Alex Morgan might not be on the U.S. women’s national team roster for the upcoming Olympics, but the veteran striker has had an indelible influence on the program.
A longtime linchpin of the U.S. squad’s offense with the most caps, goals and assists among active players, the 34-year-old Morgan was not selected on Wednesday to Emma Hayes’ roster that will compete at the Paris Games this summer.
GO DEEPER
Why Alex Morgan missed the USWNT Olympic roster
While Morgan’s shock omission signals a generational shift to a younger team — the average age of the forward pool on their Olympic roster is 24 — it’s unclear what the move means for Morgan’s long-term future and international career.
The two-time World Cup winner and 2012 Olympic gold medalist is responsible for many memorable goals and celebrations that have cemented her as a global soccer icon. We revisited some of her top moments in international competitions.
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1. Game-sealing header at 2012 Olympics vs. Canada
Morgan scored her most famous goal in an epic semifinal against Canada at the 2012 London Games.
A fiercely competitive game appeared certain to be heading for a penalty shootout as the clock ticked into the final 30 seconds of added time. The U.S. women had a final chance after Abby Wambach sent the ball to Heather O’Reilly, who fired in a cross from the wing to Morgan in the box.
Morgan headed the ball over the arm of Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod to clinch a 4-3 victory, raising her arms aloft as her teammates swamped her and Old Trafford erupted. Their passage to the final assured, the U.S. went on to defeat Japan 2-1 for their most recent Olympic gold.
2. Five-goal game vs. Thailand at 2019 WWC
While it’s technically not just one goal, Morgan’s five in the Unites States’ opening match against Thailand at the 2019 Women’s World Cup was a notable career highlight. It meant she tied the U.S. women’s single-game scoring record set by Michelle Akers against Chinese Taipei in the inaugural 1991 Women’s World Cup.
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It was an utterly dominant performance by Morgan and the USWNT and the final 13-0 scoreline was the record for the most goals scored by a team in a single Women’s World Cup match.
Morgan, who scored six goals and added three assists throughout the tournament, won the Silver Boot, while Megan Rapinoe (also six goals and three assists) won the Golden Boot as the U.S. women claimed their fourth World Cup trophy.
Alex Morgan's 5 goals against Thailand tied the single-game record at a FIFA World Cup. 👏👏👏
Watch them all again here 👀 pic.twitter.com/5vEbxwEwX1
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 12, 2019
3. The tea sip heard around the world
Morgan isn’t only known for her elite scoring abilities. She’s also made headlines for her celebrations, perhaps most prominently the “tea sip” against England at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
During the semifinal match, Morgan scored a header assisted by Lindsey Horan to give the USWNT a 2-1 lead — an advantage they never relinquished.
After scoring, Morgan — who was also celebrating her 30th birthday — ran toward the sideline with her arms outstretched, then stopped and put her fingers to her lips with her right pinky raised, as if sipping a cup of tea.
Alex Morgan scores her first goal since the opening game and retakes the lead in the Golden Boot race (6 goals, 3 assists)
She's the first player in #FIFAWWC history to score on her birthday 🎂 pic.twitter.com/EGWBNIyaxI
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2019
Not everyone appreciated the gesture. Some England supporters criticized Morgan, calling her behaviour disrespectful, but she defended it, calling the attacks a “double standard” for women’s and men’s athletes.
“I feel that there is some sort of double standard for females in sports, to feel like we have to be humble in our successes and have to celebrate, but not too much or in a limited fashion,” she said.
According to CNN, Morgan also said the celebration was partially a nod to British Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner, who often captioned her Instagram posts with the phrase, “And that’s the tea.”
4. Morgan’s first World Cup goal
Among Morgan’s myriad achievements, her longevity is arguably the most impressive.
A former USWNT co-captain, Morgan has clocked up a remarkable 224 international caps, stretching back to her debut in March 2010 in a friendly against Mexico, which the U.S. won 1-0. The first of her 123 international goals came months later in a friendly against China.
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Her first landmark moment, however, came at the 2011 World Cup in Germany. With the U.S. up 2-1 in the semifinal against France, and with just eight minutes remaining, Morgan received a Rapinoe pass, dribbling up the pitch with multiple defenders trailing her. She coolly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to seal the USWNT’s place in the final.
Morgan — then the team’s youngest player at 22 years old — also scored in the championship match, which the U.S. lost in penalties to Japan after a 2-2 draw in regulation.
We continue to count down the days until the FIFA Women's World Cup with more of its most memorable moments 🙌
No. 37: @alexmorgan13 scores her first FIFA Women's World Cup goal for the @USWNT 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HosFttkBK8
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 13, 2023
5. 2016 stoppage-time goal at SheBelieves
While this moment came with lower stakes, Morgan’s winning goal against France again underlined her taste for late heroics.
The SheBelieves Cup tie at Nissan Stadium in Nashville was tied at 0-0 in stoppage time when Mallory Swanson, nee Pugh, won possession. She fed the ball to Morgan, who ran up the field and fired in a shot from the edge of the box, despite falling over as she did so.
(Top photo: Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images)