After an up and down year, Alex Morgan proves she's one of the best ever

Alex Morgan had her struggles over the past year following a disastrous World Cup campaign with the US Women's National Team and her shocking omission from the USWNT's squad for the Concacaf W Gold Cup.

Morgan was eventually called into the squad following injuries and made her presence known with an excellent performance against Colombia in the quarter-finals. Yahoo Sports described her efforts well, "She didn't score — and hasn't scored much over the past 11 months. But she's still a target, a link and a pest."

With Morgan back in the team the US started to look like their dominant selves, winning the final 1-0 against Brazil to claim the first-ever Concacaf W Gold Cup. Morgan is back in contention for national honors, but who is she and why is she thought of as one of the best women's players of all time?

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Alex Morgan is one of the very best women’s soccer players of all time, with over 200 caps for the United States Womens National Team (USWNT) and multiple World Cup wins, she is a legend of the sport. But where did it all begin for the talented American?

Morgan was born on July 2nd, 1989 in San Dimas, California. Her parents, Pamela and Michael also had two other daughters, Jeni and Jeri, both of whom are older than Alex.

Despite playing soccer from an early age, it wasn’t until 14 that Morgan would start playing for an organized club side. She joined a club called Cypress Elite.

Perhaps her time at Cypress Elite was prophetic in projecting the rest of her career as she started to show her prowess for winning championships almost immediately. During her time at the Elite, she won Coast Soccer League in the under-16 division and had a third-place finish during her time as an under-19 player.

During her teen years, Morgan’s talent was obvious. She showed her ability on the pitch whilst at Diamond Bar High School which led to her involvement in the Olympic Development Program as well as state and regional showcase teams.

Throughout her development, one of Morgan’s greatest strengths was her natural athleticism, able to run faster than anyone else on the pitch and turning on a dime whilst doing so.

After impressing in high school, Morgan earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where she played on the women’s soccer team for four straight years leading the team in scoring whilst she was there, despite missing time with USWNT commitments.

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Throughout her time at high school and college, Morgan was involved in international age-group football before finally making her senior team debut in March 2010. Her first goal came later that year in a 1-1 draw against China.

Morgan’s first World Cup saw her appear mostly off the bench as the youngest member of the USWNT’s squad. Her goal and assist in the Final were key contributions as the US eventually lost to Japan on penalties.

The 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) draft saw Morgan taken first overall by the Western New York Flash where she won the league title and the subsequent championship in her first and only season at the club.

WPS ran out of money at the conclusion of the 2011 season, leaving many players in a state of flux, but Morgan’s prodigious talent was enough to see her immediately picked up by the Seattle Sounders Women, a team stacked with international stars. Morgan’s stature as a superstar helped attract record crowds for the Sounders throughout the 2012 season.

After her spell at the Sounders, Morgan found herself at the Portland Thorns from 2013-2015, but where she really settled was in Orland with the Pride. She spent three spells with the Pride, the first two sandwiched around a Champions League-winning campaign with Lyon in France before rejoining them again in 2021.

The 2015 World Cup saw redemption for Morgan and the USWNT as they overcame old foes Japan 5-2 in the final to win the country’s third World Cup title. Morgan played a key role for the side as she started every game, including the final.

The 2019 World Cup saw another victory for the USWNT, seeing off then European Champions the Netherlands in the final. En route to the final Morgan scored a remarkable five goals in a 13-0 win over Thailand. Setting a record for both individual and team goals in a World Cup game.

Morgan once again finds herself in the USWNT squad at the ongoing World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Coming off the bench and registering an assist in their opening game against Vietnam.

Morgan is married to American soccer player Servando Carrasco and they have one daughter, Charlie Elena Carrasco. She is an outspoken vegan and is a part of Juan Mata’s Common Goal charity in which soccer players donate 1% of their wages to charity.

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