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Alex Morgan’s Experience Helps U.S. Top Japan in SheBelieves Cup
Former Cal standout Alex Morgan was part of the starting 11 for the U.S. Women's National Team, which advances to Tuesday's title game
The experience of former Cal standout Alex Morgan played a subtle but important role in the United States’ 2-1 victory over seventh-ranked Japan in the semifinals of SheBelieves Cup on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
The Americans will face Brazil or Canada on Tuesday evening in Columbus, Ohio, in the championship game of the SheBelieves Cup.
Morgan was a starter Saturday and did not score in the match played before a crowd of more than 50,000 at Mercedez-Benz Stadium. However, her years of experience in international soccer play helped keep the U.S. Women’s National Team on an even keel after Japan scored a goal just 30 seconds into the game. That could have been a debilitating shock for the young American team, but the U.S. squad kept its poise and slowly began dominating the proceedings.
Morgan had an opportunity to tie the score in the 20th minute when a ball came to her a few meters from the goal on the left side. But she was unable to make good contact on the high-bouncing ball and her left-footed shot went high and wide.
“That one should have been in the back of the net,” TV commentator Julie Foudy said at the time.
But one minute later Jaedyn Shaw tied the game 1-1 with a powerful, accurate shot from just outside the box that did find the back of the net.
Morgan remained in the game to start the second half, and after Sophia Smith drew a Japan foul inside the penalty box, Lindsey Horan converted the penalty kick to give te U.S. a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute.
Morgan came out of the game one minute later, and one of the substitutes who entered the game was Korbin Albert, the focus of controversy the past several days.
U.S. interim manager Twila Kilgore said on Friday that Albert would be available to play Saturday despite backlash from fans and teammates over her social media activity.
Albert had shared video from a Christian sermon with someone expressing shame about being gay and "feeling transgender." Also Albert reportedly "liked" a post that appeared to celebrate Megan Rapinoe's Achilles injury suffered in a November 2023 game, which was Rapinoe's final game before retiring.
On Thursday, Morgan and Horan represented the USWNT in responding to Albert's action's. (See video below)
Kilgore is the U.S. interim head coach through Tuesday's match, at which point
Emma Hayes will become the Americans' head coach. Hayes will make her coaching debut with the U.S. women's teams in two friendlies against South Korea in June.
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