Former USA forward Carli Lloyd has walked back her headline-grabbing criticism of the two-time defending champions following Tuesday’s scoreless draw with Portugal.

Lloyd, who was capped 316 times for the national team and retired in 2021, blasted the team as “uninspiring” after the result, which ensured USA’s second-place finish in Group E behind the Netherlands.

“I’d like to state that obviously I was very critical of the team last night,” Lloyd said Wednesday during Fox’s studio show. “I’ve had some time to reflect, to sleep on it. I want people to understand that I care deeply about this team. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this team for 17 years and it was based on a legacy that was passed down from generation to generation, the mentality, the DNA of what makes that team so great.

“My comments were reflective on me wanting to see that legacy continue to be passed down generation to generation, and with that, it comes with hard work, it comes with focus, and so my hope is that that continues, because that is what makes the US so special and so deadly, and that is what ultimately has won us championships.”

Lloyd made headlines with her withering criticism of the USWNT in the aftermath of Tuesday’s draw, where Portugal nearly scored in stoppage time when Ana Capeta’s shot hit the post. A loss to the Portuguese would have sent the Americans home after the group stage for the first time at a World Cup or an Olympics.

“You never want to take anything for granted,” Lloyd said on the Fox Sports postgame show. “You put on that jersey and you want to give it everything you have, for the people that came before you and the people that are going to come after you, and I’m just not seeing that passion.

“I’m just seeing a very lackluster, uninspiring, taking-it-for-granted, where winning and training and doing all that you can to be the best possible individual player is not happening.”

USA coach Vlatko Andonovski was asked afterward about Lloyd’s comments.

“One thing that I want to say is that this team wanted to win this game more than anything else, and they’ve put everything they could in preparation for this tournament and in every game,” Andonovski said. “To question the mentality of this team, to question the willingness to win, to compete, I think it’s insane.”

Lloyd’s remarks on Tuesday also drew criticism from Ali Krieger, her former team-mate on three World Cup teams.

“I don’t think it was really necessary to say what she, what she said,” Krieger told ESPN. “We got through, right? I feel like people were in panic mode because we haven’t had a really great game – feeling like we’re the team that’s going to win it – and pull through. But ultimately, we got through and that’s what’s most important.”

The US meet Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.