Ex-Cal Star Alex Morgan Named to U.S. Squad for Women's World Cup
Former Cal star Alex Morgan was named to the United States World Cup squad for the fourth time on Wednesday, when head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced the 23-player roster for this summer’s Women’s World Cup, which begins July 20 in New Zealand and Australia.
The players were introduced in a social media post that included President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne and Megan Thee Stallion. Swift announced that Morgan was named to the U.S. roster.
"I am as excited as I was for my first World Cup,” Morgan said, according to ESPN, referring to her participation in the 2011 Women’s World Cup. “I am hoping to make the biggest impact for this team on and off the field. I want to show younger players who have not been in a major tournament what to expect. I have already talked to some of the other experienced players [like Rapinoe] about how to rally these players and how we can all come together and be incredibly fluid as we go through this World Cup."
Megan Rapinoe was also named to the U.S. World Cup squad for a fourth time, and she is the oldest player on the roster at 37. She will turn 38 on July 5.
Morgan will turn 34 on July 2, and she will be bidding for her third gold medal in Women’s World Cup play, as the United States has won the past two World Cup titles, in 2015 and 2019. She won the Silver Boot in the 2019 World Cup, tying teammate Rapinoe for the most goals with six.
She has 206 caps for U.S. national team and her 121 goals for the American squad ranks fifth alltime.
Morgan has had a resurgence or sorts. It seemed she might be on the way out when her playing time declined during the 2020 Olympics (which were contest in July and August of 2021). But that may have been a product of her layoff from competitive soccer during her pregnancy and birth of her daughter, who was born in May 2020.
She led the National Women’s Soccer League in goals scored last year with 15, and she had five goals in 10 games this season for the San Diego Waves.
Morgan played at Cal from 2007 through 2010, leading the team in scoring all four years and helping the Bears reach the NCAA tournament each season as well.
The U.S. 23-player roster:
Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury, Casey Murphy, Alyssa Maeher
Defenders: Alana Cook, Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Sofia Huerta, Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett
Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo, Julie Ertz, Lindsay Horan, Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan
Forwards: Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams
Cover photo of Alex Morgan by Dennis Schneidler, USA TODAY Sports
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