Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champ, Alex Morgan, is likely to go down as one of
the greatest U.S. women's soccer players of all time.
But just how did she get to this point?
From her hustle on the field to facing personal challenges of her own, here's her stunning
transformation.
"I'm Alex Morgan and this is my story.”
At 7 years old, Morgan fell in love with soccer.
And because the sport was important to her, it became important to her dad as well.
But he faced a huge learning curve when it came to the game.
Alex told The Players Tribune,
"I think growing up with sports really gives you that confidence.
You grow these personality traits and this confidence that sometimes you might not get
if you're not in athletics.”
When she was 9 years old, her dad became her coach.
She told Soccer America,
“What more could a mother want, than for my daughter to actually be a role model for
soccer, for women in sports.”
Just as Morgan headed into her senior year of high school, she was called up to the Under-20
national team, according to ESPN.
But everything came to a screeching halt when Morgan — then 17-years old — tore her
ACL during a scrimmage.
She told USA Today,
"I set my mind to going to rehab 3 to 4 times a week, going still to every high school practice,
going to every club practice.”
Morgan missed some of her senior season while rehabbing, but her mom focused on the bright
side, telling the outlet,
The soccer star would continue with rehab when she enrolled at the University of California
at Berkeley, and make her return to soccer.
"I went to Cal and I was like, sold.”
Morgan's star was on the rise towards the end of her career at UC Berkeley.
She made her debut for the U.S. women's national team in 2010 and was selected first by the
Western New York Flash in the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer draft.
But it wasn't until the 2011 World Cup that she would truly become a star.
Sports Illustrated reported Morgan scored for the U.S. in the semifinals and again in
a losing effort in the final — which is all the more impressive when you consider
she was the youngest member on the squad, at 22 years old.
She told CNN that playing for the U.S. team was initially "intimidating" at first, admitting,
Obviously, Morgan fit in just fine.
"I don't care if I fail or I succeed.
As long as I try.”
Life completely changed for Morgan, after the 2011 World Cup.
She has since landed endorsement deals with Nike, McDonald's, Tampax, Chapstick, Panasonic
Beauty, Nationwide, Coca-Cola, and Beats by Dre, among others.
Her children's book series, The Kicks, made the New York Times' best seller list and was
turned into a TV series for Amazon Prime.
"I love soccer.
The smell of the grass, the feel of your foot connecting with the ball.
No one can take that away.”
And, in what was a first for a women's soccer, she landed on the cover of the FIFA video
game franchise 2016 U.S. edition, along with soccer icon Lionel Messi.
It's no wonder Morgan — who makes seven figures in endorsements, according to her
agent, via espnW — is a regular on SportsPro's annual 50 Most Marketable lists.
But she claims she's selective about which companies she partners with, telling espnW,
Morgan has long been an advocate for body positivity, telling The Post Game,
And for her, that includes loving her strong calves.
Morgan told Shape that people make fun of them, but she added,
But there have been moments when Morgan hasn't felt so sure of herself.
After she posed for one of her Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, trolls attacked her for having
a small chest.
Her sister Jeri told espnW,
Although Jeri claimed the situation made Alex briefly consider getting a boob job, the world-class
athlete didn't dwell too long on the haters.
Morgan's pretty face has been great for her marketability, and, in her opinion, it's also
good for the sport.
She told espnW,
Unlike many of her teammates, Morgan, who walked the runway at New York Fashion Week
in 2012, opts to highlight her features, for matches.
She told Shape,
Morgan can thank soccer for helping her find her husband.
She started dating Servando Carrasco while they were playing soccer at UC Berkeley.
The college sweethearts later tied the knot on New Year's Eve in 2014, according to People
magazine.
Like Morgan, Carrasco plays the sport professionally, as a member of the L.A. Galaxy.
He told the Seattle Times that he and Alex give each other feedback after games — and
that they hold nothing back, saying,
Because Carrasco plays in L.A. and Morgan plays on the opposite side of the country
in Orlando, Florida, they don't get to see each other during their seasons as much as
they'd like.
