When we think of Alex Morgan, we can’t skip thinking of Megan Rapinoe. The two were the faces of the USWNT’s second golden generation. From healthy comparisons to healthy competitions, the forward duo has dominated the US women’s soccer scene like no other. Now the golden era has met its end, as Morgan danced her last tonight, almost a year after Rapinoe’s retirement. Speaking of the aforementioned comparisons, there have been a few analyzing how the two players’ farewell games have panned out, considering both had their last dances at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

Megan Rapinoe, unlike Alex Morgan, has earned quite the infamy among conservative fans in the US for her political views. However, there wasn’t a speck of fan fury in Rapinoe’s game. Rather, a mammoth 34,130 fans to the stands. Meanwhile, 26, 516 fans attended Morgan’s last dance.

Here’s why Alex Morgan’s farewell game wasn’t a box office hit as Megan Rapinoe’s

. Short notice

Megan Rapinoe’s retirement has been the biggest storyline in women’s soccer in 2023. Earlier that year, she announced she would after the 2023 FIFA World Cup. She also mentioned that she would call quits on club soccer after that year’s NWSL ended. Fans got enough and more time to plan on watching Rapinoe’s last dance due to her prior announcement. Alex Morgan’s case, however, is different. She announced her retirement just three days back and she played her last game tonight. Given this short notice, it isn’t surprising that Morgan’s farewell match registered a thinner crowd.

. Weather

The current weather in San Diego is far from ideal. Most weather updates have it that the Californian city is having excessive heat. Surely, 91 degrees is not quite the time for fans to happily gather in a stadium and cheer on their favorite player Alex Morgan. Megan Rapinoe’s farewell game, on the other hand, was played in November last year, when the heat is usually subsided.

. Rapinoe’s farewell game wasn’t important just because she was retiring

Alex Morgan’s last pro soccer game is just a regular season game in the NWSL. And the Wave only has a bleak chance of progressing further in the current NWSL season. However, Megan Rapinoe’s last game- the OL Reign-Gotham FC tie was the 2023 NWSL championship game. Regardless of whether Rapinoe retiring or not, it is a given that any fan would want to watch the NWSL final. Rapinoe’s retirement fueled the fan sentiment and hence the sellout crowd at the Snapdragon.

While these factors distinguish the farewell games of the USWNT greats, there is a forgetful common factor in both. Rapinoe and Morgan both had to retire in a losing game. The former’s side lost the NWSL title 1-2 to Gotham FC. Morgan left the pitch in the 13th minute and later saw the Wave embarrassingly lose 1-4 to the North Carolina Courage.