Both players -- pretty decent friends -- endured the rather forgettable Women's World Cups in China last September.
Of course, Solo made the biggest headlines in the biggest controversy in U.S. women's history. She returned home in disgrace, ostracized by her teammates for controversial remarks she made after her benching in the Women's World Cup semifinal. Solo was even not allowed to fly home with the team.
After a promising buildup in 2007, Lloyd wound up a dud in the Cup and was taken out of the starting lineup for the knockout rounds.
Both players completed rather remarkable personal comebacks Thursday night, playing a vital role for the USA as they captured their third Olympic women's soccer gold medal.
Solo was outstanding, helping to hold off a relentless Brazilian attack that came at the U.S. in waves after Lloyd scored from 19 yards out six minutes into extra time en route to a 1-0 victory.
"We were standing on the podium together," Lloyd said. "We experienced the World Cup together. Even though it wasn't planned, we both went through tough times there. We just looked at each other. ... We're still kind of in shock right now."
Last Sept. 27 an angry Solo vented her frustration about the benching. Then-coach Greg Ryan surprisingly had replaced her with veteran Briana Scurry as the U.S. suffered its worst defeat in history, losing 4-0 to Brazil. "There is no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves," Solo said at the time.
On Thursday night she did. Solo did not think she was vindicated, although half the world probably did.
"I don't even think about that, whatever I said last year," she said. "I am just enjoying this moment right now. I feel great. I just won a gold medal."
While she has been accepted by the team now, it was tough when Solo returned for the post-WWC tour. Lloyd, however, was there for her friend.
"I told her a number of times she was by far the best goalkeeper in the world," she said. "That game today, she played unbelievable. If it wasn't for her, there would be two goals definitely in the back of the net."
Solo admitted that she was waiting to play Brazil when it really counted. The USA defeated the Brazilians in three friendlies this summer by 1-0 scores.
"We thought about that game all the time," she said. "We've seen Brazil three times since that last match, but it wasn't the same. On the world stage is when teams really come to play so it sat with us a little bit."
The USA have won three of the four women's soccer gold medals, including 1996 and 2004, taking the silver in 2000.
When the final whistle sounded, the U.S. team celebrated, hugging each other and dancing around the Workers' Stadium field with U.S. flags. "I was floating out there," Solo said. "I haven't shed a tear. It seems unreal."
An ecstatic Solo walked onto the field wearing a pair of oversized, fake gold medals around her neck, waving to the crowd while on the cellphone to her brother.
"I couldn't even hear him," Solo said. "He was screaming."
Eventually, she would receive the real McCoy from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, which Solo wore when she exited the stadium.
The win climaxed a tournament in which the USA weren't given much of a chance of winning, especially after losing their leading goalscorer, Abby Wambach, to a broken leg last month. They lost their opening match 2-0 to Norway, surrendering two goals in the opening four minutes. The U.S. slowly picked up steam, winning five consecutive matches.
"After the first game, I didn't know that a gold medal would be possible," Lloyd said.
They rebounded to defeat Japan 1-0 and New Zealand 4-0, to win the first-round group and avoid world champion Germany and Brazil until the final. They outlasted archrival Canada 2-1 in extra time in the quarterfinals, and downed Japan in the semifinals Monday night, 4-2.
"We got better with each game," Solo said.
Solo made seven saves, but none was more important than the one she made on two-time FIFA Player of the Year Marta, blocking her six-yard attempt with her right forearm in the 72nd minute.
"I was ready to get up and [celebrate]," Brazil coach Jorge Barcellos said.
"I can't even recall the saves or how it happened, but all I know is that I was playing with a different energy tonight and it just felt so good," Solo said.
The USA looked tentative and nervous, particularly in the early going, playing as though they were trying not to make a mistake. In a word, their passing was horrible. Their passes went to no one, nowhere, to a Brazilian, and on many occasions, out of bounds.
The Brazilians dominated the match, although the USA, who were better fit, did get stronger as the game progressed.
As it turned out, Lloyd did not have a particularly strong game, especially in the first half. Many of her passes were off-target or intercepted. It wasn't until late in the second half she started to make a difference.
"This team had a different feeling," Lloyd said. "You usually have the nerves going, anxiety right up until the whistle blows. something felt different. I was excited. I knew we had nothing to lose. We definitely were medaling. We didn't know what medal. I just knew if I work hard things will happen. Things will fall into place."
But not for everyone. For the second time in this tournament, a Brazilian soccer team fell in the knockout round. The men were eliminated by archrival Argentina in the semis Tuesday night. And then, of course, Thursday night's match. Neither the Brazilian men or women have won an Olympic gold medal.
Amy Rodriguez set up the winning goal. Breaking free of two Brazilians on her back, the Southern California striker waited for a streaking Lloyd before sending her the ball. Lloyd broke in and sent a 19-yard bullet to the right of goalkeeper Barbara before a crowd of 51,612.
"I had to keep it low and strike it hard," Lloyd said. "Never in my wildest dreams did I thought I would score the goal that would give us the Olympic gold."
When the U.S. won in Athens, Greece in 2004, it was the last hurrah for the likes of U.S. soccer legends Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain. It was an older team.
This team, a much younger one, won an important tournament for the first time without Mia and company.
"I think it was once in a lifetime thing," Lloyd said of the 2004 gold medal. "This is another once in a lifetime thing."
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