Moments ago, the USWNT played their CONCACAF W Gold Cup quarterfinal match against Colombia. Thankfully, the ladies managed to clinch a 3-0 victory to book their place in the semifinals. While the majority of the fanbase is celebrating their emphatic win, Alex Morgan has taken the negative limelight, as she is getting trolled for missing an open goal similar to Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
The San Diego Waves forward even failed to get her name on the scoresheet. But more than firing blank, Morgan is being questioned for missing an easy goal. In the 68th minute, Sam Coffey delivered a free kick on the right side of the penalty box, with Lindsey Horan heading the ball near the goal line. Morgan soared through the air, extending her right leg in an attempt to tap the ball into the net, while Midge Pruce dashed towards the goal. However, the ball sailed just above the crossbar, narrowly missing its mark.
¡NO SE PUEDE CREER!
¡LO QUE FALLÓ ALEX MORGAN!
¡INCREÍBLE ERROR!#ESPNenStarPlus pic.twitter.com/vgu8DIIKGc
— Futbol Picante (@futpicante) March 4, 2024
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Interestingly, this open-goal miss mirrors Erling Haaland’s performance in last night’s Manchester derby, which City ultimately won 3-1 thanks to Foden’s brace and the Norwegian star’s late goal. This miss has drawn criticism towards Morgan, drawing comparisons to Haaland.
Morgan seems to have joined Haaland’s misfiring party, as the 34YO has turned into a laughing stock among fans.
Alex Morgan just did a Haaland 😂😂😂❤️🔥 what a miss #WGoldCup
— Global Icon 🌎💫❤️🔥 (@NaaBardina) March 4, 2024
Both seem to have written their names in the history books with this miss.
Erling Haaland Alex Morgan
🤝
Miss of the century— Arsenine (@Arsenine_) March 4, 2024
This netizen reckons that the miss was harder than scoring the goal.
Alex Morgan was watching Erling Haaland today. It was easier to score than miss there 😬
— sports-induced pain enthusiast (@kudzim88) March 4, 2024
Lightning really struck twice, as both Morgan and Haaland missed similar chances.
Alex Morgan, Erling Haaland, and missing the easiest open net ever.
Who knew lightning could strike the same way twice…
— Mewt (@therealmewt1987) March 4, 2024
Morgan x Haaland: a good duo!
Alex Morgan vs 6’5” 200 lb Erling Haaland would be a very even matchup
— Dusty Wyatt Chandler (@brnr_account859) May 18, 2023
Notably, had Morgan managed to score, the USA would have secured a 4-0 victory. Nonetheless, first-half goals, including Lindsey Horan’s penalty and easy strikes from Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw, helped Twila Kilgore’s side successfully bounce back from their 0-2 loss against Mexico in the final group stage match. Perhaps she is aware that things aren’t the same as they were in CONCACAF 14 years ago.
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Alex Morgan opens up on CONCACAF’s decade-long transition
After the loss against Mexico, Alex Morgan shed light on how competitive the CONCACAF has become. While acknowledging that her side didn’t play at their best, she agreed that there are still a lot of areas to improve. “CONCACAF is not what it was 14 years ago when we had our last loss against Mexico,” she said in the post-match interview.
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Morgan emphasized the global push to enhance the standard of women’s soccer, citing Mexico as a prime example of this progress. Although the loss was a mere setback, the USWNT is back to winning ways after their win against Colombia. Yet, they must maintain their momentum in the semifinals. Otherwise, it would pose a significant challenge for them.