Ranking the greatest moments of USWNT star Alex Morgan’s career

Alex Morgan Will be honored and when his jersey retires San diego wave Host Houston dash On Sunday, September 7 at 8:30 pm ET, Live on ESPN and ESPN+Prior to the ceremony, ESPN is publishing this list of moments of its biggest career, which was originally published on 7 September 2024. The original article is below.

American women’s national team Forward Alex Morgan’s incredible career will end on Sunday when she plays her final match after San Diego Wave FC Declaration of his retirement (And pregnancy) for the world on Thursday.

Morgan’s career will go down between the most famous in a long lineage of USWNT stars. He scored 123 international goals, which ranks fifth in American history. He won two World Cupacquired Olympic Gold and bronze medals and one other league in addition to one won the professional championship Champions League Title in Europe.

Despite this, it is equally important for the players to advocate his legacy and equality away from the field.

Boiling your career in just a few moments is a foolishness. But there are 13 moments here – the number he wore for a generation – he defined his decade and playing at the highest level.

13. First International Target, 2010

Let’s start at the beginning of your senior career: Morgan’s first international goal came only in his third cap, exactly six months after his USWNT debut Famous in uta “Snow Angels” in the game,

On October 6, 2010, his first target was a late par China To secure 1-1 draw in a friendly. The target time, and the combination with AB Wambach (who helped) discovered what was to come. Morgan had already scored a winning goal in the 2008 U -20 World Cup final, leaving people tabs for success at senior level. This was the first proof point for him.

12. NWSL title, 2013

Morgan was originally allocated Portland thorn fcKeeping the most popular player of the game who will quickly become one of the best female football markets in the world. The fork season was perfect, and Morgan eliminated a minor knee injury late in the campaign, but she returned on time to play in the final with a big knee brace on her left leg, and she assisted Christine sinklairStopage-time insurance target for inauguration owner Championship.

Morgan’s time on the field in Portland was not completely spectacular, but this moment was another professional title in his career in the same field, which he won for the first time – Western New York Flash in 2011 with WPS Championships – Rouchester, New York.

11. Gold Cup Return, 2024

Yes, Morgan’s 2024 will be defined by the breakdown of the heartburn from the Olympics, followed by a sudden retirement, but the story looked very different a few months ago. Morgan’s final storm with USWNT served as a subtle world of his tireless competition. In the last two years, he has responded to several challenges in his place in the national team.

Morgan did not score a goal for USWNT in about a year, including the 2023 World Cup, which had gone badly for almost every American player, knocked in 16 times. The US was in the time of infection while waiting for the arrival of the new coach Emma Hayes, and Morgan was further dropped. Concacaf w Gold CupOne indication that the end of a magnificent international career was near.

But Mia Fichel The day before the initial match, he was tore ACL, and Morgan packed his bag for a few hours to drive and re -involving the team. She came out of the bench in a opener against the Republic of Dominican and buried late for her first goal in 363 days, Re -establish In that tournament, the team’s number 9.

10. First supporter target, 2011

Morgan was the number 1 overall pick in the 2011 WPS draft, Star College players who were brought to play with legends MartaChristine Cinclair and Caroline seger,

Morgan set his first professional target on May 1, 2011, only three games in his career with flash (the video of this seems lost on the Internet.)

Morgan helped Flash win the 2011 WPS title, the last trophy ever woke up in the Falling League. The video still existing from that season has a adventurous goal that he set up in Boston.

9. Lion to Lyon, 2017

Morgan’s domestic and international career reshuffle is his position as a champions league winner.

Morgan joined Lyon In January 2017 and spent half the season there, European club gained the first taste of football. His term with Leon was brief, and he was out of the Champions League finals Paris Saint Germain As early due to hamstring injury, but he still added the European crown to its honor list.

Equally important, Morgan stepped into Lyon to improve and mature his game in a low comfortable setting.

“My inspiration is very simple,” she said In the Tribune story of a player Those days. “I hope this change will help push my game to another level. I hope to train with these incredible athletes each day, and learn a unique style of game, really I need the same, and it will help me find that next gear.”

She returned to NWSL, which is one of her best stretch to play till date Orlando pride – The franchise that effectively received Morgan from Portland in his 2015 NWSL launch position- create a playoffs for the first time. For Europe, Jant helped Morgan add nuances to his game, which was beneficial in the following years.

8. USWNT target number 100, 2019

Morgan’s 100th International Tally (See here) Came against Australia In an important friendly before the 2019 World Cup. She became only the seventh American woman to reach a 100-grain mark.

