Alex Morgan

At 34 years old, Alex Morgan has this physical status:

Alexandra Morgan Carrasco (born Alexandra Morgan; July 2, 1989) is an American soccer player.

She is a forward for Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the national team of the United States.

Morgan was drafted number one overall in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash, shortly after graduating early from the University of California, Berkeley, where she competed for the California Golden Bears.

She made her professional debut while helping the team win the league championship.

Morgan, 22, was the youngest player on the national team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the team defeated silver.

In the 123rd minute of the semi-final match against Canada, she scored the match-winning goal in the 2012 London Olympics.

She scored 28 goals and 21 assists in 2012, making her the first American woman to score 20 goals and 20 assists in the same calendar year, making her the sixth and youngest U.S. player to score 20 goals in a single season.

She was named as the Best Female Athlete of the Year in the United States and a finalist in FIFA World Player of the Year.

Morgan earned the Silver Boot in 2019 and helped the United States win their titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups, where she was named to the Dream Team for both tournaments and the United States. Morgan joined Portland Thorns FC in 2013 and helped the team win the National Women's Soccer League's inaugural season.

Morgan was a member of the Orlando Pride until the 2015 season, after which she was moved to the first-year franchise Orlando Pride.

Morgan joined Lyon, France, where she won the continental European treble, as well as the UEFA Women's Champions League. Morgan collaborated with Simon & Schuster to write a middle-grade book series about four soccer players: The Kicks, off the track.

Saving the Team, the first book in the series, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list in May 2013.

In addition, a film starring Morgan in her acting debut, Alex & Me, was released in June 2018 where she plays a fictionalized version of herself. Morgan was ranked by Time as the top-paid American women's soccer player in 2015, largely due to her numerous endorsement deals.

Morgan, along with Canadian's Christine Sinclair and Australia's Steph Catley, became the first women's soccer players to appear on the front cover of FIFA video games in 2015.

Morgan also appeared alongside Lionel Messi on the front pages of FIFA 16 in the United States.

Early life

Morgan was born in San Dimas, California, and her two older sisters, Jeni and Jeri, were raised together in the nearby suburb of Diamond Bar. She was a multi-sport athlete who started playing soccer at an early age with AYSO, and her father was one of the first coaches. However, she did not begin playing soccer until age 14 when she joined Cypress Elite, not age 14. She won the Coast Soccer League (CSL) under-16 championship and finished third at the under-19 level, with the club team.

Morgan attended Diamond Bar High School, where she was a three-time all-league pick and was named All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). She was known for her agility and sprinting skills at school. Morgan also served for national and state teams as part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP). "I came into the club scene late, and it was important for me to play as much as possible, work with the best players, and learn from the best coaches," she later credited the program as a key component of her development as a soccer player. "I think it was vital to my growth."

Morgan was called up to the United States under 20 women's national soccer team at age 17. She sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury while training for the team in April 2008.

Morgan played for the California Golden Bears from 2007 to 2010. During her first season with the Cal Bears, she led them in scoring. Morgan equalizer with less than two minutes remaining in regulation time during a match against Stanford in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The team was eventually defeated on penalty kicks. Despite continued absences due to her national team commitments throughout her college career, Morgan led Cal to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row, progressing to the second round twice twice.

Morgan, who was voted a candidate for the Hermann Trophy during her junior year, became the first Golden Bear to be one of the top three finalists for the award. She was one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award, which is given to the highest overall candidate in each category.

Morgan's collegiate career saw her third all-time record in goals scored (45) and points (106) for Cal. She graduated from Berkeley a semester earlier with a degree in Political Economy.

Personal life

On New Year's Eve 2014, Morgan married soccer player Servando Carrasco. Both the players met at UC Berkeley, where they both played soccer. In October 2019, the couple announced that they were expecting a baby girl in April 2020. Charlie Elena Carrasco, the couple's daughter, was born on May 7 of this year.

Morgan, despite the fact that the name is no longer used, was given the nickname "Baby Horse" by her teammates on the US women's national team for her speed, running style, and youth. Morgan received the key to Diamond Bar, her hometown, on January 24, 2016.

Morgan was one of a group of fellow visitors in Bay Lake, Florida, who were branded "impaired and verbally offensive...toward workers and around visitors" in a police incident file on Sunday. Morgan and others were banned from the park for "trespass" and no charges were brought. Morgan was "yelling, screaming, and...appeared to be severely impaired," a deputy said. "I will learn from this and make sure it does not happen again," the singer said in a tweet later.

