If there’s a cloud hanging over Emma Hayes, it’s because of the shockwaves of Alex Morgan’s Olympic snub. Despite having an Olympic gold and two World Cup titles, the legendary forward was left out of the USWNT Olympic roster. “I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” Morgan wrote. Coach Hayes preferred a young squad instead. And, unfortunately for Morgan, that seems to be how things will be going forward, too.

So, considering the 35-year-old’s absence isn’t a one-time thing and is likely permanent, many in the soccer world want Emma Hayes to give legends like Morgan one last game – the closure they all deserve after dedicating so much of their careers to the USWNT. During a Q&A session on The Late Sub podcast, a viewer asked host Claire Watkins if the USWNT should give a farewell to the likes of Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Kristen Press.

The staff writer at Just Women’s Sports said, “There’s this generation of the US National Team players who have continued to put themselves forward for US Women’s National Team selection and have not been part of the future plans of the team.” After Emma Hayes announced the squad for the Paris Olympics, she addressed the absence of veteran stars like Morgan and Lynn Williams.

“Having a balance between experience and less experience is one [challenge] I knew I’d be faced with. As I’ve mentioned publicly before, the cap accumulation down our roster is too low. We need to start giving exposure and experiences to players that might have been in and around,” the USWNT manager said. After all, younger players are the future of the team. Acknowledging this, Claire Watkins continued, “That’s understandable from a tactical standpoint, but you have these legends. You’ve got someone like Becky Sauerbrunn or Alex Morgan.”

“My opinion is that, yes, I think that any player that won a World Cup Championship or Olympic gold medal for the US women’s national team absolutely deserves a sendoff game if they want it.” For someone like Alex Morgan, who boasts an Olympic gold and was at the epicenter of the USWNT’s forward line when it lifted the FIFA World Cups in 2015 and 2019, you may think a sendoff match is important. But there’s also the question of whether she wants it.

As Claire Watkins explained on her podcast, some players have that competitiveness throughout their careers to try for the team, and if they don’t make it, they’re happy to leave the sport just like that. While Morgan may be one of those players, a sendoff match would likely mean more to everyone on the team who looks up to the veteran.

“[These legends] are really important for the players who stay and really important to the lineage of this team,” Watkins said. “I think those intangibles are really important as you continue the culture of the team. It’s not just what it means what it means for those players. It’s what it means for the players they’re leaving behind.” Let’s take the case of Trinity Rodman and the impression Tobin Heath has left on her.

In an interview with Vogue, Rodman revealed her sporting idols growing up. “I always touch on Tobin Heath because I feel, like, in her game, she shows a lot of creativity and spunk while also being explosive and fast. You can tell her mind is going a million miles per hour, but when she gets on the ball, everything slows down. It’s amazing to watch. She’s someone I’ve studied a lot.” 

Coming back to sendoff matches, Watkins concluded, “You have to maintain that culture of celebrating each other to even maintain a culture of excellence in footballing quality.” That said,  at this point, the future looks bleak for Alex Morgan in Emma Hayes’ USWNT.

Alex Morgan might struggle to be in Emma Hayes’ USWNT squad for the future

Emma Hayes has perfectly equipped a bunch of youngsters to face in battle in soccer. Players in all positions fired on full cylinders in Paris to help Team USA clinch the Olympic gold. Since the team has given results, Hayes will likely continue building this team. Not to mention, youngsters such as Jaedyn Shaw and Catarino Macario were out of the Olympics because of injuries. So, the British coach will likely prefer them over a veteran such as Alex Morgan.

The two-time World champion is still outside the USWNT and will have to compete for a roster spot in the coming months. When asked in 2023 if it would be her last World Cup, Alex Morgan chose not to comment. That means she would perhaps be eyeing the 2027 World Cup in the USA. However, after the success of the Olympic squad, Emma Hayes might just want to build on the chemistry that the USWNT seems to have found. There’s also what Alexi Lalas said about the Paris squad.

“This is in many ways the team that people wanted Vlatco to have in the summer of the 2023 World Cup. This is it,” Lalas said. “It is one thing to say that this is the natural progression. But no! There were plenty of people that said at that time ‘No.’ Whether it’s Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe, it’s not the right mix on and off the field, and this should have been done a year ago.”

A swan song during the World Cup is a match made in heaven. But only time will tell if the Wave star lasts enough to have such a glorious step-down. But anyhow, as the world thinks, it is paramount that coach Hayes mulls over giving a splendid farewell to the US team’s big names.