Zepeda: San Diego waves goodbye to Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan waves goodbye for the final time as a professional soccer player. Morgan is retiring from professional soccer and is pregnant with her second child. (Photo Courtesy of San Diego Wave FC)

What a day in San Diego. Wave fans got to say goodbye to one of the greats.

Soccer icon, Alex Morgan, retired from professional soccer on Sunday following a match against the North Carolina Courage in the 14th minute to the screams of 26,516 fans at Snapdragon Stadium chanting her name. 

At her best, Morgan played with speed, grace and an unrivaled final touch on the ball in some of the biggest moments winning two world cups, an olympic gold medal and much more.

Off the field she was a face and voice for women’s sports advocating for equal pay, investment in women’s sports and fair policies that treated her fellow players like human beings.

It was emotional as she walked out with her daughter Charlie to listen to the national anthem for the final time as a player. Morgan closed her eyes and cried. 

“I feel like I did everything I could have. I left everything on the field. I did everything I ever wanted to and more and with this decision I feel so at peace, because I am ready to start a family,” Morgan said. “I’m ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight.”

Morgan had inspired generations of young girls to play including 16-year-old Wave forward Melanie Barcenas who said after the match, “It’s amazing to be able to share the field with someone you idolize growing up and just knowing she played a big part in the reason why I’m able to step on this field with all these amazing women.”

Morgan said she would play limited minutes, which can mean anything, but she definitely had a bit more motivation to score. Fans erupted anytime she would touch the ball and she took a shot on target from just inside the penalty area that was deflected early on.

Though North Carolina came on early and took advantage of the Wave’s poor set-piece defending. Haley Hopkins made a great run to the top of the box and headed the corner kick in to make it 1-0 in the fourth minute. 

Then it seemed like the story would become Morgan’s fairy tale ending. The Wave earned a penalty after a handball inside the box by North Carolina Courage. Who else but the club’s all-time scoring leader to take the penalty. 

It seemed destined to be part of a ‘heartwarming moment in sports compilation’ video. Morgan was the greatest at penalty kicks when she started with the Wave in 2022, winning the golden boot and scoring more penalties than anyone in the NWSL that season.

It is not 2022.

This season she has not scored in the NWSL and missed her last penalty opportunity. With all fans in Snapdragon Stadium on their feet Morgan missed with a weak shot to her right that Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy saved with ease.

Wave kept the foot on the pedal and pressed high and eventually earned a corner kick after Morgan kicked a ball off an opposing player. María Sánchez took the corner and sent it to the near post where defender Kennedy Wesley jumped and headed it in to make it 1-1. 

Of course it came in the 13th minute. The team celebrated and went back to the half-line. 

Then it was time. 

The referee blew the whistle for substitutions and the entire crowd began to chant for Alex Morgan. She was visibly overcome with emotion and hugged her teammates and waved goodbye to fans. She took the captain’s armband off and gave it to goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan who motioned for the crowd to give one final cheer. 

Morgan took off her boots to hang them up and walk off the pitch for one final time.

Now, the future. Morgan says she's looking to continue her work with her foundation and investment in women’s sports, not coaching.

Where do the Wave stand? 

The Wave went on to lose 1-4 as North Carolina scored three more times, once in another set piece opportunity, another after poor defending and a goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time. 

Also, Kailen Sheridan earned a red card for a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity and will be suspended for San Diego’s next match against Utah. 

The Wave are seven points away from the final playoff spot with seven matches left to play. Interim head coach Landon Donovan said they’ll probably need five wins to make it. That’s more than they have all season. 

Two of the team’s captain’s have left the team in the past month and three crucial attacking players remain on the injured list in Jaedyn Shaw, Savannah McCaskill and Kyra Carusa.

They need a lot of favorable results from the teams ahead of them, but there is still hope with the Concacaf W Champion’s Cup on their schedule. Escaping the group stage can potentially propel them to an eventual club world cup.  

It’s time for San Diego to wave goodbye to their playoff hopes along with Morgan.