October 18, 2009 JERSEY HOMECOMING? Lloyd negotiating with Sky Blue, could sign with WPS champions
Carli Lloyd scored the game-winning goal in the 2008 women's Olympic gold-medal match.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
Is Carli Lloyd is coming home to New Jersey?
Sky Blue FC plans to make a major player announcement on Monday and the Women's Professional Soccer champions have been negotiating with the Delran, N.J. native and midfielder, league sources said.
One source said that Lloyd, who scored the game-winning goal for the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold-medal match, could very well sign with the club Monday. Sky Blue, however, would not comment.
The 27-year-old Lloyd, who played the league's first season with the Chicago Red Stars, was a free agent, allowing her to sign with any team in the league.
Statistically, Lloyd finished below expectations with two goals and one assist over 14 starts and 16 games for Chicago, which failed to reach the playoffs.
She is best known for scoring seven minutes into extratime against Brazil to secure a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the women's gold-medal match last summer. Lloyd had two goals at the Summer Games, including one in a 1-0 win over Japan.
Lloyd is on the U.S. Women's National Team roster for its Oct. 29 meeting vs. European champion Germany in Augsburg, Germany.
A Rutgers graduate, Lloyd grew up playing her soccer in New Jersey. She spent 2004 with the New Jersey Wildcats (W-League) after playing for W-League clubs South Jersey Banshees (2001), New Brunswick Power (2000) and Central Jersey Splash (1999).
Despite using three coaches, Sky Blue won the WPS crown in Cinderella fashion this past season.
Sky Blue announced that it had hired former Finnish international Pauliina Miettinen as coach Sept. 29.
