Alex Morgan excluded from Olympic soccer team: "I'm disappointed"
Paris, France - Two-time World Cup winner Alex Morgan has been left out of the US women's team for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.
New Team USA head coach Emma Hayes named her 18-player squad for the tournament, and there was no place for the 34-year-old, who has scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for the national side.
Hayes opted for Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson as her main forward options in the soccer squad, which is looking to secure a fifth Olympic gold and a first since 2012.
Morgan was part of the US team, which won gold at the London Games in 2012, and was also a key part of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning teams.
"I'm disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage. This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest," Morgan said in a social media post.
"In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country," she added.
Hayes said that Morgan was an "amazing player and human" and said it had been a tough decision.
Team USA coach says cutting Alex Morgan was a "tough decision"
"I've only had one opportunity to work with her in the last camp, and I saw firsthand not just her qualities but her professionalism, and her record speaks for itself," she said.
"It's not easy making a decision when there are only 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers on a roster of 18, so it was a tough decision, of course.
"Especially considering Alex's history and record with this team, but I felt I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players," she added.
The forward had initially been left out of the US team for the recent CONCACAF W Gold Cup campaign but was a late call-up as a replacement after injuries.
Hayes, who is English, took charge of the US side last month after finishing her hugely successful spell with Chelsea.
Before heading to France, the US will play friendlies against Mexico in New Jersey on July 13 and then three days later in Costa Rica in Washington DC.
At the Olympics, the USA have been drawn in Group B where they will face Zambia, Germany and Australia.
Cover photo: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP