Lex Valluzzi, Staff Writer
Soccer fans nationwide bid farewell to team captain and forward, Alex Morgan as she announces her retirement from professional soccer. Morgan took to the field with the San Diego Wave for the last time on Sunday, September 8th. She ended the game with a bang as she kicked off her shoes at midfield, hugged her teammates, and cried as she walked off in socks. The crowd of more than 26,000 attendees cheered her name as she exited the field for the last time.
The thirty-five-year-old debuted in professional women’s soccer after playing for the University of California, Berkley’s Golden Bears. She was the number one draft pick by the Western New York Flash in 2011, where they won the league title that same year.
Throughout her career, Morgan found much success playing at the national and international levels. She became the youngest member of the United States Women’s National Team while competing at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Morgan led the United States team to two World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019. In the 2019 World Cup match against Thailand, Morgan tied the record for most individual goals scored in a women’s World Cup game, with 5 goals in one match.
At the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, Morgan was the only one to score in the match against Canada, which resulted in a United States victory and another notable accomplishment. Morgan was notably absent from the 2024 Paris Olympics as she was not chosen to be on the United States team. This would end a fourteen-year streak of Morgan being in attendance at every major soccer event since her career debut. An impressive and remarkable feat.
Morgan earned a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics as well as a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while playing with the United States team. A lot of her 2020 season was missed due to her first pregnancy and the birth of her child.
She was twice named the United States Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2018. Morgan made a quick rise in the athletic world as she had only begun her professional career a year prior to her first title. Morgan was also named as a three-time finalist for FIFA World Player of the Year in 2012, 2019, and 2022.
In a press conference interview on the San Diego Waves YouTube channel, Morgan revealed that she is retiring from the sport because she recently learned that she is pregnant with her second child. From multiple appearances at the Olympic games over the years to a fourteen-year run attending all major tournaments, it is safe to say that Morgan will be missed from the field.
Soccer fans all over the world wish Morgan a happy and well-deserved retirement after dedicating over a decade to her sport. Congratulations to Alex Morgan and her husband, American soccer player Servando Carrasco on the news of their second pregnancy!
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