Alex Morgan makes long-awaited Tottenham debut
Alex Morgan gets her first minutes in a competitive game since August 2019.
Alex Morgan fans have waited for over a year to see the USWNT star on the field in a competitive match. Morgan gave birth to her daughter Charlie in May and has been steadily working her way back to game fitness.
Her return to play program and timeline has been ever-changing as she originally tried to speed up an unpredictable and challenging process in hopes of competing with the USWNT at the 2020 Olympics.
With the Olympics postponed to 2021, it appeared she could take a breath and follow a healthier and more realistic timeline that would end with her making her 2020 debut with the NWSL’s Orlando Pride. Her plans took one final swerve as the NWSL was forced into a shortened, makeshift season courtesy of COVID-19, and Alex Morgan decided it made more sense to take her journey abroad to Tottenham.
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The long wait finally ended on Saturday as Alex Morgan’s second-half substitution saw her get her first 21 minutes of action for the Tottenham Hotspurs in England’s Women’s Super League. Morgan signed her contract with the Spurs back in September but has needed these two months to ramp up her fitness, work off the rust, and get back into top soccer form post-pregnancy.
Her return to play came none too soon for a struggling Tottenham side that now finds themselves in 11th place following their 1-1 draw with Reading on Saturday. Tottenham knowingly took a gamble by signing a player that wouldn’t even set foot on the field for two months, but they’re desperately hoping their gamble pays off now as they turn to Alex Morgan to lead them out of this rather deeply dug hole.
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It might be a while longer before we see the Alex Morgan we remember from the 2019 World Cup, but Saturday was an exciting day for Morgan, her fans, and her new club nonetheless. As we await her first goal for the club, it looks like the striker is well on her way to being the asset that Tottenham so desperately needs.