Lindsey Horan

There was a large sense during the USWNT’s last two friendlies against South Korea that the team was growing stale.

Carli Lloyd will play one final game with the USWNT on Tuesday against South Korea as the national team says goodbye to one of its greatest ever players. Lloyd — as has been the case since 2008 — will wear the No. 10 on her jersey for her sendoff.

The best players in the history of the sport have worn the iconic number ten. Marta, Pelé, Messi and Maradona are fitting company for Lloyd. The 39-year-old has been the USWNT’s No. 10 for almost 14 years. Before Lloyd, Aly Wagner wore the number and Michelle Akers before her.

If the USWNT’s two October friendlies were supposed to be feel-good send-offs for Carli Lloyd, no one told Yoon Young-Guel and South Korea. 

Yoon made eight saves to earn a 0-0 draw against the U.S., ending the USWNT’s 22-game home winning streak on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The last time the U.S. failed to win on home soil was Oct. 6, 2019, a 1-1 draw to this same South Korea side, a match that ended the USWNT’s 17-game winning streak that included winning the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Carli Lloyd’s playing career is coming to an end. But first, two final farewell matches later this month against South Korea. On Wednesday, coach Vlatko Andonovski named his USWNT roster for the upcoming friendlies, which are little more than a chance to send Lloyd off in style. 

Lloyd announced in August she will retire after the 2021 NWSL season, calling an end to an historic career.

Morgan Weaver hadn’t made an appearance for the Portland Thorns in over a month after getting injured against the Orlando Pride on July 18. The 23-year-old made her return in fashion and in the form of an 87th minute winner against Lyon.

Weaver was substituted into the game in the 82nd minute and nearly scored with her first touch of the game. She was in on goal against Lyon’s Christiane Endler but ended up hitting her shot over the bar.

There’s a moment in “Ted Lasso” where the eponymous coach yells at an assistant referee: “How is that offside!? No, I’m asking you, seriously: Explain offside to me, it makes no sense!”

Part of me wonders if that scene was based on the true story of Vlatko Andonovski at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

Andonovski’s USWNT has had nine goals called back for players being in offside positions in four matches at the 2020 Olympics. The U.S. has scored eight goals that actually counted. 

It’s a major problem, but so far it’s yet to really cost Team USA. 

The USWNT has been far from impressive at the Tokyo Olympics. The defense has been shaky, the midfield often overrun and the forwards unable to stay onside. But Team USA is through to the medal rounds thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, the one constant this tournament.

The USWNT bounced back, as basically everyone expected it to do, taking care of New Zealand 6-1 on Saturday in Saitama, Japan. After they were crushed by Sweden in the Olympic opener, the Americans needed a response, and this was a pretty good one. It was a fairly straightforward victory, though not necessarily the sort of performance that will scare the other medal favorites in Japan. 

One thing Team USA did accomplish was providing one of the few audience members a profound understanding of the intricacies of the offside rule.