This News is published at Girls Soccer Network
No matter what sport it is, a standout soccer player will always have higher expectations to aspire to than the rest. Not only do they have to play well on the pitch, but they also have to worry about how they conduct themselves and whether they’re a true role model to young boys and girls.
This week’s #WCW has been garnering attention in the media for a while now, and she’s handled herself with grace and class with life under a microscope. Alex Morgan is our superstar. As she’s entering the prime of her career at age 27, I think we’re all excited to see how the rest of her career plays out.
Alex Morgan was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to soccer. She didn’t start playing at the club level until she was 14. However, she received an opportunity to play for the Olympic Developmental Program, and it truly helped her develop into the player she is today. Morgan still had to overcome a lot before she even got to the pros. She suffered a torn ACL while playing for the U-20 USWNT and wasn’t able to return for a full year. Morgan would split time between the USWNT and the California Golden Bears who made the NCAA tournament a couple of times while she was there.
After being dubbed a star in the making, this idea would be solidified when the Western New York Flash selected her №1 overall in the 2011 WPS Draft. Morgan and a loaded Flash roster would win both the regular season and postseason title, but the league folded in 2012. She then spent a year with pretty much a dream team on the Seattle Sounders women’s team before joining the Portland Thorns in the NWSL.
Morgan solidified her superstar status by deciding to go abroad. She joined the best club team in the world, Lyon. Her time there was largely successful. She scored nine goals in 13 appearances in all competitions. Morgan was injured in the Champions League Final, but Lyon would still bring home the trophy.
Now, our superstar is finally returning home but with another new team. Morgan had been traded to the Orlando Pride for multiple draft picks, and now she’s going to be working alongside Marta. Let’s just say Orlando has a lot to be excited about right now. What’s great about Alex Morgan is she’s always going to carry herself the right way, and she understands her platform and impact on Americans.
Morgan will continue to make an impact on and off the field, and we’re happy to have her back in the NWSL.
