Over the course of a career that included two women's World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, Alex Morgan elevated the women's game through her play on the field and activism off it.
The 35-year-old Morgan, who said she is pregnant with her second child, announced on Thursday that she is retiring from soccer after a 15-year career. She was near tears in a video posted to social media.
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FILE - United States' Alex Morgan plays against Canada during a SheBelieves Cup women's soccer match Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
FILE - United States' Alex Morgan, above, collides with Canada's Vanessa Gilles during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women's soccer tournament semifinal match, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
FILE - Alex Morgan, a member of the United States women's national soccer team, speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York, Friday, May 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, left, controls the ball as OL Reign defender Lauren Barnes defends during the second half of an NWSL semifinal playoff soccer match Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan (13) runs during an NWSL soccer match against Seattle Reign, Friday, March 29, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
FILE - United States national women's soccer team player Alex Morgan talks to reporters before a practice to prepare for a friendly match against South Korea, Friday, May 31, 2024, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - United States' Alex Morgan holds the trophy celebrating at the end of the Women's World Cup final soccer match between U.S. and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
FILE - United States' Megan Rapinoe, right, congratulates teammate Alex Morgan after scoring her fifth goal during the Women's World Cup Group F soccer match between the United States and Thailand at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
FILE - United States' Alex Morgan is draped in the U.S. flag as she waves to fans after the U.S. beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday, July 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
“This decision wasn’t easy, but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer,” she said. “Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of.”
Morgan will play her final match with her club team, the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League, on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.
In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Early in her career, she was known by the nickname Baby Horse, a moniker given to her by teammates because of her long strides. One of her most memorable goals came in London, the game-winner in extra time against Canada that put the United States into the Olympic final. A year earlier, she scored in the World Cup final against Japan.
At the 2019 World Cup, Morgan scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 semifinal victory over England, which she celebrated by pretending to sip tea.
Morgan played in 224 matches for the national team, ninth-all time, with 123 goals (fifth all-time) and 53 assists (ninth all-time). She was named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.
Along the way, Morgan arguably became one of the most recognizable athletes in the United States. She has had partnerships with such companies as Coca-Cola, Chipotle, Google and Nike, and in 2022 was designated the most-endorsed female athlete by SponsorsUnited, which tracks sponsorship deals globally.
“Don't think many people will ever understand the weight you carried with you being the face of this team and women's football in general,” U.S. captain Lindsey Horan said in a tribute to Morgan on Instagram. “You made the game better for so many little ones looking up to you and what an incredible career on top of it.”
Her last game with the United States came on June 4, 2024, against South Korea. She was left off the roster that new coach Emma Hayes selected for this year's Paris Olympics.
Known as much for her activism as her play, Morgan was among five players in 2016 who filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination. The team went on to sue U.S. Soccer in 2019, citing inequitable pay and treatment compared to the men's national team. The lawsuit was settled and in 2022 the sides agreed to collective bargaining agreements that give the teams equal pay and benefits.
“Success for me is defined by never giving up and giving your all, and I did just that,” Morgan said. “I'm giving my all every single day on the field, and I did that giving my all in the relentless push for investment in women's sports, because we deserve that.”
Morgan has played for the Wave since 2022. A founding player in the NWSL, she also had stints with the Portland Thorns and the Orlando Pride during her career. In 2022, she was the league's Golden Boot winner for most goals. She also spent time internationally with Lyon and Tottenham.
Morgan was one of the key figures in bringing to light the NWSL abuse scandal in 2021, which led to the dismissal or resignation of five of the leagues coaches and sparked an investigation that found systemic abuse and misconduct.
Morgan was instrumental in rallying fellow players to demand the NWSL adopt an anti-harassment policy and the reforms she advocated for improved working conditions across the league. She also served on the bargaining committee for the latest collective bargaining agreement with NWSL players announced last month.
“Alex’s legacy is one that will endure for generations, not only in the records, awards and trophies she has earned, but in the countless lives she has touched along the way," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said.
Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco have a daughter, Charlie, who was born in 2020.
“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan said. “It just made me immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a 4-year-old can see now. We're changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I'm proud in the hand I had in making that happen, in pushing the game forward and leaving it in a place that I'm so happy and proud of.”
