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==Early life and collegiate career==
==Early life and collegiate career==
Morgan was born in Diamond Bar, California, the daughter of Pamela S. (née Jeske) and Michael T. Morgan.<ref>[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/celeb/morgan.htm Alex Morgan ancestry<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> She attended [[Diamond Bar High School]]. As a freshman at the [[University of California, Berkeley]], Morgan was the leading scorer for the Golden Bears with eight goals in 2007. Her last goal of her freshman season came against [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford]] in the second round of the 2007 [[NCAA]] Tournament, tying the game at 1–1 with less than two minutes left in regulation time and forcing the Cardinal into overtime and then to [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty kicks]]. However, [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford]] prevailed, and went on to the third round of the tournament.<ref>[http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/recaps/111807aaa.html No. 11 Cal Loses PK Shootout to No. 2 Stanford in 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament], Cal Athletics, November 18, 2007.</ref>
Morgan was born in Everett, Washington, the daughter of Pamela S. (née Jeske) and Michael T. Morgan.<ref>[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/celeb/morgan.htm Alex Morgan ancestry<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> She attended [[Eastside Preparatory School]]. As a freshman at the [[University of California, Berkeley]], Morgan was the leading scorer for the Golden Bears with eight goals in 2007. Her last goal of her freshman season came against [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford]] in the second round of the 2007 [[NCAA]] Tournament, tying the game at 1–1 with less than two minutes left in regulation time and forcing the Cardinal into overtime and then to [[Penalty shootout (association football)|penalty kicks]]. However, [[Stanford Cardinal|Stanford]] prevailed, and went on to the third round of the tournament.<ref>[http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/recaps/111807aaa.html No. 11 Cal Loses PK Shootout to No. 2 Stanford in 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament], Cal Athletics, November 18, 2007.</ref>


Morgan continued to lead the Golden Bears' scoring during her sophomore season with nine goals in 2008, despite being out for part of the season due to national team commitments.<ref>[http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/102608aaj.html Jesolva and Morgan Compete with U20 National Team], Cal Athletics, October 26, 2008.</ref> The Golden Bears bowed out of the first round of the 2008 [[NCAA]] Tournament while Morgan was playing at the [[2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup]].
Morgan continued to lead the Golden Bears' scoring during her sophomore season with nine goals in 2008, despite being out for part of the season due to national team commitments.<ref>[http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/102608aaj.html Jesolva and Morgan Compete with U20 National Team], Cal Athletics, October 26, 2008.</ref> The Golden Bears bowed out of the first round of the 2008 [[NCAA]] Tournament while Morgan was playing at the [[2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup]].

Revision as of 06:18, 29 September 2012

Alex Morgan
Morgan with USA women's team in 2012
Personal information
Full name Alexandra Patricia Morgan
Date of birth (1989-05-14) May 14, 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth Everett, Washington, United States
Height 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)
Position(s) Forward/Striker
Team information
Current team
 Seattle Sounders Women
Number 13
Youth career
Cypress Elite
2004-2007 Diamond Bar High School
2007–2010 California Golden Bears
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 West Coast FC 2 (2)
2010 California Storm 3 (5)
2010 Pali Blues 3 (1)
2011 Western New York Flash 13 (4)
2012– Seattle Sounders Women 3 (2)
International career‡
2008 United States U20 10 (5)
2010– United States 51 (34)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team competition
FIFA Women's World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2011 Germany Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 9, 2012
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 16, 2012

Alexandra Patricia "Alex" Morgan (born July 2, 1989) is an American soccer player and Olympic Gold medalist. She is a forward for Seattle Sounders Women and member of the US Women's National Team. Morgan was the youngest player on the USA's roster at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the 2012 London Olympics, her game-winning goal against Canada was Morgan's team-high 20th in 2012, becoming only the sixth and youngest U.S. player to do so in a single year.

