Breakaway

by Alex Morgan

  See? Everything can change in an instant. I felt like I’d arrived. All that training, all that hard work, and here it was, the end of January, and I’d made my goal. Now I just had to prove that Pia had made the right decision.

  • • •

  The final of the Olympic qualifying tournament was held in Vancouver on January 29, 2012, and in front of a record crowd that topped twenty-five thousand people, we beat Canada on their home turf.

  Our 4–0 victory was a testament to how well Abby and I played together. Pia had put us in a 4-4-2 formation, so I was up front as a striker alongside Abby. This was the first time we had started together, and I think that day marks the official beginning of the beautiful soccer we’ve been playing together ever since.

  I got a goal in the fourth minute off an assist from Abby, and then Abby scored in the twenty-fourth and twenty-eighth minutes off assists from me. But what was so exciting was that Abby’s second goal marked her 131st career goal, which surpassed Kristine Lilly’s second-place record. Abby was behind Mia Hamm as the second-highest scorer in US history! We were thrilled for her—she’d worked her heart out for this—and I was so honored to have helped her get there.

  But despite how well I was playing, I still felt like I had so much to learn, even about very basic game tactics. Don’t feel bad if you find yourself feeling as inexperienced as I did. It’s totally normal, and usually there’s someone to help you through it. For me, that person was Abby. I remember looking at her, confused, after the third goal in the second half and saying, “So where do we go from here?”

  Abby’s such a veteran that she didn’t have to think twice when she responded to me. “Our work’s not finished yet,” she replied. She was right: We had to keep fighting. What she’d told me was a fundamental lesson, but I needed to hear it at that moment. You can’t let up till the final whistle blows.

  We did just as Abby said: We never stopped. In the second half, Canada had a few chances to score, but we were just too strong. And in the fifty-sixth minute, I made one more goal. Soon the whistle blew.

  We had won the tournament, proving to the world that we were number one. The World Cup loss became a distant memory as we celebrated on the field, relishing what had been one of our best tournaments ever. We’d outscored our opponents 38–0, never once letting a ball into our goal. We were joyful and proud, and we were headed to the Olympics.

  Never Let Up

  The final game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament didn’t mean much in the scheme of things. We were already granted entry into Olympics, so we didn’t have to win. But you should never slack off on your goals just because something big isn’t on the line. Work hard for the sake of showing yourself and the world how successful you can be. In Abby’s case, she broke records in a game that didn’t even really mean much! Put your all into everything you do because if you perform below your abilities, you’re cheating yourself.

  CHAPTER 37

  * * *

  We had six months to wait before the Olympics, but we weren’t going to be just sitting around. We had the Algarve Cup in Portugal ahead of us, a few friendly matches, and a tournament in Sweden before the flight to London. I was living out of a suitcase, but I loved it!

  Pia would also be naming the eighteen-person roster in late May. I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t be on it, but after playing so well at the qualifying tournament, the likelihood was slim.

  The Algarve Cup in late February and early March wound up being like a rehearsal for the Olympics. Most of the teams we’d face in London were there, and they were all playing their best. Even though we didn’t win the tournament—we were defeated by Japan in the semifinals and came in third place—I felt like I’d grown by leaps and bounds as a player and as a contributor to the team. And in the third-place match against Sweden, I scored my first hat trick on the national squad!

  Canada ended up winning the whole tournament, defeating Japan. With that, the outlook for the Olympics became clearer and clearer for us. Japan and Canada were the teams to watch out for. We’d played each many times, and in the case of Canada’s Christine Sinclair, I’d played with her on the Flash. Team Canada were going to be tough opponents in London. We’d have to keep practicing with that in mind.

  But if the Algarve Cup was a rehearsal, the Sweden Invitational in June was a dress rehearsal. The tournament featured only three teams—us, Japan, and Sweden—who were the three top finishers from 2011’s World Cup. Pia promised us that Sweden in the summer would be glorious, and it was. The games were right before the summer solstice, so the sun hung in the sky until midnight, and the weather couldn’t have been more pleasant.

  We played beautifully, beating Sweden 3–1 and Japan 4–1. I started in both games and scored three goals between them, and with a total of seventeen goals for the season, I became the team’s scoring leader.

  When the roster for the Olympics was named, I was on it. I’d worked so hard for it, and I’d made it. My dream of wearing Olympic gold was feeling more real by the day.

  • • •

  As we boarded the plane for London at the beginning of July, we were excited, nervous, thrilled, confident, happy, and in disbelief all at the same time. This was the Olympics. We’d been training for this for almost a year, and we were ready. It was sure to be a grand event, but we couldn’t have known it would be the biggest moment of our lives.

  Prepare and Practice

  Preparation is everything when you’re going after your goals. The Olympics were my single biggest dream—they were something I’d been thinking about since I was a kid. And after the World Cup loss, we wanted the gold medal more than anything. But we wouldn’t have felt as ready as we did if we hadn’t practiced every day, twice a day. You will get nowhere without practice, so put your heart into it every single day. I promise it will pay off!

