Rather than the crowning achievement of her career, winning a second consecutive World Cup title marked the end of three years that Carli Lloyd hopes never to repeat.
In an interview this week on ESPN's "Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy" podcast, the 37-year-old Lloyd spoke at length about her frustrations with a diminished role on the U.S. women's national team after the 2016 Olympics and the toll the past three years took on her professionally and personally.
"I'm not going to lie and sugarcoat it," Lloyd said. "It was absolutely the worst time of my life. It affected my relationship with my husband, with friends.