Early life and collegiate career

Morgan was born in Everett, Washington, the daughter of Pamela S. (née Jeske) and Michael T. Morgan.[1] She attended Eastside Preparatory School. As a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, Morgan was the leading scorer for the Golden Bears with eight goals in 2007. Her last goal of her freshman season came against Stanford in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, tying the game at 1–1 with less than two minutes left in regulation time and forcing the Cardinal into overtime and then to penalty kicks. However, Stanford prevailed, and went on to the third round of the tournament.[2]

Morgan continued to lead the Golden Bears' scoring during her sophomore season with nine goals in 2008, despite being out for part of the season due to national team commitments.[3] The Golden Bears bowed out of the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament while Morgan was playing at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

At the beginning of the 2009 NCAA season, Morgan was named a candidate for the Hermann Trophy Watch List,[4] the first Golden Bear to be considered in this category since Laura Schott in 2001. She scored fourteen goals and eight assists during the Bears' 2009 season.[5]

As a senior, Morgan played in only 12 games for the Bears due to her continued call up with the U.S. National Team. Despite her limited time with Cal in 2010, she still led the Bears in goals (14) and points (30) and was first in the nation for the majority of the season in goal scoring. Morgan became the first California player to ever be named one of the top-three Hermann Trophy finalists. She was also one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award, given to the best overall candidate in each sport.[6]

Morgan is third all-time in goals scored (45) for the Golden Bears.[7] She graduated from UC Berkeley one semester early, with a degree in Political Economy.

Club career

Western New York Flash

On January 14, 2011, Morgan was drafted number one overall in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash.[8] She was the first California Golden Bears women's soccer player to be drafted in the first round of Women's Professional Soccer. The club went on to win the regular season title and the WPS Championship title in 2011.[9]

International career

Due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury that slowed her progress in 2007, Morgan was not called up to train with the United States under-20 women's national soccer team until April 2008.[10] Her first appearance for the U-20s came at the 2008 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico, where she scored her first international goal against Cuba.[11]

Morgan was named to the United States U-20 women's national team that competed in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, scoring a total of four goals in the tournament against France, Argentina and North Korea. Morgan's fourth goal of the tournament was a match-winner that gave the U.S. a gold medal, which subsequently voted the best goal of the tournament,[12] and later FIFA's second-best goal of the year.[13] Morgan's performance on the field earned her the Bronze Shoe as the tournament's third-highest scorer and the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player behind teammate Sydney Leroux.[14]

She has been capped by the senior national team, first appearing as a substitute in a match versus Mexico in March 2010,[15] and scored her first international goal after coming on as a substitute against China, which salvaged a 1-1 draw in October 2010. Her most important goal to date came a month later in a crucial road game against Italy. She scored in the fourth minute of added time to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Italy in the first leg of a playoff to qualify for the final spot for the Women's World Cup.[16]

Morgan was on the national team that placed second in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was the youngest player on the U.S. roster. On July 13, 2011, she scored her first FIFA Women's World Cup goal in the 82nd minute of the semi-final matchup against France, giving the USA a 3–1 lead and ultimately, the victory. She scored the first goal (69') in the FIFA World Cup Final against Japan after coming on as a substitute at the half, as well as assisting on the Abby Wambach header (104') for a goal in extra time.

Morgan scored 14 goals in a 12-game stretch from January to late May 2012, including three straight two-goal efforts. She earned her first career hat-trick on March 7, 2012, during a 4-0 victory against Sweden in the third-place game of the Algarve Cup. In June 2012, she was nominated for an ESPY Award as the Best Breakthrough Athlete.[17] Her game-winning goal against Canada was Morgan's third of the Olympics and her team-high 20th in 2012, becoming only the sixth and youngest U.S. player to do so in a single year.[18][19]

2012 London Olympics

Morgan was selected for the United States squad for the 2012 Olympics.

In the group stage, in which the United States won all three matches, Morgan scored two goals against France,[20] assisted on a Megan Rapinoe goal against Colombia[21] and assisted on Abby Wambach's goal against North Korea.[22]

In the knockout stage, Morgan again provided the assist for Wambach's opening goal in a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the quarterfinals.[23]

Morgan scored the winning goal in the semifinal match against Canada in extra time, sending the United States to the gold medal match against Japan. Her goal came in the 123rd minute, the latest goal ever scored by a member of the U.S. women's team.[24] In the Final, a 2-1 win against Japan on August 9, Morgan assisted on a Carli Lloyd header.[25] She ended the tournament with 3 goals and a team-high four assists (tied with Megan Rapinoe).[26] To celebrate her achievements, she was honored at her previous high school, Diamond Bar High School, and #13 was retired.

