Anyone hoping for Alex Morgan to bust out the tea celebration at Wembley Stadium next month will be sorely disappointed.
The U.S. women’s national team forward, who famously celebrated a 2019 Women’s World Cup goal vs. England in that manner, has been left out of the U.S.’s trip abroad for friendlies against the European champion Lionesses and Spain with a knee injury. Crystal Dunn, who gave birth in May, and Alyssa Thompson, a 17-year-old forward, are among the notable inclusions for Vlatko Andonovski’s side, which will be tested by the two European teams in a big way as part of preparations for next summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“These are big tests for our team in front of crowds cheering against us and after long travel, but our players absolutely love games like these,” Andonovski said in a statement. “The group we are bringing to Europe includes players who have a lot of experience against top European teams and some that don’t, so these games are even more critical for our growth as our team. Our whole squad needs to get a clear picture of what these games are like as we continue to prepare for the World Cup.”
