The 2024 Olympics are right around the corner, but US women’s national team star forward Alex Morgan could find herself on the outside looking in.
With less than seven months until the start of the Summer Games in Paris, athletes are beginning to solidify their spots. That’s no different for the USWNT, with the soccer team set to kick off the inaugural Concacaf Gold Cup W later this month in an excellent precursor to the Olympic tournament in July.
However, when the USWNT announced its Gold Cup roster on Wednesday, Morgan was a surprise omission. The veteran striker, a 2023 World Cup co-captain, has represented the red, white and blue for more than a decade, but a group of younger forwards are taking the reins.
While the Olympic roster is still months away from being finalized, the team that will compete in the Gold Cup will likely provide a window into the coaching staff’s plans. So Morgan’s status for the Summer Games is very much in doubt.
Here’s what you need to know about the two-time World Cup champion’s absence from the USWNT roster.
Where is Alex Morgan?
Several notable names were left off the Concacaf women’s roster for the United States (Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelley O’Hara among them), but the biggest is undoubtedly Morgan.
The 34-year-old has been a key player in the national program since joining the senior team in 2010. She has participated in four World Cups and three Olympic Games, but may not be able to travel to the Games for a fourth time. Of summer.
Interim head coach Twila Kilgore was asked if Morgan had been left off the roster after Wednesday’s announcement. While she didn’t give an exact reason in Morgan’s case, she did state that the program will continue to monitor all those in consideration for a roster spot, even those who were left off the Gold Cup team.
“In terms of Alex, I guess this applies to everyone who isn’t here: everything that happens in the Gold Cup will matter in terms of the future and everything that happens outside of the Gold Cup will matter in the future,” Kilgore. saying. “We recognize that there are several players who will not be in an environment that we are still analyzing, but who are still very much in the mix.
“So we will be watching and we want to pick the best team and it will be very competitive.”
Morgan’s omission may be a surprise on the surface given her history with the team, but the player who has been on the field for the past year is far from the dominant force Morgan has been in the past.
While his all-around game remains elite, the lack of goals stands out. Morgan hasn’t scored for the USWNT since last February. Excluding the 2020 COVID year, his two goals in 2024 represent the lowest number of goals for Morgan in a calendar year with the program.
His goalless streak for club and country reached 13 games last summer before scoring two goals late in the season for the San Diego Wave.
However, Morgan is still more than capable of contributing to the scoreboard despite his poor streak. The forward finished 2023 with five assists for the USWNT, the most in a year of her career with the senior team. However, in her position, she is expected to finish.
USWNT roster for 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup
The following 23 players were called up to the United States team for the 2024 Gold Cup in four US host cities.
| Pos. | Player | Age | Club |
| G.K. | Jane Campbell | 28 | Houston Dash (United States) |
| G.K. | Casey Murphy | 27 | North Carolina Courage (USA) |
| G.K. | Alyssa Naeher | 35 | Chicago Red Stars (USA) |
| DEF | Alan Cook | 26 | OL Reign (US) |
| DEF | Abby Dahlkemper | 30 | San Diego Wave (United States) |
| DEF | Land Davidson | 25 | Gotham FC (United States) |
| DEF | Crystal Dunn | 31 | Gotham FC (United States) |
| DEF | emily fox | 25 | Arsenal (ESP) |
| DEF | Noemi Girma | 23 | San Diego Wave (United States) |
| DEF | Casey Krueger | 33 | Spirit of Washington (USA) |
| DEF | Jenna Nightswonger | 23 | Gotham FC (United States) |
| HALF | Alberto Korbin | twenty | Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) |
| HALF | Sam Coffey | 25 | Portland Thorns (United States) |
| HALF | Lindsey Horan | 29 | Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) |
| HALF | rose lavelle | 28 | Gotham FC (United States) |
| HALF | Olivia Moultrie | 18 | Portland Thorns (United States) |
| HALF | Emily Sonnett | 30 | Gotham FC (United States) |
| FWD | Mia Fishel | 22 | Chelsea FC |
| FWD | pure mosquito | 28 | Gotham FC |
| FWD | trinidad rodman | twenty-one | Spirit of Washington (USA) |
| FWD | Jaedyn Shaw | 19 | San Diego Wave (United States) |
| FWD | sofia smith | 23 | Portland Thorns (United States) |
| FWD | Linda Williams | 30 | Gotham FC (United States) |