International goals

Other work

Morgan has signed with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing to pen "The Kicks," a three-book series for middle schoolers.[27] The main characters will be four young girls centered on the themes of friendship, leadership and, soccer. In a statement released by Simon & Schuster, Morgan said she wanted her books to "inspire young girls" and "celebrate" her love of soccer. On September 1, 2012, the publisher set the release date for the first novel, "Saving The Team," on May 14, 2013.[28]

Personal life

She met her boyfriend Servando Carrasco, a defensive midfielder for the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer, during her first year at University of California at Berkeley.[29] Morgan appeared in the 2012 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, appearing in a section of athletes in body paint.[30] She has expressed her support for Seattle Sounders FC and FC Barcelona.[31] Morgan was given the nickname "Baby Horse" by her teammates on the U.S. women's national team.[32]

Honors

Club

Western New York Flash

International

Individual

See also

References

  1. ^ Alex Morgan ancestry
  2. ^ No. 11 Cal Loses PK Shootout to No. 2 Stanford in 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament, Cal Athletics, November 18, 2007.
  3. ^ Jesolva and Morgan Compete with U20 National Team, Cal Athletics, October 26, 2008.
  4. ^ Nogueira, Cheney Lead 2009 Women’s Hermann Trophy Watch List, National Soccer Coaches Association of America
  5. ^ This Week in Pac-10 Women's Soccer[dead link], Pac-10.org, November 24, 2009.
  6. ^ "Alex Morgan Profile". Calbears.com. 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  7. ^ "Senior Q&A With Alex Morgan". Cal Athletics. November 2, 2010.
  8. ^ "Alex Morgan Selected First in WPS Draft". California Golden Bears. University of California, Berkeley. January 14, 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Flash defeats Philly for the title". ESPN. August 27, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  10. ^ Q&A with U.S. Under-20 Star Alex Morgan, Cal Athletics, July 11, 2008.
  11. ^ U.S. Under-20 Women Hand Cuba 9–0 Defeat In FIFA U-20 World Cup Qualifying Action, United States Soccer Federation, June 20, 2008.
  12. ^ FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Chile 2008 Goal of the Tournament, FIFA.com.
  13. ^ 2008 Goal of the Year declared, FIFA.com, January 20, 2009.
  14. ^ Morgan and Leroux, blazing a trail, FIFA.com, December 8, 2008.
  15. ^ WINTER GAMES U.S women overcome Mexico in snow, 1–0[dead link], Big Apple Soccer, March 31, 2010.
  16. ^ U.S. women shut out Italy, 1–0, and near World Cup qualification, Los Angeles Times, November 20, 2010.
  17. ^ "2012 ESPYs Nominees". ESPN. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  18. ^ Jenna Pel (2012-08-07). "Alex Morgan USWNT's lucky No. 13 comes to the rescue again". Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  19. ^ Grant Wahl (2012-08-06). "Morgan's game-winner caps off thrilling U.S. victory over Canada". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  20. ^ Carlisle, Jeff (July 25, 2012). "Grades: United States versus France". ESPN.com.
  21. ^ "Rapinoe scores, US defeats Colombia". FoxSports.com. July 28, 2012.
  22. ^ "Abby Wambach Goal Gives U.S. Women's National Team a 1-0 Victory Against Korea DPR and Group G Title at 2012 Olympics". USSoccer.com. July 31, 2012.
  23. ^ White, Joseph (August 4, 2012). "U.S. women defeat New Zealand 2-0, advance to semifinal". Associated Press.
  24. ^ Roenigk, Alyssa (August 7, 2012). "Alex Morgan makes most of moment". ESPN.com.
  25. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/olympics/us-womens-soccer-wins-gold-japan-rematch/story?id=16971710#.UCQio46ysyE
  26. ^ Official USsoccer.com Match Reports (6 match reports - calculated 4 assists not 5)
  27. ^ "Soccer star Alex Morgan has book deal". Wall Street Journal. August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  28. ^ "official publisher page for Alex Morgan". Simon & Schuster. September 1, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  29. ^ Sunde, Scott (July 18, 2011). "Alex MorgĀan gets proposals, but a Sounder has her heart". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  30. ^ "Alex Morgan - Body Paint - 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition - SI.com". CNN.
  31. ^ American women’s soccer star Alex Morgan declares support for Barça|FC Barcelona
  32. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/soccer/story/2012-08-07/alex-morgan-chases-olympic-gold-in-london/56848488/1

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