Time has claimed another of the most prolific members of the USWNT as one of the United States’ most talented players in the history of the women’s national team emotionally announced her retirement on Thursday.
USWNT striker Alex Morgan took to social media to announce that she will hang up her boots after her final game for the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday. Morgan has been one of the premier players in American soccer since making her professional debut in 2008 and her inaugural game with the USWNT senior squad in 2010.
Morgan was recently left off the USWNT roster by new coach Emma Hayes for the 2024 Paris Olympics in September.
USWNT Legend has Played her Last International Game
Morgan tearfully left a four-and-a-half minute-long post on X, formerly Twitter, from her California home on Thursday morning. She fought back emotions explaining her decision why, at age 35, she has decided to call it quits on her playing career. A press release was also made available, in which Morgan conveys her appreciation for having played 15 years with the USWNT, saying:
I grew up on this team, it was so much more than soccer. It was the friendships and the unwavering respect and support among each other, the relentless push for global investment in women’s sports, and the pivotal moments of success both on and off the field. I am so incredibly honored to have borrowed the crest for more than 15 years.
I learned so much about myself in that time and so much of that is a credit to my teammates and our fans. I feel immense pride in where this team is headed, and I will forever be a fan of the USWNT. My desire for success may have always driven me, but what I got in return was more than I could have ever asked and hoped for.
Morgan also noted that she is pregnant and is expecting her second child with spouse Servando Carrasco, whom she married in 2014. The pair currently have one four-year-old daughter.
Morgan was Figurehead for USWNT in 2010s
During her time with the USWNT, Morgan won two World Cup titles and one Olympic gold medal. She finishes her career as the fifth-leading scorer in team history with 123 goals in 224 international caps.
However, the beginning of the end for Morgan’s time on the national team came as she was not named to the 18-player roster for the United States squad in the Paris Olympics. Neither was she named among the four alternates to make the trip to France by Hayes. It was the first time since 2008 that the USWNT played in a major tournament without Morgan. Hayes noted the need for roster versatility as a reason why Morgan was left off the roster in spite of playing regular minutes for the team throughout the spring warm-ups for the Olympic competition, telling reporters in June:
Having a roster that could adapt is essential. We have a tight turnaround between games, so of course having players on the roster that could play more than one position mattered with squad depth.
Morgan finishes her international career with the ninth-most appearances in the history of the USWNT. Her final game will be on Sunday when her Wave host the North Carolina Courage in NWSL play.
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