Orlando Pride’s Alex Morgan Nominated for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

U.S. Soccer announced this afternoon that Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan has been nominated for the 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. Morgan, who claimed the award in 2012 while a member of Seattle Sounders Women of the USL W-League, is one of five finalists for the award, joining Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Samantha Mewis, and Megan Rapinoe. None of the other finalists have previously won the honor.

At the international level, Morgan played in 14 of the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 16 games this year, including in the SheBelieves Cup, the Tournament of Nations, and the home-and-home series against Canada in November. Morgan started seven of the 14 games in which she took part in 2017 — including all of the last four — scoring a team-leading seven goals and accumulating two assists. She finished the year with a streak of seven goals across the final seven USWNT games of the year.

The 28-year-old started her second season with the Pride in July after helping Olympique Lyonnais to French Cup, French league, and UEFA Champions League titles. She played in 13 games for the Pride, scoring nine goals and recording four assists. Her addition helped the Pride reach the playoffs for the first time in their existence. Despite coming in partway through the season, her play earned her NWSL Second XI honors. Her play throughout the year for Orlando earned one of The Mane Land’s top season-ending grades among Pride players.

The voting process, which was revamped in 2014, includes national team coaches and staff, 2017 national team players, members of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, U.S. Soccer’s Athlete Council, National Women’s Soccer League coaches, select college head coaches, and select media members. Voting for the award will run through Dec. 12, with the winner being announced later on this month.