[Music] [Music] okay welcome to a special edition of the ISB podcast I'm your host sahill here with the Sho we are talking because a US soccer Legend Isa just retired of course that was Alex Morgan lot of emotions lot of emotions lot of emotions yes I mean what a decorated career what a GameChanger Pioneer Legend I mean let's just go through a few of the stats here okay we have 123 International goals okay a two World Cups an Olympic gold an Olympic bronze a Champions League title nwsl Championship a Golden Boot silver boot I mean the it just goes on and on and on and this doesn't even account for all of what she did off the pitch from you know probably her biggest contribution which is securing equal pay for women she also was very influential and in um the recent CBA agreement I mean when you think of us soccer you just think of Alex Morgan and what is so great is that her last game I thought it was so appropriate that we had Landon Donovan also a US soccer Legend kind of like seeing her off and and God just so many emotions yeah it was a very uh touching last match for Alex Morgan of course for all US Women's national team soccer fans we of course are covering a lot of things from that world please subscribe to the channel but getting back to the task in Hand of course this is all about Alex Morgan what she's meant to the US Women's National Team uh so is you and I have both had the pleasure of meeting Alex for me it was when I was working uh in soccer on the corporate side that's in a corporate setting when I met her but you got to meet her socially so uh outside of that setting yeah you know it was really funny because um I so one of my friends um who I played volleyball with went to Berkeley with her and they were friends and I remember this was probably like 2007 I want to say when I was visiting her and you know she was talking about her how talented she is and you know we all knew she was good but I don't think anybody expected her to have the impact that she has had and you know I I want to say that it's I think you know she did a lot for women's soccer what we're seeing Caitlyn Clark do in the WNBA right now and I think it's sort of very easy it could have been very easy for her to kind of Coast on that role of being this kind of poster child this Superstar but she didn't just you know rely on that she understood how strong her impact it was and she used it to be a supporter to be an ally to be a driver of the sport of all women's sports in general and I just think it's really commendable what what she's done and the amount of freaking goal she has scored for this country I mean it's crazy let's let's talk about Alex in the player a little bit nicknamed baby horse and uh for those who don't know there tell them why she's nicknamed baby horse well she has a very specific style of play that is so elegant with these long strides but also sort of like I I almost think she kind of plays a bit like a T-Rex like with her little hands like moving like that okay and I feel like that's where the baby horse uh came from um she's very you know that iconic also the pink prewrap ponytail headband and the long ponytail kind of like a horse's tail yeah she is baby horse very iconic in that respect and it was it was very interesting because for many years she held the number nine spot for the US Women's National Team right up there in the front and it was a very interesting career because you know was she kind of came in at a time when the the sort of golden generation or whatever you want to call it for the US Women's National team was kind of subsiding and she came in at a at a great time for the team because they really needed her presence yeah and you know I will say I think everybody is probably was very shocked by her retirement announcement and um you know given how when she exactly you know she came and she's had this long 15 16 year career I think we expected more of a drawn out retirement but in a way it's almost like ripping the Band-Aid off you know we didn't have time to cry and get emotional so yeah of course 13 minutes in her last match for the San Diego wave a penalty we won't talk about that but uh a lot of people were saying oh maybe Casey Murphy should let the ball go into the into the goal you were firmly against that though when we talked no absolutely not that's not I mean it was not yes the PK and then also just the game in general was it was terrible I mean they then they go on to get a red card and yeah you know yeah North Carolina ends up putting four on the scoreboard it was not uh yeah but that moment was very touching and um you know I think some people also will remember her when she's already getting a decent amount of criticism when she returned from the gold for the Gold Cup uh replacing Me official she did go ahead and sync that PK so I think she got some Redemption there and we should remember her in that light of course because they won that tournament too yes and for everything that she I mean it doesn't even the past 20123 2024 does not even hold a candle to what she's been able to accomplish so it's not a reflection whatsoever yeah for sure so I think it's only appropriate as the US Women's National team moves into the next phase that as Alex W retires remember our favorite moment from Alex Morgan so I'll start off with mine and uh it's of course the Olympic semi-final against Canada with the score tied up she scores a game-winning goal in the 123rd minute and sends the US women to the Olympic final that of course is my favorite moment that was a good one um I I have two um okay so mine my first one is her first goal I want to say it was her third cap um it was against Mexico at this very very snowy game um in Utah and I'm sure everybody has seen the footage um it's just like a is one of those very cool quirky moments um so that was my first one and then the second one which is I think something a lot of people remember is on her 30th birthday in the the US England semifinal in the 2019 World Cup we get a great assist from Miss Lindsay heran who soon to be co- captains together in the falling World Cup And Then There Goes Alex Morgan gets a hetan and does the most iconic celebration of the sipping the and I remember there was like quite a bit of criticism of that celebration and that was like the one of the first times I remember her being like you know you know there's this expectation of women in sports that we shouldn't be a little you know sassy with our cele with our celebrations and things like that and you know I think it's silly I think we should celebrate and I I thought it was it was just such a badass moment and it was just cool I also love those kits so I think her scoring in that red Kit was like super yeah and it kind of reminds me like for us for me growing up I I remember that Brandy chesting moment obviously of you know with the sports bra that was like cemented into my memory I think Alex Morgan occupies that role for a lot of little girls and boys yeah it was it was a truly illustrious career so Shana let me end with this any any more thoughts you have about Alex Morgan before we let her go into the retirement mode H I just I mean it's hard honestly like I for me personally she really defined this generation of US soccer and she she galvanized not only an interest in American soccer just across the board but of course women's soccer and um women's sports in general and this is her Legacy and I think she will be known you know forever for that and um not to mention just being freaking one of the best US soccer players ever I mean it's just it's phenomenal and I'm really I'm going to miss her a lot and it makes me feel kind of weird like oh God I'm growing up too so I've had a tough time with it you know um but wishing her all the best and um she has you know a lots of great businesses a media company and we can only we're only going to expect more from her off the pitch as as time goes on and congrats to her um and having a second child and um yeah yeah well Alex Morgan it's all about her great career and what she's going to do next I'm sure she'll have an impact on the US Women's National Team so I'll say this as we finish go US Women's National Team Go Alex Morgan and go USA thank next time [Music]