Alex Morgan and the U.S. women’s national team have been synonymous with each other for the past 14 years. But Wednesday brought news of an abrupt, surprising end to the forward’s run of major tournaments with a team whose standards she helped maintain and whose status she largely elevated.
Morgan was left off USWNT head coach Emma Hayes’ 18-player Olympic roster and is not one of the four alternates who will travel to France. Instead, she will watch from afar for the first time since she earned her inaugural cap in March 2010 as the USWNT plays in a major tournament. The USWNT last played a major tournament without Morgan at the 2008 Olympics.
This is not the end that she would have imagined — and perhaps she still holds out hope that it isn’t the end altogether — but Wednesday’s news was a harsh reminder that few athletes get to walk away on their own terms.
“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” Morgan said in a statement on her social media accounts. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.”
What does Morgan’s omission mean for the USWNT at the Olympics — and beyond?
In a call with…