Morgan and his US teammate Megan Rapinoe were among the first two female players in the United States to sign up for the Common Goal campaign, which was launched by Juan Mata of Manchester United, wherein players donate 1% of their income to benefit soccer-related charities.

Morgan is an avid martial artist who incorporates it into her regular workout routine and holds a black belt in Kyokoshin karate. She attributes this to her improved balance, endurance, flexibility, and discipline.

Morgan is vegan. Best Vegan Celebrities of 2019 named her and NBA player Kyrie Irving by PETA.

Source

Club career

Morgan was the first overall pick in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash on January 14, 2011. She was the first Cal player to be drafted in the first round of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). Morgan scored her first goal for the Flash during the team's home opener, a 3–0 victory over the Atlanta Beat on May 1, 2011. She appeared in 14 games and scored four goals in the 2011 season. The club also won the WPS Championship and the WPS Championship title the same year.

Morgan joined Hope Solo, Sydney Leroux, Megan Rapinoe, and Stephanie Cox on the Seattle Sounders Women in early 2012 after the WPS temporarily suspended operations due to legal and financial challenges. Morgan expressed excitement at her signing, adding, "I am excited to play in a city that is so passionate about soccer." The Sounders have been one of MLS' finest fan service, if not the best in MLS. I can only imagine how Seattle fans would react if there were a full professional women's team in the future.

Morgan made three regular season appearances for the club due to her national team commitments and preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics. In her 253 minutes on the field, she scored two goals and two assists. The Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500 capacity Starfire Stadium, due to the national teammates' presence on the team. During the 2012 season, the Sounders Women's average attendance was four times higher than the next closest team.

Morgan was one of three U.S. national team players to sign the Portland Thorns FC for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League via the NWSL Player Allocation on January 11, 2013. During the team's home-opener at Jeld-Wen Field, she scored her first goal for the Thorns, defeating the Seattle Reign FC 2–1. She spent eight goals and five assists (21 points) on the regular season as the team's point leader and joint scoring leader (with Christine Sinclair). During the regular season, the team came in third, led by head coach Cindy Parlow Cone. Portland captured the league's inaugural championship title on August 31, 2013 after losing to the Western New York Flash 2–0 champions in regular season; Morgan assisted on the second goal. Morgan was announced in the NWSL Second XI on August 28.

Morgan returned to the Thorns for the 2014 season, under new head coach Paul Riley. In her 15 appearances for the club, she scored six goals. The Thorns finished third in the regular season with a 10-8-6 record, and they advanced to the playoffs for the second straight season. FC Kansas City, the team's eventual champions, defeated the team 2–0.

Morgan made four appearances for the Thorns in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, including two in the United States. During a 3–3 draw against the Washington Spirit on August 31, she scored one goal. With a 6–9–5 record, the Thorns finished in sixth place during the regular season.

Morgan, along with teammate Kaylyn Kyle, was sold by the Thorns to a new Orlando Pride affiliate in exchange for the Pride's top picks in the 2015 NWSL Expansion Draft and 2016 NWSL College Draft, as well as an international roster spot for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Morgan's 15 appearances for the Pride earned her four goals. During the regular season, the club finished in ninth position, a 6–13–1 record, led by head coach Tom Sermanni.

Morgan landed with French champions Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) for $33,000 per month on January 5, 2017. A mutual option was included in the six-month contract for an additional season.

During a 3–0 victory over En Avant de Guingamp and recorded two assists, she made her 2016-17 Division 1 Féminine debut on January 14 – she made two assists. She scored a brace in the second half in the match against ASPTT Albi on March 17, helping the team win 5–0. She scored a brace during the team's 9–0 victory over ASJ Soyaux on May 7, when the club was named league champions for the ninth straight season. In her eight appearances during the regular season, she scored five goals.

Morgan led Lyon to a 6–0 victory and advanced to the French Cup semi-finals on March 12, with a hat-trick against Rodez. During the semi-finals against Hénin-Beaumont, she scored four goals and two assists (three of the four were within ten minutes). Lyon won the Cup after a penalty shootout on May 19. Morgan did not participate in the French Cup final due to a lingering hamstring injury sustained during a match against Paris Saint-Germain.

Morgan made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut in the first leg of the quarterfinals on March 23, defeating VfL Wolfsburg 2–0. She began playing in the 2017 UEFA Women's Champions League Final on June 1, but she had to cancel after 23 minutes due to a hamstring injury. Lyon won the match after a penalty shootout.

