U.S. women’s national team manager Vlatko Andonovski has been busy. In the buildup to USWNT’s roster announcement for the Women’s World Cup last week, he made “a total of 39 calls” to let players know that they made the 23-player World Cup squad — or that they missed the cut.
Out of those 39 players, only one who consistently occupies the striker position for both club and country was named to the final squad: Alex Morgan.
Morgan is a true poaching goal-scorer. The 33-year-old makes slashing runs behind the opposing defense and regularly outmaneuvers center backs to find space to shoot inside the box. She can hold the ball and link play in midfield, but her runs and efficiency are what really set her apart as a “No. 9” up top.
With versatile forward Catarina Macario — another potential No. 9 — missing out on the World Cup squad as she recovers from an ACL injury, it was widely expected that Washington Spirit striker Ashley Hatch would make the World Cup team. Hatch has been Morgan’s back-up for the past year and a half — and yet, she was left off in favor of adding an extra player elsewhere on the field.
Without Hatch, who is going to give Morgan a breather during what could be a seven-game tournament over the course of 29 days for the USWNT?…
