Breakaway

by Alex Morgan

  Here’s the beautiful thing about soccer. It’s a team sport, and you trust your teammates 100 percent. You have to. In that moment I believed in what Carli was doing, and I had faith that if she needed to pass to me or to Abby, she would. We were there for her, and we could take a shot if we had to. But I trusted she knew what to do.

  It turned out, she didn’t need to lean on me or Abby. From behind the penalty line, she kicked hard, and the ball went right into the left corner of the net. A long, clean, beautiful goal. We were up 2–0!

  Coming back from two behind with thirty-five minutes left in the game wasn’t an easy prospect for Japan. Time wasn’t on their side, and chances were they wouldn’t be able to score quickly given the way they’d been playing. We had been taking the ball away from them too much, even though they seemed to have possession more than we did.

  But they made a valiant effort. In the sixty-third minute of play, the Japanese players passed the ball back and forth for what seemed like forever, then kicked it left to one of their star players, Shinobu Ohno, who was in the penalty box. Ohno tapped it over to Homare Sawa, who kicked it past Hope and almost in. We defended it, but Sawa got it again and passed it to Yūki Ōgimi, who was waiting for it only a few feet from the goal. She shot it right in. The score was 2–1.

  The memory of Japan coming back from behind—twice—in the World Cup was fresh in my mind. They’d done this before. Could they do it again? I determined right then and there that wasn’t going to happen.

  In the stands, Pia was on her feet, looking a little more anxious than normal. She knew what the Japanese team was capable of—they could be relentless!

  I got the ball in the seventy-fourth minute and took it down the field, fast. As I got closer to the goal, I realized I had to make a decision: take a shot or pass it to Abby. I decided to take the shot, which went long and high and nowhere near the goal.

  We are faced with a million decisions in a ninety-­minute soccer match. Do we pass? Do we run? Or do we shoot? In that scenario, I made the wrong choice. I should have passed to Abby. But I refused to dwell on it. Some decisions have bigger consequences than others, and you just have to accept that. And sometimes something that seems right to you will seem wrong to someone else. You just have to trust your gut when faced with a difficult choice and try not to regret whatever follows next.

  In the eighty-second minute Hope Solo made one of the most spectacular saves I’ve ever seen. Mana Iwabuchi stole the ball from Christie Rampone and came up on Hope fast. They were staring at each other in a standoff, but then Mana charged, kicking the ball toward the back post. But Hope dove for it, and she made contact with the tips of her fingers. The ball went wide, far away from the goal, and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief. With eight minutes left, we were safe—for now. The press later called it “the save heard ’round the world,” and while I can’t promise that people who were watching on TV felt the impact of Hope’s amazing play, I can tell you that standing on the field that night, I did.

  The chants of “USA! USA!” grew louder and louder as the final minutes of the game ticked away. At the end of ninety minutes of regulation, we had two minutes of stoppage time. Two minutes to gold. Two minutes to glory, I kept telling myself. Winning a gold medal at the Olympics had been my dream for as long as I could remember, and it was so close I could taste it.

  I could tell the Japanese players weren’t ready to give up, but when the final whistle blew, it was over, and the gold was ours. We all ran to the middle of the field and held one another so tightly I thought I might get crushed.

  At one point in the midst of our celebrations I looked over and saw the Japanese team standing in a huddle. Almost all of them were crying. I don’t know if it was out of exhaustion, out of sadness, or out of a combination of both, but I didn’t blame them. It had been an emotional game. They had played so beautifully and so technically, and I felt honored for having had the opportunity to be on the field with them. Redemption felt great, but we had sympathy for their loss, too.

  Still, I was smiling ear to ear for the next half hour. I looked over at one point and saw Megan crying—she looked so happy, but tears were streaming down her face. Maybe she was feeling relief. With our win, all the tension we’d felt for weeks had flown out the window.

  Soon the medal ceremony began, and the Canadian team came back onto the field to claim their bronze medals. They had beaten France in a fantastic match, and I was happy to see them rewarded for their fine play. After they were honored, it was Japan’s turn. And then it was ours.

  As the American flag rose in the air just above the Canadian and Japanese flags, we all smiled wide and sang along to the national anthem together, positively glowing. We held one another, and I looked down and saw the shining gold medal around my neck.

  This was, without a doubt, the greatest achievement of my life.

  Be a Good Winner

  You just accomplished a goal—congratulations! But a person you’re close to might not have. Your friend sitting next to you in history class may have gotten a C when you got an A. Don’t gloat—it will only make others resent you. When we won Olympic gold, we celebrated, but we also shook the Japanese players’ hands immediately and congratulated them on playing so well. Good sportsmanship creates good energy in any situation.

  CHAPTER 44

  * * *

  It’s so important to take time to reflect and celebrate when you achieve something. Don’t just move on—really soak in the moment and take pride in what you’ve done. You may be caught up in a whirlwind, but don’t let that stop you from really feeling it. That’s what we did after the Olympics. There were interviews all over the place: national TV, radio shows, and of course, there were the closing ceremonies.