Following the Champions League Final, Morgan revealed her adoption to their 2017 active roster on June 21, 2017, welcoming Christina Burkenroad to make room on the 20-player roster. Morgan returned to Orlando on July 1 against the Chicago Red Stars after recovering from the hamstring injury she sustained in the final. Morgan scored nine goals in fourteen games for Orlando in 2017, the team's record stands at 11–6-7. Morgan played the entirety of the Pride's first NWSL playoff match on October 7, defeating the eventual champions Portland Thorns FC by 4–1. Morgan was named to the league's 2017 Second XI after the season's conclusion.

Despite the fact that her deal with Lyon included an opportunity for a return in 2018, Morgan revealed in September 2017 that she would abandon the employment and return to Orlando for the 2018 season. With a record of 8–10–6, the team failed to measure the success of its 2017 season, finishing eighth out of nine teams in the league, placing seventh out of nine. Morgan appeared in nineteen games for the Pride, scoring five goals over the course of the season.

Morgan spent the majority of the 2019 season on international service, including the World Cup, before coming to a conclusion due to injuries. She appeared in six games for Orlando but failed to score for the first time in Pride season, and it was the first time she ended a Pride season scoreless.

She revealed she was pregnant in October 2019, and she would give birth in May 2020. Morgan skipped the early-summer 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament due to the season's changes owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned to training with the Pride in early September ahead of the Fall Series, and the Fall series is scheduled for a date in September to October.

Morgan joined Tottenham Hotspur's English FA Women's Super League team on September 12, 2020. According to sources, the deal ran from September to December 2020, with the option to extend the contract until the end of the 2020–21 FA WSL season in May 2021. Morgan's NWSL rights were retained by Orlando. Morgan's return to action after not playing since August 2019 and giving birth in May 2020 was a long way. She made her first appearance for Spurs on November 14, playing 45 minutes in a 2–2 draw with Bristol City before being recalled at halftime. Morgan appeared in her third appearance against Arsenal in the League Cup group stage, swapping on at halftime. Morgan was the only player to convert after losing in a 5–4 draw after a 2–2 tie and a penalty shootout, with Morgan the only one to convert and then firing the decisive penalty over the crossbar. In a 3–1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, Spurs' first league victory of the season, she scored her first goal for the club on December 6, 2020, an 84th-minute penalty. Morgan made her second goal in as many games as Spurs defeated Aston Villa 3–1. Morgan will leave the club on December 21 and return to the United States, according to Tottenham Hotspur.

Morgan returned to Orlando Pride ahead of the 2021 season. Morgan was on international service to play in friendlies against Sweden and France on April 21, 2021, defeating Washington Spirit in a 1–0 Challenge Cup victory. She scored an assist on the game's only goal, which was scored by Sydney Leroux. Orlando went unbeaten and finished May at the top of the standings in each of the first four games of the regular season. It was the first time a player had scored in any of the first four games of a season. In May 2021, she was named Northwest Player of the Month for the second time in her career.

San Diego Wave FC announced the signing of Morgan on December 13, 2021. The terms of the sale were announced three days after the start of the trade window, with Orlando receiving a record $275,000 in Allocation Funds and Angharad James in exchange.

International career

Morgan was not invited to train with the US under-20 women's national soccer team until April 2008 due to an ACL injury that slowed her progress in 2007. She made her first international appearance against Cuba during the 2008 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico, where she scored her first international goal against Cuba.

Morgan was selected to the United States U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile in 2008, scoring a total of four goals against France, Argentina, and North Korea. Morgan's fourth goal was a match-winner who was later voted the best goal of the tournament and then FIFA's second-best goal of the year. Her on-field performance earned her the Bronze Shoe as the tournament's third-highest scorer and the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player behind teammate Sydney Leroux.

She has been capped by the senior national team, first appearing as a backup in a match against Mexico in March 2010 and scoring her first international goal after being called on as a replacement against China in October 2010. A month later in a crucial road match against Italy, she made her most awaited goal to date. She scored in the fourth minute of added time to lead the United States 1–0 over Italy in the first leg of a playoff to qualify for the final spot in the Women's World Cup after entering the match in the 86th minute.

Morgan was the youngest player on the United States national team that finished second in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In the 82nd minute of the semi-final matchup against France, she scored her first FIFA Women's World Cup goal, giving the USA a 3–1 lead and ultimately the victory. Since arriving at the half as a replacement and also contributing to the Abby Wambach header (104') for a goal in extra time, she scored the first goal (69') in the FIFA World Cup Final against Japan. Her results made her the first player to score and assist in a World Cup final. Morgan ranked eighth in the 2011 FIFA World Player of the Year poll.