  CHAPTER 38

  * * *

  Being at the Olympics was surreal. We were set to play in stadiums that were steeped in history, where some of the most exciting soccer games had been played. The English soccer leagues are hugely popular, so much so that they’re followed internationally, and you can turn on your television on Saturday morning in the United States and see Manchester United or Arsenal or Liverpool playing. We knew that in addition to the fact that it was the Olympics, the country’s passion for the game would bring out the crowds. But I never expected the energy to be as great as it was.

  We missed the opening ceremonies because we were already playing matches, so we didn’t get to walk along with the American contingent, carrying the flag and smiling and waving for the cameras. Instead, we held our own opening ceremony. We dressed up in the outfits the US Olympic Committee had provided, and we marched and paraded around the hotel and our dining room. We posted some pictures on social media, then went back upstairs and rested up for our game the next day.

  There were twelve teams there—eleven who’d qualified, and England, who was given entry because they were the host country. As with other tournaments, we’d compete in the group stage first, where we’d play three games, with group winners, runners-up, and the two best third-ranked teams advancing to the quarterfinals. That was when the knockout stage started—if you lost in the quarterfinals, you were out.

  We got off to a rocky start in our first game against France. In the first fifteen minutes, France scored twice, and we were shocked. Then Shannon Boxx, our center midfielder, went down with a hamstring injury. We were down 2–0 and had to make an early substitution. Could this get worse? While a loss in the group stage wouldn’t mean elimination, it certainly wasn’t the way we wanted to begin things. But we knew that if we stayed calm and played our hardest, things would take a turn for the better.

  Abby and I had forged such a bond by this point, and soon after the second goal, we looked at each other and said, “All right, a goal each.” As Hope said later, we were ice-cold and we knew we could do i
t. And sure enough, Abby and I each scored by the half.

  We fought back more in the second half and went on to win 4–2, with me scoring the last goal of the game. We were relieved, thrilled, and determined not to go down 2–0 again!

  • • •

  Our second game in the group stage was three days later against Colombia, and boy, was it dramatic. Soccer is not always the most ethical sport. While it doesn’t happen as often in the United States, players often flop on the field to fake a foul and get a penalty kick, or people trip other players, trying to make it look like an accident. Penalties exist to punish and prevent this kind of behavior.

  We were up 1–0 in the first half, and in the thirty-ninth minute Abby was running toward the goal to get in position. Right then, one of the Colombian players sucker punched her right in the eye. You read that right—she hit her in the face! Abby went down, writhing in pain.

  I couldn’t believe it. There Abby was on the ground, kicking the turf, and I could only imagine what was going through her head.

  Abby later said about the incident, “You think about yourself and what you would do on the street if somebody were to sucker punch you. And you have all of the lists of things that you would probably do to retaliate, but this is Olympics, and I can’t risk getting a red card. I can’t risk getting a yellow card.”

  So Abby took action the best way she knew how. Despite getting taunted and then hit in the neck by the same player in the second half, Abby scored a goal in the seventy-fourth minute, capturing the record for the most goals in the Olympics. Her celebration was hilarious. After she scored, she went up to the cameras and used her fingers to open her bruised and swollen eye. It was the perfect retaliation.

  Then we scored one more goal and beat Colombia 3–0.

  • • •

  After our victory against Colombia, Brandi Chastain made a comment on ESPN about our defense. She said that we’d played an A-minus game mostly because of defensive issues, and she called out Rachel Buehler.

  This really rubbed Hope the wrong way, and she took to Twitter. She wrote:

  Lay off commentating about defending and [goalkeeping] until you get more educated @brandichastain the game has changed from a decade ago.

  Hope’s known to be outspoken, so no one on our team was surprised or upset. And if you’ll recall, I know a thing or two about Twitter outbursts, so I won’t judge her. But the press had been critical of Hope, and that brought the mood of the whole team down. We were on a winning streak, and suddenly, people were talking about everything but how we were playing.

  Abby decided that in our next game, which was against North Korea, that was going to change. She just wanted people to forget what had happened. Plus, the game was on Hope’s birthday, so we thought she needed some fun. Abby proposed that Hope would do the worm if anyone on our team scored. No one thought Hope would agree—she usually didn’t join in celebrations—but she did!

  With the possibility of a worm-dancing goalkeeper in our future, the mood was light when we hit the field at Old Trafford, the historic stadium where Manchester United plays. North Korea was a formidable opponent, but we just played better, and Abby scored in the twenty-fifth minute. Sure enough, Hope dropped to the ground and did the worm! Christie Rampone joined in, and we all grabbed hands and did a little worm wave with our arms. It was hilarious, and it brought us all together in the same way making those snow angels had done years before. In any stressful situation, it’s so important to laugh.

  Then we went on to win 1–0!

  Laughter Is the Best Medicine

  There was so much stress at the beginning of the Olympics, but laughter took us through it. If Abby hadn’t persuaded Hope to do the worm, her battle with Brandi Chastain might have left a bad taste in people’s mouths. But by laughing and having fun, we showed ourselves and the world that we could move on. Lightening the mood—by telling a joke, watching a funny movie, or doing something silly—can help lessen yours and other people’s tension. Laughter really is the best medicine.

