Background and career
Alexandra Morgan Carrasco (born Alexandra Patricia Morgan; July 2, 1989) is an American former professional soccer player. She played in four editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup with the United States national team, winning in 2015 and 2019, and finishing second in 2011. She co-captained the national team with Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe from 2018 to 2020, and with Lindsey Horan in 2023. In 2012, Morgan and the U.S. team won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics, and Morgan registered 28 goals and 21 assists, becoming the second American woman after Mia Hamm to register 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. She was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year for 2012 and was a FIFA World Player of the Year finalist. Morgan was ranked by Time as the top-paid American female soccer player in 2015, largely due to her numerous endorsement deals. At the professional level, Morgan was drafted number one overall in the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer Draft by the Western New York Flash. After helping the Flash win the league championship, she joined Portland Thorns FC in the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League. Morgan and the Thorns won the 2013 league championship before she was traded to Orlando Pride. In 2017, she signed with the French club Lyon, where she won the continental European treble, including the UEFA Women's Champions League. While playing for San Diego Wave FC in 2022, Morgan received the NWSL Golden Boot as the league's top scorer, and helped the team win the NWSL Shield the following season. Off the field, Morgan teamed with Simon & Schuster to write The Kicks, a children's book series about four soccer players. The first book in the series, Saving the Team, debuted at number seven on The New York Times Best Seller list in May 2013. A film starring Morgan, Alex & Me, was released in 2018. Morgan was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2019 and 2022. She retired from soccer in 2024.
Morgan was born to Pamela and Michael Morgan on July 2, 1989, in San Dimas, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. She was raised with her two older sisters, Jennifer and Jeri, in nearby Diamond Bar. She played multiple sports growing up and began playing soccer at an early age with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). Her father was one of her first coaches. She began playing club soccer at age 14 when she joined Cypress Elite. With Cypress, she won the Coast Soccer League (CSL) under-16 championship and placed third at the under-19 level. Morgan played soccer at Diamond Bar High School, where she was known for her speed and sprinting ability. She was a three-time all-league pick and was named All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). She also played for Olympic Development Program (ODP) regional and state teams. She said ODP was crucial to her development as a player, due to her late entry into club soccer.
Morgan attended University of California, Berkeley, where she played for the California Golden Bears from 2007 to 2010. She led the Golden Bears in scoring during her first and fourth seasons. During a match against Stanford in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, Morgan scored an equalizer with less than two minutes left in regulation time, resulting in a 1–1 draw. The Golden Bears were ultimately defeated during a penalty shootout. Morgan helped the Golden Bears reach the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, advancing to the second round twice. In her junior year, she was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy and the Honda Sports Award. Morgan finished her college career ranked third all-time in goals scored (45) and points (106) for Berkeley. She graduated one semester early, with a degree in Political Economy.
On January 14, 2011, Morgan was the first overall pick in the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer Draft by the Western New York Flash. She scored her first goal for the Flash during their 3–0 win over the Atlanta Beat on May 1, 2011. During the 2011 season, she played in 14 matches and scored four goals. The club won the regular season title and the 2011 WPS Championship title.
After the WPS suspended operations in early 2012 due to legal and financial difficulties, Morgan joined her national teammates Hope Solo, Sydney Leroux, Megan Rapinoe and Stephanie Cox on the Seattle Sounders Women for the 2012 season. Morgan said she was excited to play in Seattle because of its passionate soccer fans. Due to her national team commitments and preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Morgan made only three regular-season appearances for the club, scoring two goals and serving two assists. During the season, the Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500-capacity Starfire Stadium. Average attendance during the 2012 season for the Sounders Women was four times higher than that of the next closest team.
In January 2013, Morgan joined Portland Thorns FC for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League via the NWSL Player Allocation. She scored her first goal for the Thorns on April 21 as they achieved a 2–1 victory over Seattle Reign FC. With a total of eight goals and five assists during the regular season, Morgan was the team's joint scoring leader with Christine Sinclair. The Thorns finished third in the league during the regular season, then captured the championship title by defeating Western New York Flash 2–0, with Morgan assisting on the second goal. Morgan was named to the NWSL Second XI on August 28. During the 2014 season, Morgan scored six goals in her 15 appearances for the Thorns. The club again finished third during the regular season, but was eliminated during the playoffs. During the 2015 season, Morgan made only four appearances for the Thorns due to her national team commitments at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She scored one goal during a 3–3 draw against the Washington Spirit on August 31. The Thorns finished in sixth place during the regular season with a 6–9–5 record.
