- Alex Morgan has been a stalwart on the United States women’s national team since 2010.
- Morgan has scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for the USWNT.
- Morgan recently announced she is pregnant with her second child, and she’ll play her final professional game on September 8 with San Diego Wave FC.
The United States women’s national team has been at, or near, the top of international women’s soccer since the mid-1990s. It has also been at the top of the odds if you were (actually, still are), betting soccer. The program can celebrate five Olympic gold medals, four World Cup wins, and most importantly, it has advanced the investment and progression of women’s soccer (and women’s sports in general).
A major part of the program will play her final game on Sunday, September 8. Bleacher Report Football revealed that striker Alex Morgan will call time on her career as San Diego Wave FC plays the North Carolina Courage. Morgan won’t ride into the sunset alone, as she’s pregnant with her second child.
Morgan Will Go Down as One of the Greatest Players Ever
Morgan, 35, played college soccer at California, and made her first appearance with the USWNT in March 2010, and scored her first goal in October 2010. She entered the spotlight at the 2011 World Cup, scoring two goals. In the final against Japan, Morgan scored the opener, and assisted on Abby Wambach’s extra-time goal in a game the United States eventually won on penalties.
Morgan, who was nicknamed “Baby Horse” by her teammates because of her speed, then scored three goals at the 2012 Olympics, where the US defeated Japan once again in the final match. She recovered from a knee injury to help the United States win the 2015 World Cup, but at the 2016 Olympics, Morgan missed a penalty as the US were upset by Sweden in the quarterfinals.
She was back at her best at the 2019 World Cup, as Morgan tied teammate Megan Rapinoe and England’s Ellen White as top scorer with six goals. The Americans beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the final. She announced her first pregnancy with former MLS player Servando Carrasco in October 2019, and returned to the USWNT in November 2020 due to the global pandemic. At the 2020 Olympics (taking place in 2021), Morgan scored a goal and a penalty in a quarterfinal win over the Netherlands. The United States would end up with a bronze medal.
Morgan’s USWNT has slowed down recently as younger players were brought into the fold, much like Morgan was in 2010. However, she scored the tournament-winning penalty in the final of the USWNT’s 1-0 win over Canada in the 2022 CONCACAF Championship. Morgan failed to score in the 2023 World Cup as the Americans lost to Sweden in the Round of 16.
On the club side, Morgan did play a season for Lyon, and another for Tottenham, but she played more of her club soccer in the National Women’s Soccer League. The international game is where she made her name, and Morgan will go down in history as one of the very best. Her 123 goals are fifth in USWNT history, and her 224 appearances are ninth all-time. She’ll hope to get on the scoresheet in her final game with San Diego Wave FC on Sunday.
What About Morgan’s Impact Off the Field?
Morgan may be more important for her off-field work. Along with Rapinoe and the rest of the USWNT, Morgan worked tirelessly to make sure the women’s team were getting paid as much as the men with the Equal Pay Bill. Morgan and Rapinoe also signed up for Juan Mata’s Common Goal campaign, where they would donate 1% of their pay to charities related to soccer.
Morgan, along with Christine Sinclair and Steph Catley, became the first female players to appear on the cover of FIFA 16. There was a time that Morgan was the most popular female soccer player in the world. She hasn’t announced her plans for post-career life, outside of her family, but Morgan will likely be involved with the game of soccer, one way or another. She is a bona fide legend in the world of soccer, female or male.