This is somewhat arbitrary number, of course, but it is a good benchmark for the actually aristocratic class of the program. Till this point, Morgan was already in that conversation. Statistically, it further confirmed.

7. Returning from maternity leave to win bronze, 2021

Morgan gave birth to his first child, daughter Charlie at the height of the Kovid -19 epidemic in May 2020. By November, Morgan made his debut Tottenham Hotspur With the aim of bringing him back to fit the match on a brief tenure in England.

The epidemic delay the Olympics in summer to 2021, leading to another medal to Morgan. She returned to the national team a few weeks after that start with Tottenham, and worked back in a lineup to help USWNT win a bronze medal in Tokyo Games.

6. Fighting back to injury to win World Cup, 2015

The 2015 World Cup did not go to Morgan at all as per the plan due to a knee injury until the tournament. But she managed to fit enough to start to its end, and she scored once in a round of 16 wins. Columbia It was not as comfortable as it should have been.

It was not a breakout World Cup for Morgan, nor a title he served as a hero, but it was the first of two World Cup trophies with a central role.

5. NWSL Winning Golden Boot, 2022

A legitimate criticism of Morgan’s game was that he did not have a really memorable club season together as a professional. It changed strongly in 2022, and allows Morgan to retire about his club career without “yes, but” yes.

Morgan scored 15 goals in 17 matches for San Diego Wave for the first time for the NWSL Golden Boot and the NWSL expansion team to lift the wave in the playoffs for the first time. His standout performances were beaten up four-grains NJ/NY Gotham FC At the beginning of the season. She became only the third player to score four goals in the NWSL game.

His league form recalled USWNT for the World Cup and Olympic qualifying in 2022, and the 2023 World Cup, just after seeing that the team could move beyond that.

4. World Cup playoff goal, 2010

The 2011 World Cup was the catalyst of USWNT’s current popularity, but the number 1-rank team in the world was almost not eligible for this event. After a shocking disturbed disadvantage Mexico In qualifying, America had to play two-feet playoffs Italy For the final of 16 spots in the tournament.

Morgan started for the US only months ago, but she was already a clutch. He scored deeply in the second half stop time to give Americans a 1-0 lead lead ahead of home leg next week. The United States defeated Italy again 1–0 outside Chicago, and Americans upgraded.

Morgan’s goal in Padua, Italy was scored in relative ambiguity, before the days of universal streaming. However, this is one of the many important talls in the recent history of USWNT. Without 2011, the team does not follow the growth. And without Morgan’s goal in Italy, the 2011 World Cup for USWNT may not be.

3. World Cup final performance, 2011

It was the beginning of a broad world that was actually focusing on Morgan. She came out of the bench in a scorer World Cup final for the first goal (See here) Against the match Japan After being free Saki KumagaiWhich was emerging as one of the world’s top defenders. Morgan jumped from the ground to scream after scoring.

A wild end, the US and Japan ended 2–2 after 120 minutes after being strong in Japan’s penalty kick with trade goals.

World Cup, 2 in 2019. Silver boot

Everyone remembers the tea-loving festival as it was a rogue moment to taunt in the World Cup semi-finals. Morgan’s leadership goal (See here) Service served as the winner – on his 30th birthday, and in Leon, where he played on debt.

The target was Morgan’s sixth of the tournament after another historical achievement: he scored five goals in USWNT’s 13–0 win. ThailandTie a single-game record for a player in the World Cup.

His efforts were overched on a large scale Megan rapinoAs, he won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball for Best Player, but Morgan was an integral for the player and the country for each other direct World Cup title.

Morgan won the silver boot, tied with goals (six) and aid (three) with Golino, but played more minutes.

1. Olympic semi -final game winner, 2012

“Oh, it’s in! Alex Morgan has done this!”

Broadcaster Arlo White’s call was sure to meet the epic moment of his biggest match. Morgan completed the moment with a goal winning the game in the 123rd minute to cement his stardom in Old Trafford, Manchester.

Tally was the last blow of a 4-3 win with a tally opponent Canada In a Bonkers match which will lead the third direct Olympic gold medal for Americans. The match and target is unforgettable knowledge in USWNT history.

That year, Morgan had 28 goals and 21 Assist, which was included in Mia Ham (1998), the only player for 20 or more out of each in the same calendar year. This year – and in this goal, in this game – Morgan’s official arrival was marked as a bolef star.