  But for me, the most fun was celebrating with my family. The night after the final, we partied like it was ten New Year’s Eves all wrapped into one. My parents dropped me off at the Olympic Village at 6:30 a.m., took the Tube (the London subway) back to their hotel, and fell asleep on the train! They ended up at the end of the subway line and couldn’t get back to their hotel till 10:00 a.m. Dad missed his flight home! It was expensive to rebook his flight, of course, but we were too hopped up on our win to be upset. We thought it was absolutely hysterical.

  The interviews gave us time to think about the past few weeks. Wearing a gold medal was the biggest victory in my life, and honestly, it was surreal. But getting to talk about it helped it sink in. And as I realized what had happened, I felt so grateful. I had wonderful parents, the best boyfriend in the world, a team I loved, and I’d made my dreams come true. While there was still so much to do, I wanted to take the time to bask in it.

  And I did. Going home to Seattle put routine and consistency back into my life, and that gave me a chance to stop, reflect, and just feel happy. Then the national team crossed the United States in a ten-game celebration tour, playing against other countries. It was a lot of work, but so much fun now that the pressure was off.

  After the most intense summer of my life, I was starting to feel my heart and my body return to where they needed to be—in balance.

  • • •

  A big part of keeping yourself in balance and harmony is staying fit. Even when I’m not on the field, exercise is part of living well for me.

  I’ve talked a lot about my soccer training in this book—injury prevention, the time I devote to practice, and the mental preparation needed for the game—but my soccer training may not be perfectly suited to you. No matter what you do, it’s important to stay healthy. That will help you find the balance that’s key to living better. Taking care of yourself is crucial to getting what you want in life, and exercise and good eating are the main components of that.

  I always say that if you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough. You should always break a sweat when you exercise. It means your heart is pumping, and that means you’re improving you
r cardiovascular health. Stretching is key, too, and yoga can help with that. I love yoga so much. It restores my mind, keeps me in balance (mentally and physically), and helps build tone. Try to exercise three to four times a week for about a half hour, and please don’t feel that you have to be a member of a gym to get fit! Some easy ways to get exercise include swimming, walking on the beach, walking fast anywhere (your neighborhood or around a track), jogging, or biking. It doesn’t matter—just get your heart pumping.

  Don’t discount strength training, too. It’s as important as cardiovascular health. You don’t need to buy anything like weights or machines. Sometimes all you need is a little floor space and some things you should see around the gym: ropes, medicine balls, a BOSU ball, a Physioball, and some dumbbells relative to your weight. I don’t even use the big gym equipment myself.

  It’s always good to surprise your body, too, so alternate your routines. You don’t want your body to get used to certain exercises or else you won’t get the maximum results. I always switch up my workouts, never just running at one pace or doing the same gym routine and number of push-ups or dumbbell exercises.

  Eating well is key to good health too. Drink lots and lots of water—eight eight-ounce cups a day at a minimum—and stay away from processed foods like chips and cookies. Eat fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy snacks like nuts. We all have foods we love that may not be so healthy for you—mine is Mexican food, which can be loaded with sour cream and cheese—but try to emphasize the healthy option in whatever that food is. For example, I can load up a taco with salsa and guacamole. Those are nutritious choices!

  Making healthy choices requires discipline, but if you stick to it, you’re going to have more energy, mental clarity, feel happier, and look better. How much exercise you choose to do and how nutritious your diet is is ultimately your choice, but believe me, no one ever regrets a hard workout or a delicious, nutritious meal. If you feel stronger and better, you’re going to have more energy to make goals and go after them, and you’re going to find it easier and more fun to work harder. I feel refreshed and focused after doing yoga, and it makes my whole day better. Try to make a healthy change today—drop the doughnut and pick up an apple, or go for a walk instead of watching TV—and see how you feel. I promise you won’t regret it.

  Do What’s Best for You

  The recommendations I’ve made above may not be right for you. If you’ve never exercised before, you may be terrified by the idea of working out with an exercise ball, and that’s okay. Start small and do whatever you can, as long as it’s good for your health. Don’t expect that you can develop nutritious eating habits in a day—it might take weeks or years. Be realistic, set your own timelines, and just focus on the goal of making healthy choices every day.

  CHAPTER 45

  * * *

  The year 2012 had been the most exciting one of my life. I was so grateful for everything that had been given to me and that I’d worked for, and I didn’t take any of it for granted. When something wonderful happens to you—from a good grade to a great year—don’t forget to stop and be thankful. It’s what you’ve worked for, after all!

  I didn’t think it could get any better, but it did. At the end of the year I was named US Soccer’s 2012 Female Athlete of the Year, a prize that had been voted on by fans, the media, and soccer representatives. It was such an honor, especially because of the fans. I had started to get a fan base at games, and I loved meeting every single person who was there for me. My dad once told me I should always be the last person signing autographs, and I am (most of the time!). I remember being a little girl scrambling for an autograph after a game, so I know how fans feel. Plus, if I can inspire anyone to chase after their dreams, I’ll do it.

