Alex Morgan had just arrived in the Coachella Valley, a few hours east of Los Angeles. That's when she received word that forward Mia Fishel had torn her anterior cruciate ligament while training near Los Angeles the day before the U.S. opener of the Concacaf World Gold Cup. Morgan was heading to National Women's Soccer League She played in the preseason tournament, but now she was needed in camp. american women's national team.
Morgan picked up her unpacked bag and headed to Los Angeles to join the United States. The next day, she came on as a substitute in the 67th minute of the game between the United States and the Dominican Republic and scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in a 5–0 victory.
“I wanted to be prepared in case there was an injury or something, so that's what I did,” Morgan said Monday on ESPN's Football Americas. “We worked hard, worked with San Diego and did extra things with Casey.” [Stoney], the San Diego coach, and I was fortunate enough to be approached because I wanted to use this preseason as an opportunity to grow as a player and as a teammate. ”
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