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Cesar Hernandez, Staff Writer, ESPN FCSep 6, 2024, 03:55 PM ET
United States women’s national team great Alex Morgan said Friday that she’s happy with her upcoming retirement after helping women’s soccer land in “an amazing place.”
The San Diego Wave FC forward announced Thursday that Sunday’s NWSL game against the North Carolina Courage will be the final match of her illustrious career, adding that she was expecting her second child.
“We’re in good hands, the future of women’s soccer, the now, the present and the future of women’s soccer is in such an amazing place where I have done everything that I’ve needed to do,” Morgan said at a news conference Friday ahead of her farewell.
“To see those players step on the field and do work and be able to do it at such a young age with such voice and such confidence, that’s what this is all about. That’s why I’m so happy being here, saying yes, I’m retiring.”
A two-time World Cup champion and a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Morgan said she also wants her legacy to be what she has helped accomplish away from the field.
Morgan was among five players in 2016 who filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination. The team went on to sue U.S. Soccer in 2019, citing inequitable pay and treatment compared with the men’s national team. The lawsuit was settled and in 2022 the sides agreed to collective bargaining agreements that give the teams equal pay and benefits.
Morgan was also one of the key figures in bringing to light systemic abuse and misconduct in the NWSL in 2021, leading to the dismissal or resignation of five of the league’s coaches and sparking an investigation.
“I had a responsibility, not only a responsibility to fight for equal pay, to fight for sports equity … to uplift and protect players, but also to make the game an avenue to be able to play and make a living from,” the 35-year-old said. “Whether that’s 16, 18, 20, 21, I wanted players to have that avenue and feel like they had the resources to be their best selves from that age. I feel like I’ve done my part.
“I hope my legacy is that I pushed the game forward, that I helped gain respect for the women’s game, that I increased the value and the investment in the women’s game, that I helped players.”
Morgan debuted with the USWNT in 2010 and scored 123 goals across 224 appearances to put her fifth on the team’s career scoring chart. Despite being a key figure who took part in four World Cups, she was left off the squad for the 2024 Olympics, where the team went on to claim the gold medal.
“This year has been difficult mentally, physically with injuries, left off an important [USWNT] roster,” Morgan said. “[But] it was a year that I am so grateful for, regardless of all the ups and downs.”
The striker will now seek to end things on a high note for a Wave side that are currently 12th in the NWSL standings. Heading into Sunday, the team has yet to claim a league win since May.
“[I’ll be] playing limited minutes this weekend, but nonetheless, it’s always an honor to be able to lace up my boots and step out on that field for one last time.”
Just a few hours after Morgan’s announcement Thursday, the Wave revealed that the lower bowl of Snapdragon Stadium had already sold out. The venue currently holds the record for the highest attended NWSL playoff game, with a total of 32,262 fans watching a 2023 semifinal between the Wave and OL Reign (now known as Seattle Reign).
Later Friday, the NWSL announced that the game will air on ESPN2, ESPN+, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, NWSL+ and Prime Video, marking what it said was the first time a women’s sporting event will be shown across multiple outlets simultaneously in the U.S.
“This isn’t just a celebration of me; this is a celebration of everyone that has done something to help me be here,” Morgan said about her final match.
As for what comes next, she ruled out a possible job on the sideline.
“I don’t think coaching is in my future,” Morgan said. “I think that I’ve found my calling in investing in women’s sports, doing as much as I can to get as big of a platform to women’s sports as possible.
“When it comes to my role after soccer, that’s still to be determined.”
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