  As 2013 arrived, I knew there was still so much to do. And high on my list of priorities was helping to see women’s soccer in the United States gain the respect it deserved. Thankfully, the formation of a new league was going to help with that.

  The National Women’s Soccer League had been in the works for only a year—roundtable discussions about it had started after the WPS folded. Funding for it was being provided by the US, Canadian, and Mexican soccer foundations, who were all heavily invested. They wanted to see female soccer players have a world-class league to play in. They settled on having eight teams, and they decided to divide the national team players among the squads in an allocation process so that each squad would be evenly balanced.

  I wanted so much for this league to work. It’s still a mystery to me why women’s soccer has had trouble gaining ground in the United States—we’re the best players in the world! But I suppose it’s all part of the problem that women’s sports in general face. There’s just not enough money, and for whatever reason, sports are historically a male domain. I want so much for that to change.

  Every player who was going to play in the National Women’s Soccer League had to write down three teams they’d like to play for, and then, as I mentioned, a committee would divide us up. I wrote my choices down, and I waited. Finally, in early January it was announced that I would go to the Portland Thorns.

  I was thrilled to go to Portland. It’s a fantastic sports town and a wonderful place to live, and I knew the community would be supportive. But I was sad to leave Seattle. For the first time in two years, Servando and I had gotten to make a life together, and I was going to have to leave that. Plus, the Sounders had been so gracious to me, especially when national team commitments took me away for most of the year. But you have to prioritize when you’re chasing your dreams, and if moving away from my boyfriend meant that I could help start up a new league, I’d do that. We’d made it through separations before, and we’d make it through another. Plus, Seattle and Portland weren’t very far away from each other—we could make it work.

  The Thorns were going to be a great team. My old teammate Christine Sinclair—who was our nemesis during the Olympic semifinal game—would be my fellow striker, and my national teammates Tobin Heath and Rachel Buehler would be on the Thorns as well. I decided to share an apartment with Allie Long, a former UNC midfielder whom I’d never played with, but whom I knew professionally. Portland was disappointed not to get Megan Rapinoe, who had attended college at the University of Portland, and Abby Wambach, who made her home there. Megan signed to a team in France, and Abby went to Western New York, much to the thrill of her hometown crowd. Despite not having them, the general consensus was that this was going to be an incredibly powerful squad.

  But I had to remember this wasn’t just about the US women. Mexico and Canada were paying their respective players’ salaries, so this was truly a joint effort among the three countries to get the league going. We had some of Mexico’s and Canada’s best players on our team—players I’d sparred against in international games—but we were coming together on the Thorns. We were so excited.

  The start of something new is a time of such promise, and you should embrace that excitement. On top of that, the end of something that failed—in this case, the WPS—is always the beginning of a beautiful new thing. Remember, even when something doesn’t work on the first or even second try, it might just work on the third. . . .

  Keep Trying Even if You Fail

  As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That was the case with the National Women’s Soccer League. The WPS had failed, and the Women’s United Soccer Association had folded before it. It would have been easy for people to throw up their hands and say, “Women’s soccer just isn’t going to work in the United States,” but they didn’t. They fought, they pooled money, and they realized that fans wanted it. The NWSL is going strong in its second year, and it’s expanded by one team with plans for more. You can watch games on ESPN and Fox Sports, which is something that was never an option when I was a kid. So keep trying despite multiple failures—you’ll probably succeed sooner rather than later!

  CHAPTER 46

  * * *


  If you’re really dedicated to something, you might find yourself so busy that you have little time for yourself. I remember running around in high school and college, doing my homework in between practices. I worked on this book when I was rushing to catch a flight and while I was in the midst of a tournament! But just remember that you’re fitting things in because you’re pursuing your passion, so try to keep your eye on the big picture. Try not to let a hectic schedule get you down—it’s all a part of chasing your dreams.

  I had been living out of a suitcase for the past two years, and the spring of 2013 was no different. I hardly had time to unpack my bags in Portland before I got called up for the Algarve Cup in Portugal. The US national team was still flying high from the Olympics, so being back with the team felt like a celebration. But it was a celebration that was missing one important person, and that was Pia Sundhage.

  “I’m going back to Sweden to coach the Swedish national team,” she’d said to the press when she announced the move. “I have long dreamed of becoming Sweden’s coach, and now I am so happy.”

  And she did seem happy. We were a little shocked and pretty upset to lose her, but we couldn’t be selfish about it—Sweden was Pia’s home, and we knew she’d missed it. She had to follow her dreams as much as we had to follow ours, so we couldn’t be angry with her. And it was especially hard not to smile when she started singing Olivia Newton-John’s “If Not for You” in an interview, referencing her time with our team. This wasn’t the first time she’d sung during an interview, but it was still hilarious.