“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” wrote Alex Morgan on X after Emma Hayes announced her 18-player roster for Paris, leaving her out. Despite being the leading active USWNT goal scorer (123) and fifth on the all-time list, Morgan’s exclusion wasn’t taken lightly. Hayes’ defense? “I felt wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”

The other direction in question was choosing a predominantly younger roster of players who, according to the coach, could “could play more than one position”. Captain Lindsey Horan, 30, replaced the 35-year-old to be the team’s most experienced player. The former Chelsea FC coach picked only three outfield players aged 30 or over; a slightly unusual decision.

But Morgan has since moved on from the heartbreak, as confirmed by USMNT legend Landon Donovan. Talking about the snub, the NWSL team’s newly appointed interim head coach applauded her, saying, “She’s been a great leader. It’s easy in those moments to go inside yourself and say, ‘Oh, I’m not scoring, or I didn’t make the Olympics,’ and she’s been the opposite,” Donovan stated according to the Athletic.

Notably, the San Diego Wave FC-North Carolina Courage match will be Morgan’s last time on the pitch. On September 5, she announced her second pregnancy with husband Servando Carrasco, while revealing the heartbreaking retirement news. This marks the end of an illustrious 15-year-old where the player was influential not just on the field but off of it too! She was one of the five players to file a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination in 2016.

Six years of complaints and three years of litigations later, the USWNT reached a $24 million settlement, agreeing on equal pay. “I would like to be remembered for fighting for gender equality,” she had said last year. But we can guarantee you, fans are going to remember her for far more than that!

In Donovan’s own words: “She’s selfless. If you watch the game the other night, her running and chasing and pressing, her helping her teammates out when she’s on the bench. Off the field, she’s happy for her teammates. When her teammates score and she’s on the field, she’s celebrating genuinely.” 

Having said that, Hayes’ decision worked in USWNT’s favor as she led them to their fifth Olympic gold in just 10 games. In hindsight, Morgan’s failure to score for San Diego in 12 games since May might have worked against her—especially after she was Wave’s leading goal-scorer in 2023 with seven goals in 19 games.

But nevertheless, the veteran is still a favorite among her teammates!

Landon Donovan’s opinion is an echo of Alex Morgan’s teammates

It’s a persistent fight when you’re competing at a higher level, and Alex Morgan will be proud of battling till the end. Although she was not scoring goals, her optimistic intention to attack was visible. But more importantly, Morgan’s attitude of taking along her team and teammates never ceases to disappear.

While she missed the flight to Paris, the former Orlando Pride forward was reported to have encouraged Jaedyn Shaw, her partner in Wave’s attack, about the event. Current USWNT captain Lindsey Horan also attested how she “made the game better for so many little ones” who counted on her.

Morgan has 124 goals for the Stars and Stripes and numerous trophies. Citing her will to go the extra mile, even former USMNT icons like Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, and Ali Krieger also thanked her for her amazing career. And as she plays her last game against Courage tomorrow, Donovan wants her to finish off well and end on a scoring streak. Will Morgan score tomorrow? Let us know in the comments.