Morgan did not qualify for the United States until the fifth match of the year in January, the inaugural of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. In a 4–0 win over the Canadian hosts and a regular starter ever since, she scored twice and two assists to Wambach. Morgan scored 14 goals in a 12-match stretch from January to May 2012, including a string of three consecutive two-goal attempts on January 29, February 11 and 29. During a 4–0 victory over Sweden in the third round of the Algarve Cup, she earned her first hat-trick on March 7, 2012. In June 2012, she was nominated for an ESPY Award as the Best Breakthrough Athlete.

Morgan scored both the equalizer and the goal that sealed the victory over France in the first match of 2012 London Olympics group play. She assisted with the match-winning goal in three Olympic matches, two to Wambach.

Morgan scored in extra time in an Olympic semi-final match against Canada, advancing the United States to the gold medal match against Japan. Her goal was scored in the 123rd minute, the first goal ever scored by a member of the US women's team or a FIFA record. In the closing stages of matches, the aim maintained her propensity for late heroics. Since the 60th minute, seventeen of her 28 total goals to date have arrived. Morgan's team-high 20th team won in 2012, becoming only the sixth and youngest U.S. player to do so in a single year. Morgan was assisting on a Carli Lloyd header in the final, which was 2–1 victory over Japan on August 9. She ended the tournament with three goals and four assists (tied with Megan Rapinoe) and ten points (tied with Rapinoe and Wambach). She was honoured at her former high school and the No. 0 to celebrate her accomplishments. The 13 jerseys were retired.

Morgan led the United States in goals in 2012 (28), multi-goal matches (9), assists (21) and points (77). Her calendar year's goals, assists, and points totals are the third-best, tied second-best (one tally shy of record), and second-best in USWNT history. Morgan joined a select group in the United States after she and Hamm became the first and youngest player to reach 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. Morgan and Wambach scored together for 55 goals in 2012, beating Michelle Akers' (1991 goals) and Carin Jennings (16 goals) as the most goals scored by any duo in USWNT history. She had scored or assisted on 41% of the USA's 120 goals this year. She also out-scored and out-assisted her opponents, who combined for 21 goals and 12 assists in 32 games against the United States.

Morgan was named the 2012 Female Athlete of the Year by U.S. Soccer for her excellence on the track. Morgan's exploits have also earned her a spot on the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist, which has ended in third place in voting.

Morgan received top-scoring accolades at the 2013 Algarve Cup. She had four assists and three goals, including the equalizer against Sweden who advanced the United States to the final and the two goals against Germany who defeated the champion. In 2011, she won the tournament's golden boot for the second time. Morgan scored two-second-half goals as the United States defeated Canada 3–0 in Toronto, in front of a sold-out crowd. This was the first match between the United States and Canada since the 2012 Olympic Games' epic semi-finals. Morgan was selected for her third appearance on the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year list in 2013 and finished fourth in the poll. She was named as the CONCACAF 2013 Female Player of the Year for the inaugural CONCACAF Awards. The Federation also revealed the All-Time Women's National Team Best XI, the youngest player to be selected at 24 years old as part of U.S. Soccer's Centennial Celebrations.

Morgan scored five goals in seven games for the USWNT in 2014 after recovering from injury before she rejuggled her ankle at the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which barred her from participating in the rest of the competition.

Morgan won by 1–0 in February, the first female figure to return to the international fold. She was a member of the United StatesWNT who captured its tenth Algarve Cup in 2015. In a 3–0 loss of Switzerland, she scored.

Morgan spent two months recovering from a knee injury in the build-up to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Morgan's knee injury occurred in April against the Boston Breakers in the NWSL. In the last group match to advance as group champions, she got off to a good start in the World Cup Finals. In the 2–0 victory over Colombia, she scored her only goal of the World Cup's knockout stage in the opener. In the 2–0 victories over Colombia and Germany in the semi-finals, Morgan did win penalties for the USWNT, respectively. The USWNT defeated Japan 5–2 to win its third FIFA Women's World Cup Final, which was the start of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. Morgan appeared in all seven World Cup Finals matches and got off to a winning start against Nigeria in any one of them.

Morgan was named the Golden Boot and the MVP award at the first SheBelieves Cup tournament in March 2016, consisting of England, France, Germany, and the United States. The USWNT took the tournament with three wins out of three, with three of them winning the tournament over three times. She scored in victories against France and Germany. Morgan had eight goals in her first nine appearances of 2016.

