( American soccer player ) Born: 2 July 1989
Alex Morgan
When I prepare for a match, it’s like work, even the way I have to shower and put on my makeup.
I wasn’t the most technical player. But I was fast, and if I push the ball past a player, I can get there. Everyone always made fun of me in a good way for that.
When people say, “You run like a girl; you play like a girl,” it’s not what it used to be. That shouldn’t be negative. You should be proud to play like a girl.
I went from never doing interviews to doing 10 in one day and standing in front of 60,000 fans. Now people look up to me, and I’m seeing little girls wearing my jersey.
You should never be afraid of looking athletic or building too much muscle.
People know there’s more than one side to me. You can have beauty and brains and athletic ability. You can switch up the cleats for heels once in a while. You can do both.
I remember every goal I’ve scored!
The head-banging music gives me a headache. Katy Perry is fun, Rihanna, old-school ’90s hip-hop. Salt-N-Pepa. I like listening to that. Get the nerves out before the games.
The way I’ve been brought up is to take critiques and turn them into positives in my game.
I’m never just on the couch. Being busy is part of who I am. But it’s hard juggling my family, my husband, balancing that time.
Social media has come a long way. With the good has come some bad, and you always have a lot of people hiding behind their computers and being very critical of what you do on and off the field, of what you tweet, of what you say, of everything you do.
I’ve always wanted to become a professional soccer player.
My workouts are mostly interval-based, so I’m never running at a constant speed. I’m always switching it up because I don’t want my body getting used to one thing in particular.
It’s so easy to lose your fitness and so hard to gain it back.
Whenever people say “women’s soccer,” I want to correct them to say “soccer.” Every girl has had their sport diminished because they’re girls.
I never look at the goalkeeper’s eyes.
My off-pitch style is probably girly and comfortable. I like a lot of loose-fitting material on top and more tight-fitting material on the bottom.
I could be a model for one night. But I’m also a professional soccer player, and I like to be taken seriously on the field.
One thing I’m proud to do like a girl is to represent my country in the Olympics and at the highest level, at the highest platform that I can.
Sportsmanship is definitely an important thing in all sports. In soccer, we all respect each other on such a high level, between Sweden and Brazil and Japan or whatever team it is.
Soccer is what I grew up doing – it’s my passion, and I’m way more comfortable on the field in my soccer cleats.
I think it’s important to keep things positive. Sometimes you don’t win, and that sucks, and you work on improving.
Music is so huge to soccer, to my life, to working out. I usually have headphones when I’m cleaning the house or making dinner.
I think players need to get paid for what they’re worth, for what they put up on the field.
Once I got to college, I realized that practicing 3-6 days wasn’t going to be enough for me to get where I wanted.
I want to know I made women’s soccer better than it was when I came into it.
We’re going to be World Champions…forever.
I started off playing sports when I was five years old. I played three or four sports all throughout the year.
I really like my legs because I’ve worked hard for them. With soccer, that’s the one thing you’re working all the time.
What I really appreciate is the people who come up and say, ‘Thank you for representing our country.’
I have to look at myself in the mirror and tell myself that I’m beautiful, even if I don’t necessarily believe it.
Ninety percent of the time, when I put on my headphones, I forget to turn on my music. Literally 10 minutes will go by before I realize that there’s no music.
I feel the most confident when I’m comfortable in workout clothes with my hair up in a ponytail.
It’s important to accept your body for what God gave you.
Keep working even when no one is watching.
I hate being recognized; I hate it, hate it.
I feel like when there’s more on the line and there’s more risk, that means there’s more reward.
Winning and losing isn’t everything; sometimes, the journey is just as important as the outcome.
I have done ‘Sports Illustrated,’ but I don’t regret it because it portrayed me in a positive way – as an athlete.
My favorite goals are the ones when there’s so much pressure. I focus more when the game is on the line.
I was the biggest tomboy growing up. Now I love playing with a full face of makeup.
Whatever brings you down, will eventually make you stronger.
When I leave the game, I want to go out on top.
Around the age of 14, I was very discouraged from a coach. It was my first youth club team while playing soccer. She told me at the time that I wasn’t good enough to play on the team, that I would never get into the game.
I start warming up before training an hour before at the hotel. That’s not because I feel old and my body needs it. It’s because it’s prehab. It’s preventing those injuries.
It’s an obstacle being a girl when you move all over and don’t have half the things you need. It’s like everything is wrinkled in your life.
Everybody has a talent, but its what you do with that talent to make it great.
I love yoga. There’s a lot of stretching involved, which helps with my flexibility and injury prevention. Vinyasa is my favorite as a recovery tool and for me to continue having my legs feel good.
I could always score goals. I loved that feeling of having your team look to you, that feeling of leadership.
We went to Austria to train and it was so peaceful. And I love coffee and the coffee was great.
