Growing up a multisport athlete, Morgan began playing soccer competitively at the age of 14. Within three years, while in high school, she was called up to the U-17 women’s national team and began attending the University of California, Berkeley, shortly after. She was the team’s leading scorer at Cal, ending her collegiate career third on the school’s all-time list in both goals and points. While at Berkeley she joined the U-20 women’s national team and was a member of the squad that competed at the 2008 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile, where she scored a game-winning goal against North Korea that was voted best goal of the tournament and second-best goal of the year by FIFA.
At a glance: Alex Morgan
Birthplace: Diamond Bar, Calif.
College: University of California, Berkeley
Degree: Political economy
Growing up a multisport athlete, Morgan began playing soccer competitively at the age of 14. Within three years, while in high school, she was called up to the U-17 women’s national team and began attending the University of California, Berkeley, shortly after. She was the team’s leading scorer at Cal, ending her collegiate career third on the school’s all-time list in both goals and points. While at Berkeley she joined the U-20 women’s national team and was a member of the squad that competed at the 2008 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile, where she scored a game-winning goal against North Korea that was voted best goal of the tournament and second-best goal of the year by FIFA.
Morgan scored her first goal as part of the senior U.S. women’s national team against Mexico in 2010, and her first international goal came against China later that year. She was drafted No. 1 overall by the Western New York Flash of Women’s Professional Soccer in January of 2011, then joined up with the U.S. World Cup squad that summer. Her goal in the 82nd minute of the team’s semifinal matchup with France helped the team to a 3-1 victory. Morgan followed that up with a goal in the final against Japan, though the U.S. ultimately lost the game in a penalty shootout.
After taking that tough defeat, Morgan and the U.S. team came back strong at the 2012 London Olympics last summer. Morgan scored the game-winning goal in extra time against Canada in the semifinal, setting the team up for a rematch with Japan in the gold-medal game, where they avenged the previous year’s defeat with a 2-1 victory. After establishing herself over the past four years as one of the premier soccer players in the world, Morgan signed with the Thorns in January, sending an already passionate fan base into a frenzy. She’ll be one of the centerpieces of a deep Portland squad in 2013.
