Alex Morgan Retires

On September 5th, Alex Morgan, one of the most iconic figures in professional women’s soccer, announced her retirement after playing for 15 years. Morgan felt fulfilled with what she had accomplished in her career, so after discovering she was pregnant with her second child, she decided to retire. Throughout her career, she inspired many young women athletes, particularly soccer players. 

Many players from the School’s women’s soccer team look up to Alex Morgan. Sabrine Sarandah, a junior on the team, states, “Alex Morgan was definitely an inspiration for me when I was growing up. I even dressed as her for Halloween once.” Similarly, Dakota Marble, a sophomore on the soccer team, recounts, “The time my team was able to watch Alex Morgan play was one of the best days of my life.”

When asked about Alex Morgan’s retirement, Lola Sundeen, a senior on the School’s women’s soccer team, says, “I remember watching Alex Morgan’s soccer movie and seeing her games on TV. I saw her as a role model. I think that with her age and especially her family it’s the right time for Alex Morgan to retire, but she will be missed a whole lot.” Likewise, Audrey Jayasekera, another senior on the soccer team, shares her opinion: “I think Alex Morgan had a good career full of accomplishments. The retirement is definitely sad, but it will be good for her.” 

Morgan earned many notable achievements and titles during her years playing soccer. She was the leading goal scorer on the Cal Golden Bears team from 2007-2010 (Cal Sports). Additionally, Morgan won the 2022 Golden Boot in the National Women’s Soccer League (USA Today). With Team USA, Morgan is a two-time World Cup champion and played an essential role on the team (US Soccer). Lastly, she played on Team USA in the Olympics twice, winning Gold in 2012 and Bronze in 2021 (Britannica).

Not only did Morgan inspire younger generations of soccer players, but she also played an important role in advocating for equality in women’s sports. In 2016, Morgan and some of her teammates filed a wage discrimination claim, eventually leading to a lawsuit against US Soccer in 2019 (New York Times). In 2022, the case was resolved, and the current players received settlement checks with US Soccer guaranteeing equal pay for both men’s and women’s teams. 

Overall, Alex Morgan had a profound, positive impact on and off the soccer field. Her retirement is bittersweet: she is moving on to a new and exciting chapter of her life, but her teammates and fans will deeply miss her. Fortunately, there are promising women’s soccer players who will be the next role models for future generations.