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WHAT HAPPENED?
Alex Morgan played her final professional match on Sunday night, managing just 15-minutes in her send-off as the San Diego Wave fell to the North Carolina Courage 4-1 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Perfect endings rarely ever happen, and it surely didn't for Morgan as she was denied a penalty kick goal in the 10th minute. Morgan stepped up to take the shot, but was robbed by Courage keeper Casey Murphy. Not long after, Morgan made her final exit.
The match would stop in the 13th minute, in a nod to Morgan’s jersey number, and she was subbed out of the game. Morgan, surrounded by teammates, unlaced her cleats one last time, exiting in the 15th minute to thunderous applause.
WHAT MORGAN SAID
"What a ride it's been," she said. "I want to thank my teammates. You have constantly challenged me every day and made me better. I want to thank my family who have relentlessly supported me, sacrificed so much for me. I love you guys - all 95 of you who are here tonight. And the fans. You pushed me to be my best self every day. You pushed me to be the best soccer player, to be the best mom, to be the best person I could be."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Morgan's farewell match is the first time a U.S. women's sporting event was simultaneously shown across multiple outlets. Fans from all over the world watched her final match, and a total of 26,516 fans were in the stands.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Morgan removed her cleats at midfield and exited the game, but her impact will be felt for years to come.
The the fifth all-time goal scorer for the USWNT, Morgan is a two-time World Cup champ and Olympic champ who is ready for a new phase of life.
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