Alex Morgan Plays Subtle Role in U.S. Win in Gold Cup Final
Former Cal standout Alex Morgan did not score the goal in the United States' 1-0 victory over Brazil in the Concacaf Gold Cup final on Sunday, but if you look closely you will notice the role she played in Lindsey Horan's goal.
When Emily Fox's long pass off a set piece was sent into the box, Morgan used positioning and an inconspicuous nudge to prevent Brazil defender Antonia from getting very far off the ground. That in turn allowed Horan to get above the crowd and head the ball into the goal in the first minute of stoppage time in the first half.
That turned out to the only goal scored in the game at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, giving the U.S. Women's national team its sixth straight victory over Brazil.
Morgan got some camera time in the second half when she was issued a yellow card for a foul in the 55th minute, then pushed a Brazil defender from behind seconds before being replaced in the 59th minute.
And she and her daughter did some postgame interviews:
But the larger issue is whether Morgan did enough to earn a spot on the U.S. roster for the Paris Olympics this summer. Obviously more evaluations will be made between now and the July 24 start of the soccer competition at the Olympics, but this event provided a starting point for assessments.
The questions about whether the 34-year-old Morgan would be on the Olympic team began when she was left off the roster for this Gold Cup event. She was added to the roster just hours before the opening game because Mia Fishel suffered a torn ACL during practice the day before the first game.
Morgan played as a substitute in the first game, then was in the starting lineup for five remaining game. She scored two goals, both in the group stage, and was instrumental in two U.S. goals in the 3-0 victory over Colombia. And she played a part in the Americans' goal on Sunday.
But she will turn 35 two weeks before the first Olympic soccer game this summer, and the U.S. seems to favoring a youth movement after the disappointing round-of-16 loss to Sweden on penalty kicks at the 2023 World Cup.\
On the other hand, Morgan has scored 123 international goals, the most of any active American player and the fifth-most by any U.S. player in history.
And there has to be a reason she was in the starting lineup for every knockout-round game in the Gold Cup.
Cover photo of Alex Morgan by Orlando Ramirez, USA TODAY Sports
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