Why Alex Morgan is not on the USWNT Olympic soccer roster

It was the end of an era for the USWNT.

When the U.S. women’s national team takes the field on Thursday for its Paris Olympics opener against Zambia, it will be doing so without one of the biggest stars in program history.

Ever since making her senior USWNT debut in 2010, Alex Morgan has been a mainstay in the U.S. attack. She scored 123 goals for the U.S. and helped lead the USWNT to an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and two World Cup titles. But when newly hired head coach Emma Hayes announced her roster for the Paris Olympics, Morgan was the noticeable exclusion.

Morgan, who turned 35 in July, has seen a drop in form the past few years. That — along with smaller Olympic roster — forced Hayes to make a tough decision with Morgan. Hayes explained the process via USA TODAY Sports:

“First off, I want to talk about what an amazing player and human that Alex Morgan has been. I’ve only had one opportunity to work with her in the last camp and saw firsthand not just her qualities but her professionalism. Her record speaks for itself.

“It was not easy making a decision. There are 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers on a roster of 18. It was a tough decision, especially considering Alex’s record and history with this team. I felt wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”

Hayes correctly opted to favor the USWNT’s next generation of dynamic attacking players for this roster (think Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman) over Morgan. The USWNT legend also was not asked to be an alternate for the Olympic squad.

It’s the end of an era — that’s for sure.