Alex Morgan, who for years has been a centerpiece of U.S. women’s soccer excellence and is one of the program’s greatest scorers, was left off the Olympic roster Wednesday by new coach Emma Hayes.
The seismic decision comes amid a generational shift for the program following the retirements of Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz last fall and an influx of young players the past year.
Morgan, who will turn 35 on July 2, is fifth on the U.S. career scoring list with 123 goals in 224 appearances and was a member of two World Cup and one Olympic championships.