Washington
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U.S. women’s soccer legend Alex Morgan will not be on the team’s roster for next month’s Olympic Games in Paris, a sign of ongoing change within the women’s national team.
Head coach Emma Hayes, who is making her first major tournament start in charge of the team, on Wednesday announced her roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 22-player roster, which includes 18 players traveling to Paris and four alternates, includes only eight players from the 2020 Olympics, which were held in Tokyo in 2021, and 10 members of the 2023 World Cup squad.
Morgan’s departure from the roster is a sign of change coming to a team that has been extremely successful over the past several seasons with incredibly skilled players. But that generation has found itself lagging behind other countries in recent tournaments, finishing third at the Tokyo Games and exiting the 2023 World Cup on penalties in the round of 16. Hayes was brought in after the disappointment of that World Cup. The next generation of U.S. women is faced with the task of living up to the women’s national team’s expectations for success.
Morgan expressed disappointment at the selection but said she would support the team over the next month.
“Today, I am disappointed at not getting the opportunity to represent my country on the Olympic stage. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I feel very proud every time I reach the top,” she said in a post on Instagram. “In less than a month, I look forward to supporting and cheering on this team. “They are right along with the rest of our country.”
In a press conference, Hayes praised Morgan’s contributions to the national team and his historic career, but said it was time for the team to move in another direction. He acknowledged that the roster for Paris will have less experienced players than in previous tournaments with an eye on development.
“There is no precedent for winning an Olympic gold medal for any team in the world and it cannot be denied that the history of this event has been extremely successful. But the reality is that it’s going to take a lot of work to get to that top level again,” Hayes said. “I think looking at the team’s cap accumulation, there has been a lack of development to put players – some of the less experienced players – in positions where they can develop that experience. And I think it’s important that we do that to take the next step.
“I am not looking backwards, we have to look forward with the group of players who have left that World Cup behind them. And we’re very keen to get the work going, you know, after the World Cup. For us, this is an opportunity to show that learning will take us much further than last time, but there are no guarantees in anything in life.
The roster is composed of goalkeepers Casey Murphy and Alyssa Naeher; defenders Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Casey Krueger, Jenna Nighswonger and Emily Sonnett; midfielders Corbin Albert, Sam Coffey, Lindsay Horan, Rose Lavelle and Caterina Macario; and forwards Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman, Jaidyn Shaw, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson.
The four substitutes are goalkeeper Jane Campbell, midfielders Hal Hershfeldt and Croix Bethune, and forward Lynn Williams.
“It’s a balanced roster. “I’ve considered all the factors we’ll need throughout the Olympics and (this) is one I’m really happy with,” Hayes said.
Part of Hayes’ idea for the roster was durability and adaptability. Many of the players selected can play in multiple positions, which will be important given the relatively short turnaround between matches in France.
He said, “The biggest factor is getting the 16 outfield players to play a lot of games over a 17-day period – for sure, I hope.” “Having a roster that can adapt is essential. You have a tight transition between games, so, obviously, having players on the roster that can play more than one position makes sense with the depth of the team.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.