Portugal Fight Back To Stun Usa Women On Alex Morgan Farewell Night

The US women’s squad stumbled Thursday successful their first crippled since July, allowing a extremity successful each half that sent Portugal to its first triumph against nan Americans, 2-1 connected a nighttime two-time World Cup victor Alex Morgan was feted pinch a star-studded farewell.

Portugal not only hit nan US for nan first clip successful 12 matches, they scored their first goals against nan Americans successful world play.

US coach Emma Hayes said she could show astatine believe up of nan lucifer nan astir four-month layoff could impact nan team.

“It felt to maine for illustration we conscionable hadn’t played together for a agelong time,” Hayes said. “I conscionable didn’t admit us.”

Rose Lavelle scored only 33 seconds into nan friends for nan Americans, only for Inês Pereira to unopen them down nan remainder of nan game.

Lavelle electrified nan crowd that included retired Eagles awesome Jason Kelce wrong Subaru Park – nan location section for nan MLS’ Philadelphia Union – erstwhile she scored earlier galore of nan much than 17,000 fans had moreover settled into their seats pursuing a pregame ceremonial for Morgan.

“Sometimes, you tin commencement nan crippled for illustration that and you deliberation to yourself, I dream we don’t beryllium backmost and beryllium passive,” Hayes said. “That’s what we did.”

Portugal’s Diana Gomes scored her eighth world extremity erstwhile she sewage a header past Phallon Tullis-Joyce that tied nan crippled 1-all successful nan first half. Portugal had been outscored 40-0 by nan United States successful nan erstwhile 11 matches betwixt them, positive Lavelle’s goal.

Fatima Pinto scored her 5th world extremity from atop nan container done postulation precocious successful nan 2nd half for nan victor that gave Portugal their landmark victory.

Alex Morgan waves to nan crowd connected Thursday nighttime successful Chester, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Ricky Fitchett/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

“There is simply a modular of winning, and it benignant of exceeds each those things, whether it’s nan clip isolated aliases nan property of nan squad aliases experience. We person a prime now of really we respond,” midfielder Sam Coffey said.

The U.S women returned aft a 113-day layoff for nan commencement of a existent ramp-up toward World Cup qualifications. There’s different lucifer scheduled against Portugal and 1 against New Zealand to adjacent retired nan three-match model astatine nan extremity of nan month.

The squad needs nan activity earlier nan results genuinely matter.

“We didn’t look for illustration nan squad that we’ve been moving connected but that’s what happens erstwhile you’ve sewage 113 days apart,” Hayes said.

With Morgan successful nan house, nan stadium underwent a makeover successful grant of her large night.

Her top moments (such arsenic her four-goal crippled for nan U-20 women’s World Cup team) were recognized successful stand-up cutouts that lined extracurricular nan stadium. Girls lined up astatine nan Alex Morgan pre-wrap position to get their hairsbreadth “game-day ready” and T-shirts and banners pinch her sanction connected them were nan basking items astatine merch stores. Fans everyplace raised signs showing Morgan emotion successful her nationalist squad send-off.

Even nationalist squad members who couldn’t return nan section wouldn’t miss Morgan’s night. The 36-year-old Morgan retired from shot past twelvemonth erstwhile she became pregnant pinch her 2nd child.

American guardant Trinity Rodman was connected manus for Morgan’s ceremony but did not play arsenic she recovers from a knee injury. Rodman has only played for nan Americans erstwhile since they won nan 2024 Olympic golden medal successful France. Abby Wambach, Kelley O’Hara and Megan Rapinoe besides attended nan game.

Besides World Cup titles successful 2015 and 2019, Morgan besides won an Olympic golden badge successful 2012. She played successful 224 matches for nan US – and was honored pinch a framed jersey pinch that full arsenic nan number – pinch 123 goals and 53 assists. She was chosen nan US Soccer Player of nan Year successful 2012 and 2018.

Morgan besides played successful 150 NWSL matches complete her career, which included stints pinch nan Portland Thorns and nan Orlando Pride. She rejoined nan Wave successful May arsenic a number stakeholder.

Hayes only had Morgan for 1 crippled during her tenure. But nan erstwhile Chelsea coach has been astir nan athletics agelong capable to admit Morgan’s effect connected nan crippled – and for her to beryllium feted astatine nan aforesaid stadium wherever she scored her first nationalist squad extremity successful 2010.

“There was thing she didn’t achieve,” Hayes said a time earlier. “She was a subordinate that epitomized everything this programme is about. She’s an unbelievable in installments to her family because her drive, her desire, her determination to beryllium herself astatine nan highest level is 2nd to none.

“You can’t spell anyplace successful this state without them talking astir Alex Morgan, and I deliberation nan athletics should show a batch of gratitude to that, because it’s important for our players to beryllium recognizable. And she is, without question, successful caller times, 1 of nan astir recognizable faces successful our sport.”