SAN DIEGO — More than a decade in NWSL. Two hundred and twenty-four appearances with the U.S. women’s national team. A treble winner with Lyon. Two World Cup titles. An Olympic gold medal.
With several other accolades on and off the field, Alex Morgan’s soccer career officially ended after a symbolic 13 minutes in the San Diego Wave’s 4-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage on Sunday.
The emotions were clear on Morgan’s face in her final appearance. However, most of the time the one she chose to express was happiness. She savored the final national anthem — her daughter Charlie standing before her — closing her eyes for most of it as if she could bottle up this one last time.
“I left everything on the field. I did everything I ever wanted to do and more,” Morgan said after the game. “I feel so at peace because I am ready to start a family. I’m ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight. I’m just ready.”
In the 10th minute, Morgan had one final shot to add to her goal tally with a penalty kick, but Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy saved the attempt. Even as her final look at goal didn’t go her way, with a diving Murphy preventing a perfect — if still sudden — ending, Morgan could only smile.
Alex Morgan announced her abrupt retirement on Thursday as she and her husband are expecting their second child. (Photos by Meg Linehan, The Athletic)
One more goal wouldn’t change her legacy. It was just a moment on a sweltering San Diego evening. And then, all too soon, yet a decade in the making, Morgan unlaced her boots on the beaten grass of Snapdragon Stadium. There were hugs, the captain’s armband passed to goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, and there were a few tears here or there. Plenty of them were in the crowd, as they serenaded Morgan for her final walk off a soccer pitch as a professional player.
“When I took off my boots and shinguards, I just actually took a moment to let everything soak in. I saw my teammates. I saw North Carolina. I saw the fans,” Morgan said. “I think just understanding the gravity of the situation and the end of a very, very long chapter of my book, it was a special moment.”
The forward announced her abrupt retirement on Thursday as she and her husband Servando Carrasco are expecting their second child. The announcement meant Sunday was the last time she would tie up her pink pre-wrap and take the field for club or country.
Thank you for absolutely everything, Alex Morgan. pic.twitter.com/mIKaOS6Bkx
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 9, 2024
Morgan has been with the Wave since 2022, calling the move a homecoming. She previously played for the Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns, Lyon in France in 2017 and Tottenham during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her final game for the USWNT came in June, a 3-0 win over South Korea in Minnesota under new head coach Emma Hayes. But over the summer, she was later left off the Olympic squad in favor of younger players.
we asked the team to leave one last message for AM13 🫶 pic.twitter.com/vDHBRRwwWQ
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) September 8, 2024
The 35-year-old retires with a World Cup title from 2015 and 2019 and two Olympic medals (gold in 2012 and bronze in 2021). She’s scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for the U.S., fifth on the all-time goalscoring list. But more importantly, she leaves with a deep legacy off the field, including leading the USWNT players’ fight for equal pay and being a key witness for Mana Shim, and then Sinead Farrelly, as they went on record with The Athletic in 2021 to share their stories of abuse they had suffered in the NWSL. Farrelly, who announced her retirement in June, was also recognized by her former club, Gotham FC, on Sunday.
“I just want to congratulate Sinead on her retirement and incredible career,” Morgan said. “Unfortunately, there were a lot of things out of her control that prohibited her from playing for years, but the fact that she came back and was able to compete on the international stage and do so in that fashion was just a testament to her character, self-belief and the importance of player safety.”
While Morgan has yet to share specifics about what’s next, she did share plans for her immediate future.
“My next step in soccer is to be a fan of the San Diego Wave,” Morgan said “It’s to continue to advocate for players, and it’s to drive the standard of this club, of the NWSL. It’s to be a fan on the international stage of the U.S. women’s national team.”
Required reading
(Top photo: Abe Arredondo / USA Today)