United States striker Alex Morgan has been left out of Emma Hayes’ squad for the Paris Olympic Games next month, marking the end of an era. The 34-year-old has played for Team USA at every Olympics since Beijing 2008 and won gold at London 2012. Morgan has 224 caps and 123 goals for the national team, ranking her as the side’s ninth-most-capped player and fifth-highest scorer.
The two-time World Cup winner was the most notable absence from Hayes’ Olympic 18-player squad after recently recovering from an ankle injury. Morgan voiced her disappointment on social media but insisted she looks forward to supporting her team at the Games. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest. In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country.”
Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson make up Hayes’ attacking options in Paris. The former Chelsea boss was full of praise for the decorated Morgan but said she wanted to take the side in a different direction. “I’ve only had one opportunity to work with her in the last camp and I saw first-hand not just her qualities but her professionalism, and her record speaks for itself,” Hayes said. “It’s not easy making a decision when there are only 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers on a roster of 18, so it was a tough decision of course – especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team, but I felt I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”
“Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honour and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past 10 months,” Hayes added. Hayes was named as US coach last November and joined the national team after leading Chelsea to a fifth straight Women’s Super League title.
Her Olympic squad will face Mexico on July 13 and Costa Rica on July 16 before departing for France. They kick off their tournament 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. They won three straight gold medals in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
