Alex Morgan's Chances of Making U.S. Olympic Squad Seem to Improve

The selection of former Cal standout Alex Morgan to be on the USWNT roster for the SheBelieves Cup may indicate she will be part of coaches' plans going forward

Does Alex Morgan’s inclusion on the U.S. Women’s National Team roster for the SheBelieves Cup suggest that the former Cal star is on course to be part of the U.S. team that plays in the Olympics this summer?

Morgan’s chances look a lot better than they did back on February 7, when she was initially left of the U.S. roster for the Concacaf Gold Cup. That made it appear that, at age 34, she was an outsider when it came to the Olympic roster. She was later inserted onto the roster for the Gold Cup to replace an injured player and ended up starting most of the games and scoring two goals.

And now she is one of the 23 players on the Americans’ SheBelieves roster, even though Mallory Swanson and Catarino Macario, who were left off the Gold Cup roster because of knee injuries, have been added to the U.S. roster for the SheBelieves Cup.

Whether Morgan is a starter in the SheBelieves Cup and how much she contributes in those two games will be a stronger indicator of her status for the Olympic games. But, at the moment, she appears likely to make the Olympic roster, providing the experience needed for the young American squad.

Morgan has scored 123 international goals, the eighth-most of any woman in history, the second-most of any active player and the most by an active American. That’s a nice resume to have on your side at a major international event, regardless of age.

Interim head coach Twila Kilgore and head coach Emma Hayes don’t have too many more opportunities to evaluate talent.  The U.S. will play only four more games after the SheBelieves Cup before it starts play in the Olympics on July 24 in Paris, and the coaches need to establish an Olympic roster to develop chemistry among the players. So Morgan being named to the SheBelieves roster suggests she is part of the plans going forward.

The fourth-ranked United State squad with face No. 7 Japan on April 6 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time in one SheBelieves Cup semifinal game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. No. 10 Brazil will face No. 9 Canada in the other semifinal game that follows that day at the same venue.

All four teams will then travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the April 9 championship and third-place games.

Morgan has begun play for the San Diego Wave in the National Women’s Soccer League. She failed to record a goal or an assist in last week’s season-opening, 2-1 loss to Kansas City, but Morgan provided an assist on Emily van Egmond’s goal in extra time in Friday night’s 1-0 victory over the Seattle Reign.

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