The striker hasn't scored for the U.S. in nearly nine months, but the numbers say she's doing plenty
In the history of the U.S. women's national team, there are only four players that have scored more goals than Alex Morgan: Abby Wambach, Mia Hamm, Carli Lloyd and Kristine Lilly. It's essentially a Mount Rushmore of American soccer, four legitimate icons of the women's game with lasting legacies and piles of trophies.
Morgan, for sure, has earned that sort of distinction as well. She's right up there at that level, having earned her place as one of the most dominant goalscorers the U.S. has ever seen.
But that brings us to the here and now in 2023. Morgan and the USWNT are preparing for the 2024 Olympics as this team and program will look to put a disappointing World Cup behind them. It was a historic tournament for all the wrong reasons, as the U.S. crashed out in the last 16. It was also a disappointing tournament for Morgan, who failed to score during her time Down Under.
That scoreless streak has extended into the post-World Cup friendlies. In fact, it dates all the way back to February. Morgan is one of the coldest spells of her career at the international level, and 2023 could very well end up being her worst scoring year for the USWNT.
So, knowing that, where does Morgan stand as the Olympics loom large? GOAL takes a look.
Getty ImagesMorgan's goalless run with USWNT
It feels like forever ago, given all that's gone on since. So much time has passed since the last time we saw Morgan celebrate a goal with the USWNT.
That came all the way back on February 11, giving the USNWT a 1-0 lead over Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup. It was her second goal of the year, having netted the previous month in a friendly against New Zealand.
And what a finish it was, to be fair. After Mallory Swanson's initial shot, the ball fell to Morgan right near the top of the box. The USWNT striker unleashed a curling effort that no goalkeeper could save, giving the U.S. the lead. Swanson was first to hug her, Crystal Dunn was next. The USWNT were rolling.
Much has changed since. Swanson, of course, saw her World Cup hopes derailed by the most unfortunate of injuries. Manager Vlatko Andonovski is now gone, with the U.S. now in full coaching search mode. And there was, of course, that four-game run at the World Cup, one that felt all too short for a team like the U.S.
In total, Morgan has gone nine matches without a goal, totalling 660 minutes on the field throughout that run without finding the back of the net.
AdvertisementGettyGetting going with her club
For much of that stretch, Morgan's dry spell extended to the NWSL. From May until September, she went eight-straight NWSL games without scoring for the San Diego Wave, the worst stretch of her career in the league.
That snapped on September 30 when Morgan finally got on the scoresheet against the Portland Thorns with a goal that was equal parts skill and luck. Wave defender Christen Westphal played a looping cross towards Morgan in the 38th minute, forcing the forward to contort her body to get to the ball. The USWNT star ended up flicking a header towards goal, leaving goalkeeper Bella Bixby going in the wrong direction as the ball trickled into the back of the net.
From there, the old 'ketchup bottle' metaphor came together, as Morgan scored again in her club's final regular season game, a 2-0 win over Racing Louisville as her side lifted the NWSL Shield.
In total, Morgan finished the regular season with seven goals, good for fifth-most in the league – as well as five assists, joint-second in the league – despite her extended goal drought.
GettyStatistical breakdown
For forwards, goals are obviously the most important stat, but at club level, you can argue that Morgan's performances were as good as ever despite her drought. She was third in the league in total goal contributions, proving that she's more than just an out-and-out striker at this stage of her career. And, despite the low moments, Morgan actually led the league for shots on target per 90, with 48 percent of her efforts this season heading goalwards.
In addition, Morgan also had the second-highest expected goals (xG) in the league with 8.2, behind Ashley Hatch's absolutely ridiculous xG of 13.1 Those stats carry over to the World Cup, where Morgan had an xG of three in those four USWNT games, but came up scoreless.
So what does all that mean? Well, it's a sign that, for once, the goal tally may just have been lying a bit. Morgan is continuing to do everything right as a striker, but, for much of this year, has been missing a little luck.
GettyEvolving role
The stats continue to tell the story that Morgan is evolving her game as she gets a bit older. In the NWSL this season, Morgan finds herself in the 88th percentile in assists per 90 amongst forwards. Perhaps more notably, though, she's in the 80th percentile in progressive passes.
It's a sign that Morgan is receiving the ball deeper, picking her head up and moving it forward, a far cry from her start as the pacey 'Baby Horse' that first burst onto the scene. As her career has continued on, Morgan has turned into more of a creator, which suits her just fine with the pieces around her.
And no matter who the new USWNT head coach is, it's likely that Morgan will play in a much different way going forward than she has throughout the bulk of her career. The 34-year-old is turning into a player that's part-playmaker, part-goalscorer, a natural evolution for many of the elite as they head towards their final years. The question now is how many years she has left.
