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The retirement of Alex Morgan at the weekend was an emotional day for many.
Some of the reactions given to Prost International on the day were emotional as well as expressing gratitude.
Close to the heart of the action and the emotion of the day, a member of the club staff who was a big soccer fan before Morgan came to the Wave told us:
“I would say (the biggest thing is) exposure. Not only to the sport of soccer, but also women’s sports. She has fought for women to have this platform to be given the same opportunities that men’s sports get. She’s been a great advocate for womens sport’s in San Diego.
“I think she has promoted the popularity of the sport and she’d been a great advocate for this club as well. It’s really a testament to the impact she has made that, she announced her retirement on Wednesday and by the very nexty day we had to expand the (available) seats from the Lower Bowl to the Upper Bowl.
“So she’s left a significant impact not just here in San Diego but for women’s soccer in general. She’s created such a great space and she’s made it more well known because everyone knows who Alex Morgan is.
“With that, she has opened doors.”
“Alex’s legacy in San Diego will last several generations”
-Wave season ticket holder Christine Anderson
Eva Schmidt, 45, is a San Diego resident and knows the city’s sporting culture well:
“Alex Morgan’s contribution to soccer, especially women’s soccer, in San Diego is immense.
“There was nothing inevitable about the Wave being as successful on launch as it was.
“She was an immediate draw for fans and even potential teammates, and gave the Wave a national reputation from Day 1. This in turn gave them a chance to build such a dedicated following as they now have.”
Christine Anderson is a season ticket holder at the Wave. She pointed out that Morgan’s legacy may be more than just fleeting:
“Alex Morgan, as one of the founding players, helped do amazing things to create a positive women’s soccer culture in San Diego and elevate women‘s soccer nationally.
“She was a big name that fans enjoyed watching play that helped San Diego Wave break attendance records which only encouraged other clubs fans to rally around their teams more.
“Alex also did a great job on promoting all San Diego sports that built a San Diego sports community that was lacking. You would see her cheering on other teams and lifting them up on her platform.
“I think that Alex’s legacy in San Diego will last several generations.”
Beyond those directly quoted, there was a consensus over where Morgan stood in the panthoeon of American soccer leegnds.
There have been three massive role models and influences on American women’s soccer in recent years; Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.
“Morgan touched parts of America’s soul no previous player had been able to.”
Solo’s created and you could argue nurtured a ‘bad girl’ image and press coverage of her somewhat rebellious nature was never played down. This culminated in the incidcent where the United States Soccer Federation suspended her from the women’s national team for six months.
The club recognized Morgan’s contribution, combining the words GOAT with San Diego
Solo had undiplomatically described Sweden as playing like “a bunch of cowards” after the Swedes knocked the U.S. out of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Previously she and her husband, an NFL player, also took a US team vehicle for an unauthorized spin and it was heavily suggested that he was over the safe drink driving limit at the time.
Rapinoe’s political views made her many enemies among that part of America where women’s soccer had never really permeated.
Right-wing journalists often displayed glee when her side, even the national side, lost due to the overall image her own views had given the entire team, rightly or wrongly.
At the World Cup in France in 2019, she also irritated players and fans from many countries by declaring she would boycott the White House if the USWNT won the World Cup while Donald Trump was President.
At that time, the USWNT had just reached the Round of Eight.
England defender Jill Scott said at the time:
“The American players get so much media training that we could only dream of, yet she didn’t have the intelligence not to answer that question while her team had three opponents still to play.”
Morgan however played a perfect game throughout her career.
She did hundreds of interviews and never said anything to embarass her country or her team mates. She became a role model, not just for rebellious girls but for all.
She was a role model every girl’s parents could enthusiastically endorse. She reached parts of the American soul no previous soccer player, male or female, had been able to.
There are children not yet born who will hear interviews where their current heroines will credit Alex Morgan as their inspiration.
This site would like to join the many who wish her well for the future and thank her for all she has contributed.
