ZURICH (AP) - Carli Lloyd of the United States won her second FIFA’s best woman player award, even if an Olympic gold medal eluded her.
Lloyd seemed surprised to retain the prize she first won after an outstanding 2015 Women’s World Cup on the title-winning U.S. side.
Still, Melanie Behringer of the Germany team that won the Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro, placed third in the voting totals, and five-time winner Marta of Brazil was runner-up.
“I honestly was not expecting this,” Lloyd, who captained the U.S. team that exited in the Olympics quarterfinals, said in her acceptance speech.
“I know Melanie did fantastic in the Olympics. (She and Marta are) both so deserving of this award,” the Houston Dash forward said.
Lloyd tallied 20.68 percent of the voting points, Marta got 16.60 percent and Melanie Behringer, who retired from national team duty after the Olympics, got 12.34 percent.
Behringer acknowledged she was “disappointed” but declined to criticize the result.
Lloyd said she was “incredibly honored” to have won the support of her peers in a poll by national team captains and coaches, selected media and fans voting online.
Germany did win the women’s coaching awards as Silvia Neid earned her second FIFA prize. She also won the 2010 award.
Neid beat two previous winners: Last year’s winner, Jill Ellis of the United States, was runner-up edging former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage, who guided Sweden to the Olympic silver medal.
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