Morgan posted on Instagram:
"What was the hardest is just like us expecting to live together and to kind of share our
lives together.”
There is a special reason Morgan wears her trademark pink headband for games.
It is, in part, a tribute to her mother-in-law, Gloria Carrasco, who is a breast cancer survivor,
according to espnW.
Pink is the official color of breast cancer awareness, and Morgan has been wearing the
headband since college - around the time when Carrasco first revealed her diagnosis to her
son.
But that's not the only reason for Morgan's pink headband - which is actually made of
pre-wrap tape that trainers use to protect an athlete's skin from bandages.
Morgan likes that it helps her stand out on the field.
She told Mueller Sports Wrap,
"I think my parents just could pick me out from a crowd.
You know, pink is one of my favorite colors."
The U.S. women's national team bounced back from a disappointing runner-up finish in 2011
by winning the 2015 World Cup.
Five days later, the squad was honored with a ticker tape parade through the streets of
New York.
But the experience was bittersweet for Morgan, who had been battling a knee injury throughout
the tournament and would undergo surgery a week after the parade.
She told espnW,
Quite possibly the only blemish on Morgan's squeaky clean resume took place in 2017 at
Epcot.
Morgan and her friends were kicked out of the Disney World theme park and accused of
trespassing, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which cited an Orange County Sheriff's Office
incident report.
The report stated that they were quote, "impaired" and "being very loud and belligerent toward
staff around guests."
Morgan referenced the popular tradition of bar-hopping at Epcot, posting a group photo
on Instagram earlier that day with the caption,
No charges were filed, but Morgan took responsibility for the incident afterward, tweeting,
Morgan is one the world's best soccer players.
The former FIFA World Player of the Year finalist won the U.S. Female Soccer Player of the Year
award in 2018 and was ranked the number 7 female player in the world by The Guardian.
But those accolades are presumably just not good enough for Morgan.
Her goal is to become the best women's player in the world.
She told the news outlet in 2017,
"The best player I can be, is the best player in the world.”
In an effort to improve her game, Morgan joined French club Lyon, which is largely considered
to be the world's best women's soccer team, on a six-month loan in 2017.
In 15 games with the franchise, Morgan scored an impressive 12 goals.
With her movie star looks and huge following, Morgan was bound to find herself in Hollywood.
"Today's the big day, Alex!"
"You're Alex Morgan.
I know everything about you.
I'm your biggest fan.”
In 2018, she played herself in the film Alex & Me, a story that revolves around a 13-year-old
girl who aspires to become the next Alex Morgan on the soccer field.
You might think a super fit athlete like Morgan would have no problem finding the energy for
a film shoot, but she told Pro Soccer USA,
"I'm definitely not an actress.
I took an acting class once and wasn't so great at it."
But this probably won't be the last we see of Morgan in film and TV.
She added,
"I don't even think my mom knows all that.”
Morgan has been vocal about the pay disparity between the U.S. men's and women's national
teams and was one of the many women's players to file a gender discrimination lawsuit against
U.S. Soccer in 2019.
"We don't wanna go us against the men, it's really a fight against our employer.”
Morgan told Pro Soccer USA,
And it's not just about pay either.
The women also endure inferior travel and lodging, despite the fact that the women's
team has won multiple World Cups while the men's team has never won a single one, as
of 2019.
Morgan told Good Morning America,
Morgan is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue veteran, appearing in the highly anticipated
issue in 2012 and 2014.
"I always feel like when you aim for the camera it's better.
Because you get the better shot.”
But in 2019, Morgan graced one of three covers, along with Tyra Banks and Camille Kostek.
“I feel like this issue has become more of a body positivity movement, and I think
that that's just women standing up for each other.”
So, why Morgan?
Well, the Women's World Cup takes place in June 2019, and Alex, as co-captain of the
favorite U.S. women's national team, figures to play a prominent role in the tournament.
Sports Illustrated editor MJ Day also told People,
"I just wanna inspire little girls to continue in their sports or whatever they're passionate
about and really try to achieve their dream."
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