Alex Morgan off USA Olympics women's soccer team as era ends
Alex Morgan off USA Olympics women's soccer team as era ends
ByJEFF KASSOUF
June 26, 2024, 12:09 PM
Alex Morgan has been left off the United States women's national team's 2024 Olympic roster, marking the team's first major tournament without the star forward since the 2008 Olympics, before she debuted for the team.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes named her 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, calling upon 10 players who participated in last year's World Cup.
Morgan, who turns 35 next week, is not among them.
Morgan's 224 caps and 123 goals are each the most among active U.S. players and rank ninth and fifth, respectively, in program history.
"I want everybody to be patient," Hayes said after the match. "There's a lot of young players on the pitch. They are learning, but they want to give everything for their shirt; they want to give everything for their country. Off the pitch, some make mistakes, some have to learn. My job as a coach is to help teach them and guide them.
"We want to create an environment that's tolerant, that's respectful, that's inclusive. But I want to make sure when our players come and play and they represent the national team, I want you to know that I will always make sure that I educate and do the right things in the background to make sure everybody adheres to that.
"But I want to make sure our players, when they come out and they play for us, they feel supported by all of us. That's for me, really, really important. Happy Pride. It's a good month."
Veteran forward Lynn Williams and goalkeeper Jane Campbell join uncapped midfielders Hal Hershfelt and Croix Bethune as the team's four alternates, who are not official Olympians unless they replace a player on the roster, but they will travel to France with the team.
The USWNT's Olympic roster will have two games together before departing for France: July 13 against Mexico and July 16 against Costa Rica.
The U.S. women open Olympic play on July 25 against Zambia, followed by group matches against Germany and Australia.
The USWNT has won a medal in all but one of the seven Olympics that have featured women's soccer, including four gold medals.
The Americans won three straight gold medals in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
They earned the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
2024 U.S. Olympic women's soccer team roster by position (Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (2): Casey Murphy ( North Carolina Courage; 19), Alyssa Naeher ( Chicago Red Stars; 104)
DEFENDERS (6): Tierna Davidson ( NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 49/1), Naomi Girma ( San Diego Wave FC; 32/0), Casey Krueger ( Washington Spirit; 49/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 9/2), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 91/2)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Korbin Albert ( Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 11/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 17/1), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 148/35), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 100/24), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 19/8)
FORWARDS (5): Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 147/25), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 38/7), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 14/7), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 48/19), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars; 92/34)
Alternates: Goalkeeper Jane Campbell, midfielder Hal Hershfelt, midfielder Croix Bethune and forward Lynn Williams.