Since winning the 2019 World Cup, Alex Morgan has had two long absences from the US national team. The first was her choice: she had a baby girl, Charlie, in May 2020. Coupled with an ankle injury, that kept her out of international action for 508 days.
The second absence was coach Vlatko Andonovski’s decision. In the wake of the team’s disappointing 2021 Olympics (the US won bronze – an achievement in the eyes of most, but not the four-time winners),