Emotional Alex Morgan exits final game early in San Diego
Forward Alex Morgan played a symbolic 13 minutes and had a penalty kick saved on Sunday for San Diego Wave FC in her final match as a professional -- a 4-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage.
Morgan, a two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, announced Thursday that the Wave's NWSL home game at Snapdragon Stadium against the Courage would be the last of her nearly 14-year career at the international and professional level.
On Sunday, the 35-year-old was denied a dream exit by North Carolina Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy, one of Morgan's teammates with the United States national team in recent years. Morgan stepped up to the spot after the Wave earned a penalty in the 10th minute, but her left-footed effort was saved by Murphy.
San Diego scored an equalizer three minutes later, and Morgan began leaving the field with just over 13 minutes on the clock, a nod to the No. 13 that she famously wore for club and country over the past decade-plus.
She removed her cleats at midfield and tearfully waved and blew kisses to the crowd -- with fans chanting her name -- as players from both teams surrounded her and applauded. She was replaced by forward Amirah Ali.
"What a ride it's been. I want to thank my teammates. You have constantly challenged me every day and made me better," Morgan said after the match. "I want to thank my family who have relentlessly supported me, sacrificed so much for me. I love you guys -- all 95 of you who are here tonight. And the fans. You pushed me to be my best self every day. You pushed me to be the best soccer player, to be the best mom, to be the best person I could be.
"There have been so many incredible moments in my career, but this one, this last moment I share on the field with you, I will cherish forever. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
In a first for a women's sporting event, the game was shown across multiple outlets, including the ESPN networks, simultaneously in the U.S. The Sunday evening game was initially slated to air on NWSL+ and Paramount+.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman talked on the broadcast about Morgan's impact on the league and the women's game, saying Morgan's presence was felt both on and off the field.
"It's a choice to do what she does off the field, and I think that's the thing that's made her beyond reproach and actually the true GOAT," Berman said of Morgan's role in the growth of NWSL and a newly signed CBA for the players. "But of course, on the field, she's broken all records, all barriers, and she really walks the walk and is able to really show up off the field because she does the work on the field. I think that's the thing that she has done really at every step of her career. She's been an inspiration."
Morgan's sendoff match drew 26,516 in the nearly 100-degree heat at the 32,000-seat home of the Wave, with Berman adding that many of those tickets went in one big chunk when fans heard the U.S. star was retiring.
"Coming into this league, she was the one who really used her platform to call to action the changes that needed to happen for this league that is now manifested a world where we have 28,000 people here cheering for her and her team," Berman said. "12,000 tickets were sold in one day when she announced that this was going to be her last game.
"That's the power of Alex Morgan."
Morgan said Friday that she would play "limited" minutes on Sunday. On Thursday, she announced that in addition to her retirement she is pregnant with her second child.
"I did everything I ever wanted to do and more, and with this decision, I feel so at peace because I am ready to start a family, I am ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight," Morgan told reporters after Sunday's game. "I'm ready, and it's a good feeling when you finally come to that."
The USWNT veteran was on the teams that won the 2015 and 2019 World Cups and an Olympic gold medal in 2012, as well as a bronze medal in 2021. She scored 123 goals for the USWNT, fifth most in program history and is one of only seven players to score 100 or more.
Morgan played in four World Cups, including her breakout at the 2011 edition, when the USWNT lost the final to Japan in a penalty shootout.
Domestically, Morgan won the inaugural NWSL title with the Portland Thorns in 2013. She also won a professional title in her rookie season in 2011, with the Western New York Flash in Women's Professional Soccer, the NWSL's predecessor.
Morgan won the NWSL Golden Boot in 2022, scoring 15 goals in 17 games while helping the Wave become the first NWSL expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in its first season. Last year, the Wave won the NWSL Shield as the best team of the NWSL regular season.
She played in 150 NWSL games, 63 of which were for San Diego. In 2017, Morgan joined Lyon on a short-term deal and won a treble, including the UEFA Champions League.
Morgan wore the captain's armband for San Diego on Sunday.
Her daughter, 4-year-old Charlie, was her mascot for the walkout and national anthem. Charlie wore a Wave jersey with "MOM 13" on the back. Morgan said she expected about 80 family and friends to attend Sunday's match, most of whom joined her on the field before the match.
"It's sad to see her go," Wave interim coach Landon Donovan said. "I don't think there will ever be another one like her."