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FILE - United States' Alex Morgan plays against Canada during a SheBelieves Cup women's soccer match Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
FILE - United States' Alex Morgan, above, collides with Canada's Vanessa Gilles during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women's soccer tournament semifinal match, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
FILE - Alex Morgan, a member of the United States women's national soccer team, speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York, Friday, May 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, left, controls the ball as OL Reign defender Lauren Barnes defends during the second half of an NWSL semifinal playoff soccer match Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan (13) runs during an NWSL soccer match against Seattle Reign, Friday, March 29, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
FILE - United States national women's soccer team player Alex Morgan talks to reporters before a practice to prepare for a friendly match against South Korea, Friday, May 31, 2024, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - United States' Alex Morgan holds the trophy celebrating at the end of the Women's World Cup final soccer match between U.S. and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
FILE - United States' Megan Rapinoe, right, congratulates teammate Alex Morgan after scoring her fifth goal during the Women's World Cup Group F soccer match between the United States and Thailand at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
FILE - United States' Alex Morgan is draped in the U.S. flag as she waves to fans after the U.S. beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday, July 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after a lackluster finish on Wall Street following a report showing an uptick last month in inflation in the U.S.
The dollar was trading at 156 Japanese yen, up from 155.49 yen, reflecting expectations that the dollar will gain against other currencies under the policies anticipated with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index edged less than 0.1% higher, to 38,754.50 and the Kospi in South Korea advanced 0.5% to 2,429.23. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4% to 8,223.20.
Chinese markets declined, with the Hang Seng in Hong Kong falling 0.9% to 19,649.91. The Shanghai Composite index lost 0.3% to 3,428.37.
Bangkok's SET lost 0.2% and Taiwan's Taiex fell 0.5%, while the Sensex in India edged 0.1% higher.
A stronger dollar tends to put strain on other economies, noted Stephen Innes of Capital Economics. The Thai baht has also weakened against the dollar since the U.S. election, as has the Chinese yuan, or renminbi, which now stands at 7.2245 per dollar and was trading at about 7 yuan per dollar in early October.
“For Asia, particularly those economies closely linked to China, the dollar's dominance is poised to become an economic wrecking ball,” he said in a commentary. “Countries with hefty USD-denominated debt are bracing for impact,” he added.
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish after the latest inflation update boosted hopes that a cut to interest rates next month will bring more help for the economy.
The S&P 500 was nearly unchanged, gaining 1.39 points to 5,985.38, up less than 0.1%. It was its first loss since a big rally erupted after the Nov. 5 Election Day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1% to 43,958.19, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3% to 19,230.74.
U.S. consumer inflation accelerated in October to 2.6% from 2.4%, but an underlying measure called “core inflation” did not rise. Such core inflation can be a better predictor of future trends, economists say, so the figures added to expectations for more help from the Federal Reserve.
The Fed began cutting interest rates from their two-decade high in September to keep the job market hummin g after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. It cut again earlier this month, and traders now see an improved probability of roughly 80% for a third cut at its meeting next month, according to data from CME Group.
Those expectations sent the yield for the two-year Treasury down to 4.27% from 4.34% late Tuesday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which also takes future economic growth more into account, rose to 4.45%, up from 4.43% late Tuesday.
But T rump’s victory in the presidential election has raised uncertainty over the Fed's future course. Economists say his preferences for lower tax rates, higher tariffs and less regulation could ultimately lead to higher U.S. government debt and inflation, but also bring faster economic growth.
While lower interest rates can give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, they can also fuel inflation.
Rivian Automotive jumped 13.7% after the electric-vehicle company gave more details about a joint venture it’s entering with Volkswagen Group that they had previously announced. The deal’s total size could be worth up to $5.8 billion, which is more than the $5 billion the companies had previously said.
Spirit Airlines’ stock lost 59.3% after it said in a regulatory filing that it’s trying to work out a deal to renegotiate the repayment of its debt that might wipe out the company’s stockholders, but could protect employees and customers.
In the crypto market, bitcoin was tracing at $90,300 after crossing above $93,000 as cryptocurrencies generally soared. Trump has embraced cryptocurrencies, pledging to make the U.S. the crypto capital of the world.
Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that’s been a favorite of Tesla’s Elon Musk, also gave up some of its gain from earlier in the day. Trump named Musk as one of the heads of a “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE for short.
In other dealings early Thursday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 37 cents to $68.06 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 29 cents to $71.99 per barrel.
The euro fell to $1.0548 from $1.0587.
AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed.
FILE - A sign marking the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street is shown in New York's Financial District on Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)
Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)