  CHAPTER 39

  * * *

  Pia said something after our next match—the quarterfinal game against New Zealand—that I think can really help you as you’re working toward making your dreams come true. If you’re succeeding and climbing higher and higher, you’re going to feel a great drive to win. It almost becomes an expectation. And, in fact, you may thrive on it. About us, Pia said, “It’s a winning team, so they’ve been living with the pressure. I just look at the team and it feels like they perform under pressure. They like the pressure. The harder it is, the more you get out of the team.”

  You have to embrace the stress that’s put upon you and that you put upon yourself. Let it drive you ahead. It’s like the adrenaline you feel if something scary happens—it causes you to run faster than you’ve ever run. And that’s what we were feeling as we headed into the stadium to play New Zealand. If we lost this game, we were out of the Olympics. That was just not going to happen.

  We were so pumped up as we headed onto the field, and we didn’t let up the entire game. Abby scored first, in the twenty-seventh minute, off an assist from me. I had a lot of chances for goals—one shot early on and a later pass from Megan that went right past me as I slid for it—but I didn’t get any in. And that was okay. As long as the team won, I was happy.

  A 1–0 lead is good, but it’s not a slam dunk, so we headed into the second half determined to make our lead decisive. It was an aggressive game, and I got knocked to the ground so hard that the opposing player and I had to be checked out by a medic on the field, but we both picked ourselves up and kept playing. You might have seen this on YouTube—it went viral for a day or two.

  With ten minutes left in the game, my good friend Sydney Leroux, who was at that point the youngest player on the team, came onto the field to replace me. I had known Sydney so long and wanted to see her have her moment. Sure enough, she was dominant, and when Tobin made a long pass down the field, Sydney captured it, gained control, and took off. She kicked it hard . . . right through the goalie’s legs.

  The look on Sydney’s face after she scored, putting us up 2–0, was one of utter disbelief and sheer exhilaration. I jumped off the bench and ran onto the field to congratulate her. This was her first Olympic goal, and it had sealed our victory in that game. Pia had used Sydney to change the energy of the game, as she’d done so many times with me, and it had worked. We had won.

  We went into the locker room euphoric but tired. It had been a long day, but we vowed to stay charged up. We had a big game ahead of us—the semifinal against Canada. Canada had won the Algarve Cup, so we thought the game might not be easy. But we had no idea just how difficult it would be. . . .

  Celebrate Others’ Successes

  Feeling happy for other people when they make their goals can be just as exciting as when you make your own. When Sydney subbed for me, of course I was disappointed not to be playing, but I was happy for her. And then she scored! I think seeing that look on her face was one of the happiest moments of the Olympics for me. My friend hit a huge milestone and propelled us all forward. You may feel jealous when someone else does well, and while that’s natural, it doesn’t help you. If anything, it’s counterproductive. You may begin comparing yourself to another person when instead you should be working to the best of your abilities. Try to be happy for other people when they do well—you’d want the same from them.

  CHAPTER 40

  * * *

  August 6, 2012, was a typical English night: a little damp, with just a slight chill in the air. As I wrapped my jacket around my shoulders and headed into Old Trafford with my teammates, I had no inkling how significant the night ahead would be. I just knew I had to focus on one thing: winning.

  If the USA beat Canada, we’d move on to the Olympic final and play Japan. My teammates and I were prepared to do whatever we had to do to get to that final, gold-medal game.
We just had to have the opportunity to show the world that last year’s World Cup loss to Japan was a fluke. We were the best team in the world, not them. So Canada was just going to be a bump in the road. In fact, they were the lowest ranked of all the semifinal teams, so while they were good, we knew we were better. We’d just power through this game like we had all the others—by working as a team, being aggressive, and fending off the defenders to score some goals.

  There were more than twenty-six thousand people in the stands that night at the “Theatre of Dreams.” That’s the nickname for Old Trafford, the stadium where David Beckham had played and where some of the fiercest rivalries in English soccer had unfolded. I could hear the chants of “USA! USA!” as the starting whistle was blown.

  We kicked off, with me passing the ball back to Lauren Cheney. Within ten seconds Lauren was tripped, signifying the kind of game that was ahead of us. Canada was obviously hungry. Lauren took a great free kick from midfield, but the Canadians got to the ball before we could, quickly getting the ball out of the box.

  But then it was my turn. I dribbled the ball past some defenders, my eye on Abby, ready to pass to her in the midfield. But before I could, a defender hit me on my right shoulder and knocked me off my feet. We were only a minute into the game, and I’d already been fouled. Canada was playing aggressively, and we’d have to be aggressive back.

  Carli Lloyd took the free kick, but the ball whizzed past Megan Rapinoe, who was in the box and might have had a winning shot if she’d been able to get to the ball sooner.

  The next ten minutes or so passed quickly. We did a great job of keeping the ball away from Hope, and I imagined she was even kind of bored as we kept the ball in the midfield, passing from player to player. Megan made a powerful shot early on, but the Canadian goalie deflected it.