, they haven't won the World Cup since 1999.

"We want to add that third star on our jerseys," Lloyd said, referring to the two currently there for titles in 1999 and 1991. "We've been looking down at that patch that we have with the stars above it, and it's not yet complete."

As you'd expect from a player whose on-field trademark is a rasping long-range shot at goal, Lloyd is facing straight up to that pressure.

"If you you thrive under the pressure and enjoy it, and enjoy the journey, and don't get too far ahead on that final thing that we want to accomplish, I think if we take that mindset, we have a really good chance of winning," she said.

Lloyd has developed a reputation in recent times not just for her leadership, but for her versatility. She has been deployed by Ellis as both a play-maker and a play-breaker in the center of midfield, and in recent times on the right flank. The last of those roles required a substantial adjustment in how Lloyd plays, but she took on the assignment willingly.

"I'll play wherever the team needs me," Lloyd said. "Being away from center-mid actually kind of helped me a little bit. It made me think about the position a bit more, made me miss it a bit more."

Ultimately, though, everyone knows where Lloyd is best-suited. She returned to the middle of the park in the U.S.' most recent game, against New Zealand in St. Louis. Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. dominated possession in midfield and routed the Kiwis, 4-0.

"If we want to win a World Cup, I know I want to be in the middle of the field," Lloyd said. "Jill knows that and all my teammates know that, and I'm ready to bring it... Jill knows what she needs out of every player, she knows the personnel, and she knows it's going to take all 23 players to win this thing."

Many of those 23 players are well-known veterans. For players such as Abby Wambach, Hope Solo and Christie Rampone - who was on the 1999 squad as a 23-year-old - this summer represents a last chance to win the biggesr prize in women's soccer.

But all that experience and star power has fostered one of the few criticisms of this U.S. team: its veterans may be blocking the next generation of American talent from emerging. Just four players on the World Cup roster are under 25 years of age: forwards Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, midfielder Morgan Brian and defender Julie Johnston. Eight players are over 30, including Lloyd, Wambach, Solo and Rampone.

Will that imbalance prove costly? It might not be easy to judge from the Americans' warm-up games next month against Ireland, Mexico, and South Korea. And when the time comes to play up to seven games in 30 days at the World Cup, it might be too late.

So expect a lot of attention to be paid to the young players who are on the roster, especially Johnston and Brian.

Johnston, 23, has rocketed up the U.S. back line's depth chart over the last few games. With Rampone battling a nagging injury, Johnston has earned a place in the starting lineup and seems intent on not letting it go.

"She has just become a force back there," Lloyd said. "She has become a leader and she has done really well."

Lloyd has witnessed Johnston's rise beyond just the games she has played together. Johnston traveled to New Jersey during the winter to train with Lloyd and her longtime personal coach, James Galanis.

"You can't hold a person's hand, you can't beg them to come, you just offer it up and see where it takes them," Lloyd said. "Julie came out, she started training with us, she enjoyed it, and she seized her opportunity."

Brian has a lot of Lloyd's traits in her - vision, pace and the ability to both pass and score. It's been clear for a while that she's a special talent, even when she was a college player at Virginia.

Lloyd described Brian as "a quality player [with a] great attitude" who "has taken her opportunities and done really well.

And now, as Lloyd said, Johnston and Brian "have huge opportunities to be part of something really, really great."

The U.S. squad will begin its pre-World Cup training camp on May 2 in southern California, and will head to Canada after the final game of the send-off series - against South Korea at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on May 30.

Between now and then, there will be a lot of questions. Judging from Lloyd's attitude as the summer draws ever closer, it's clear that she intends to be one of the main people answering them.