Alex Morgan

Who Is Alex Morgan?

Alex Morgan is a prominent American soccer player who became the youngest member of the U.S. women’s national soccer team in 2009. She was also the first overall pick in the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer draft. Morgan made a significant impact at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she helped the U.S. team secure a gold medal by defeating Japan. Despite facing injury challenges, she played a crucial role in leading the U.S. to victory at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In 2019, she tied for the most goals scored in the tournament, contributing to the U.S. team’s second consecutive World Cup triumph.

Early Life

Alexandra Patricia Morgan was born on July 2, 1989, in San Dimas, California. Although she excelled in multiple sports during her youth, she didn’t start playing organized soccer until she was 14. Morgan attended Diamond Bar High School, where she stood out as a talented player, earning a spot as a three-time all-league selection and being named an NSCAA All-American.

College Star at UC Berkeley

After high school, Morgan attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she played a pivotal role in leading the Golden Bears to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years, advancing to the second round twice. In 2008, she showcased her talent on the international stage by helping the U.S. team reach the championship of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against North Korea. This goal was not only named the “Goal of the Tournament” but also ranked as the second-best Goal of the Year by FIFA.

By the end of her Berkeley career in 2010, Morgan was tied for third on the school’s all-time scorers list with 45 goals and third in points with 107, despite missing several games in her senior year to play for the national team. She earned All-Pac-10 honors four times and received Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention three times.

Professional and International Stardom

In 2011, Morgan was the first overall pick in the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) draft, selected by the Western New York Flash. That same year, she represented the U.S. in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As the youngest player on the team, she made a memorable impact by scoring her first World Cup goal in the semifinals against France. The team reached the final, though they ultimately lost to Japan in a penalty shootout.

Following the suspension of WPS at the end of 2011, Morgan joined the Seattle Sounders Women in the USL W-League, alongside fellow national team stars like Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe. She later played for Portland Thorns FC and the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

2012 Olympic Gold Medalist

Morgan’s impressive performance continued in 2012 when she secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic women’s soccer team. At the London Summer Games, she won her first Olympic gold medal as part of a team that defeated Japan 2-1 in front of a record-breaking crowd of 80,300, marking the fourth Olympic title for the U.S. women’s soccer team.

2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympics

In 2015, despite battling a knee injury in the lead-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Morgan returned to the U.S. starting lineup and contributed to the team’s first World Cup victory since 1999. In the 2016 Olympics, Morgan continued to shine, scoring a critical game-tying goal against Sweden in the quarterfinals. However, the U.S. team was eliminated in a penalty shootout, marking their earliest Olympic exit in history.

2019 World Cup

As co-captain of the U.S. team during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Morgan set the tone by scoring a record-tying five goals in a 13-0 victory over Thailand in the opening match. She scored a crucial goal in the semifinals against England, celebrated with her famous “tea-sipping” gesture, and played a key role in the final, as the U.S. defeated the Netherlands 2-0 to secure their fourth World Cup title.

Wage Discrimination Lawsuit

In March 2016, Morgan and several of her teammates filed a complaint against U.S. Soccer, alleging wage discrimination based on inequities between the men’s and women’s national team salaries. The issue escalated in March 2019, when 28 members of the women’s national team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit. In May 2020, a federal judge ruled against the players on key aspects of their claims, including discrimination under the Equal Pay Act, leading the players to file an appeal.

‘The Kicks’ Books and Amazon Series

In 2012, Morgan signed a deal with Simon & Schuster to write a series of soccer-themed books for young readers. The first book, The Kicks: Saving the Team (2013), became a New York Times bestseller and was later adapted into a 10-episode series on Amazon in 2015. Morgan also released her memoir, Breakaway: Beyond the Goal, that same year.

Personal Life

Morgan married fellow professional soccer player Servando Carrasco on December 31, 2014. The couple met during their time at UC Berkeley. In October 2019, Morgan announced her pregnancy, and she gave birth to their daughter, Charlie Elena, on May 7, 2020.