More than a decade in NWSL. 224 appearances with the U.S. women’s national team. A treble winner with Lyon. Two World Cup titles. An Olympic gold medal.
With several other accolades on and off the field, Alex Morgan’s soccer career ended after a symbolic 13 minutes in San Diego Wave’s 4-1 loss to North Carolina Courage on Sunday.
The emotions were clear on Morgan’s face in her final appearance. However, most of the time the one she chose to express was happiness. She savored the final national anthem — her daughter Charlie standing before her, Morgan with one hand on her shoulder and one over her heart — closing her eyes for most of it as if she could bottle up this one last time.
In the 10th minute, Morgan had one final shot to add to her goal tally with a penalty kick, but Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy saved the attempt. Even as her final look at goal didn’t go her way, with a diving Murphy preventing a perfect — if still sudden — ending, Morgan could only smile.
After all, one more goal wouldn’t change a legacy. It was just a moment on a sweltering San Diego evening. And then, all too soon, yet a moment over a decade in the making, Morgan unlaced her boots on the beaten grass of Snapdragon Stadium. There were hugs, the captain’s armband passed to…