Morgan earned her 100th cap for the USWNT in a 5–0 friendly win over the Republic of Ireland on January 23, with a goal and an assist. Morgan scored the fastest recorded goal in tournament history and in the history of the USWNT, netting in under 12 seconds before finishing second in a 5–0 victory over Costa Rica. In a victory over Trinidad and Tobago as the USWNT secured their qualification for the Rio Olympics, she followed this up with her third hat-trick in her third career hat-trick. Morgan competed against Canada in the qualification final, while the USWNT defeated 2–0 to be crowned tournament winners. She was selected in the tournament's Best XI.

On July 12, 2016, Morgan was added to the United States' 18-player roster for the Rio Olympics. In the team's first match against New Zealand on August 3, she started and scored a goal. In the quarter-final round, the United States was knocked out of the tournament thanks to a penalty shootout loss to Sweden. Morgan converted the equalizer in regulation time to make the match playable, but she missed her penalty in the ensuing shootout. Morgan's 8-1 victory over Romania on November 10 brought an end to her 2016 national team goal scoring campaign with a brace of goals.

Morgan appeared at three SheBelieves Cup appearances, the first versus England on March 4. She was initially selected to the team's roster for two international friendlies against Sweden and Norway on May 26, but she had to cancel in the coming days after suffering a hamstring injury. Morgan was then included in the United States 23-player roster for the 2017 Tournament of Nations, where she scored one goal in a match versus Japan on August 3. She finished the year off with a solid seven goals scored, leading the team in goals scored.

Morgan received the Female Player of the Year award in 2018 in US Soccer. Julie Ertz, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, and Megan Rapinoe were nominated alongside Julie Ertz, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, and Megan Rapinoe. In 19 appearances for the United States, she scored 18 goals out of 19 goals. This was her fourth hat-trick appearance at the 2018 Tournament of Nations, as well as seven goals at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, where she earned the tournament's best scorer. In a 6-0 victory over Jamaica on October 14, she helped the team qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in the semifinal of the tournament, scoring twice. Morgan won the CONCACAF Women's Championship for the second time in her career after assisting her team beat Canada 2-0 in the final on October 17, where she contributed one goal.

Morgan scored her 100th international goal in a friendly versus Australia on April 4, 2019, in the lead up to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Morgan scored five goals in the first group game against Thailand, equaling Michelle Akers' World Cup single-game goals record set in 1991. Morgan also had three assists in the game. The team's 13-0 scoreline set a new record for margins of victory in a World Cup match. Morgan became the first woman to score a world cup goal on her birthday in a 21 win over England to advance to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. Morgan scored in the final on July 7 after being later converted by Megan Rapinoe to open the scoring as the US defeated the Netherlands 2–0. Morgan was given the Silver Boot by the tournament's best scorer with six goals, but he lost to Megan Rapinoe on a few minutes tiebreaker. She was promoted to the bench in the first friendly of the Victory Tour against Ireland but she was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a season-ending ankle injury.

Morgan did not qualify for the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship and the 2020 SheBelieves Cup due to pregnancy. Morgan made her national team debut and first appearance under new head coach Vlatko Andonovski on November 27, 2020, 509 days since her first match against the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final, with club and international soccer heavily disrupted during the COVID-20 pandemic. She was accepted to the 2021 SheBelieves Cup roster in February 2021. Morgan was listed in the 18-player United States Women's soccer team roster for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in June 2021. She appeared in all six games for the United States in the tournament, which saw the team win by 4-3 over Australia on August 5th. Morgan scored in the team's 6-1 group stage victory over New Zealand on July 24, and converted a penalty kick in the team's quarter-final shootout victory over the Netherlands on July 30. Morgan's sixth international hat-trick for the United States in a friendly against Paraguay in Cincinnati on September 21, 2021.

Coach Vlatko Andonovski decided to exclude a core group of veteran players from his 22-player roster ahead of two international friendships against Australia in November 2021. Morgan was among the spectators. He said that he wanted to give younger players roster spots in order to give them valuable minutes ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Morgan was later left out of the 23-player roster for the 2022 SheBelieves Cup in February, as a result of this decision. Morgan was recalled to the national team on June 13, 2022, ahead of two friendlies against Colombia and the 2022 CONCACAF W Championships. Morgan aided the team win their third straight CONCACAF title and directly qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics by scoring the game winner on a penalty kick in the final against Canada. She also helped the United States secure qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup scoring twice in the team's opening match against Haiti on July 4, and was in the squad for the team's 5-0 victory over Jamaica on July 7. She was voted to the tournament's best XI and was voted the tournament's best player. Morgan was also the joint top scorer of the tournament, scoring three goals; tied with Julia Grosso, Jessie Fleming, and Kadija Shaw.

Career statistics

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