Soccer star Alex Morgan announces knee injury, out remainder of 2019 season
Orlando Pride star forward Alex Morgan will miss the rest of the NWSL season due to a knee injury and took to social media Monday to address the setback.
"This year has had the highest of highs but along with that comes challenges and sometimes even falling short of my goals I set for myself in 2019," she wrote alongside three photos on Instagram. "I’m disappointed I won’t be able to compete with the Pride for the remainder of 2019 due to a knee injury I’ve been managing since the World Cup, and that I can’t be there to help my teammates and my club have more success. Thank you fans, friends, teammates, and teams for all your support. I have already started physical therapy in LA and am eager to get back on the field doing what I love."
Morgan, who competed with the Pride in six National Women’s Soccer League matches before the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and two matches after, sustained a patella stress reaction in her right knee, according to the Orlando Pride. Morgan was ruled out for the conclusion of the season and the team said it stemmed from a prior injury she sustained while playing with the U.S. women's national team, which Morgan also confirmed.
"It’s obviously difficult to lose a player of Alex’s caliber due to injury," Orlando Pride General Manager Erik Ustruck said. "However, after consulting with the Club’s medical team at Orlando Health and U.S. Soccer, we felt it was in the best interest of Alex’s long-term health to shut her down for the season to focus on the rehabilitation process and take the appropriate time to recover from the lingering knee injury.”
The 30-year-old California native has scored 18 of her 33 career goals with the Pride since joining them in 2016.
Shortly after the team's World Cup win, Morgan took home another trophy when she received the 2019 ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete.
As co-captain of the USWNT, Morgan tied a record, which stood from Michelle Akers when the World Cup tournament began in 1991, for most goals scored in a single women's soccer game with five in the win over Thailand.
The Orlando Pride will face Sky Blue football club in New Jersey on Sept. 29, the first of their final three games to be played without Morgan.
