More than a decade in the NWSL. 224 appearances with the US women’s national team. Triple winner with Lyon. Two world championship titles. One Olympic gold medal.
After numerous other awards on and off the field, Alex Morgan’s soccer career came to an end on Sunday after a symbolic 13 minutes in the San Diego Waves’ game against the North Carolina Courage.
At her final performance, Morgan’s emotions were clear, but mostly she expressed joy. She enjoyed the final national anthem – her daughter Charlie stood in front of her, Morgan had one hand on her shoulder and one on her heart – and closed her eyes most of the time, as if she could take it in one last time.
In the 10th minute, Morgan had one last shot to add to her tally, a penalty kick, but Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy saved the attempt. Even though her last chance to score didn’t go in her favor and Murphy prevented a perfect – if still sudden – finish, Morgan could only smile.
After all, one more goal wouldn’t change a legacy. It was just one moment on a sweltering San Diego night. And then, far too soon, but still a moment that had been over a decade in the making, Morgan laced up her soccer cleats on the well-worn turf of Snapdragon Stadium. There were hugs, the captain’s armband was passed to goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, and maybe a few tears here and there. Many of those were in the crowd as they serenaded Morgan on her final walk off the soccer field as a professional player.
The striker announced her abrupt retirement on Thursday as she and husband Servando Carrasco are expecting their second child. The announcement meant Sunday was the last time she would lace up her pink sportswear and take to the field for her club or country.
Thank you for absolutely everything, Alex Morgan. pic.twitter.com/mIKaOS6Bkx
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) 9 September 2024
Morgan has been with the Wave since 2022 and describes the move as a homecoming. She previously played for Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns, Lyon in France in 2017 and Tottenham during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her last game for the USWNT came in June, a 3-0 win over South Korea in Minnesota under new head coach Emma Hayes, but she was left off the Olympic roster that summer in favor of younger players.
We asked the team to leave a final message for AM13 🫶 pic.twitter.com/vDHBRRwwWQ
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) 8 September 2024
The 35-year-old ends her career with a World Cup title in 2015 and 2019 and two Olympic medals (gold in 2012 and bronze in 2021). She scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for the USA, putting her fifth on the all-time goalscoring list. But more importantly, she leaves behind a great legacy off the field, including leading the USWNT players’ fight for equal pay and serving as a key witness for Mana Shim and later Sinead Farrelly, as they officially declared. The athlete in 2019 to share their stories of the abuse they suffered in the NWSL.
Required reading
(Top photo: Abe Arredondo / USA Today)
