ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A little more than two years before she cradled the World Cup trophy in the same stadium, Alex Morgan attempted a quieter exit in Lyon. Minutes after playing the second leg of a Champions League semifinal with Olympique Lyonnais, she walked through the mixed zone oblivious to the surrounding interviews in French. Her eyes were locked instead on a phone as she watched the beginning of her husband's MLS game several thousand miles away.
Family, friends and everything familiar were left behind. In that moment, Morgan decided the challenge was in France.
"I felt like it was important to explore European football at least once," she said.