Morgan Paige Gautrat (; born February 26, 1993) is an American
soccer player who most recently played for the
Kansas City Current
Kansas City Current is an American professional women's soccer team based in Kansas City, Kansas. It began play as an expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2021.
History Establishment
Kansas City last had an NWSL t ...
of the
National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women's professional soccer in the United States, and the
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles ( 1991, 1999, 2015, an ...
. She first appeared for the United States national team during a friendly against
Korea Republic
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
on June 15, 2013. She has since made 87 total appearances for the team and scored 8 goals.
Gautrat played collegiate soccer with the
University of Virginia Cavaliers from 2011 to 2014. In her four years with the Cavaliers, she scored 41 goals and recorded 43 assists, finishing her collegiate career ranked second in career points, second in career assists, and fifth in career goals. Gautrat won the
MAC Hermann Trophy in both 2013 and 2014, becoming the fourth women's player to win the award in consecutive years.
Following her collegiate career, Gautrat was selected first overall by the Houston Dash in the
2015 NWSL College Draft
The 2015 NWSL College Draft was the third annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select eligible college players. It was held on January 16, 2015 at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, PA.
Format
*Draft order wa ...
.
Gautrat helped the United States win their titles at the
2015 and
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international Women's association football championship contested by 24 women's national teams representing member associations of FIFA. I ...
. At age 22, she was the youngest member of the team at the 2015 World Cup.
Early life
Born in St. Simons Island, Georgia to Vickie and Steve Brian, Morgan was raised with her older sister Jennifer.
St. Simon's Island had an immense soccer culture and Gautrat played with girls who were four or five years older than she. Because of her small size among the team, she earned the nickname 'Plankton.' Gautrat eventually went on to play with the Ponte Vedra Storm in
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is a wealthy unincorporated seaside community and suburb of Jacksonville, Florida in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jackson ...
, where she played from U-12 to U-19.
However, the team played as the Clay County Soccer Club for their U-19-year.
While with the Storm, Gautrat won state championships at the U-17 and U-19 levels.
In their U-19-year, as the Clay County Soccer Club, the team won the 2012 United States Youth Soccer National Championship. Gautrat missed the championships, as she was with the United States U-20 women's national team.
Gautrat tried out for the Olympic Development Program state team in Florida along with all of her teammates from the Ponte Vedra Storm. She did not make the ODP team that first year; however she used that as motivation to train harder. She eventually made the state, regional, and national ODP teams.
Regarding her experience playing in ODP, Gautrat stated that is "was what got
errecognized in the beginning."
Gautrat attended
Frederica Academy
Frederica Academy is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school located on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, United States. It serves students from grades Pre-K to 12. The school has a fully functional lower school, middle school, a ...
in St. Simon's Island from 2007 to 2011, where she played soccer all four years and helped the team win four consecutive state titles. In addition to soccer, Gautrat also played varsity basketball as an eighth-grader, freshman, sophomore, and senior. She received both All-Region and All-State recognition for basketball.
Gautrat ended her high school soccer career with 186 goals and 95 assists. She was a two-time Parade All-American and two-time Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year. In 2010, she was named an
NSCAA
The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...
High School and Youth All-American and was also the 2010 NSCAA Youth Player of the Year as well as the 2010 Parade National Player of the Year. In 2011, she was named
Gatorade National Player of the Year. Gautrat was also the first soccer player to be honored as the Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year in 2011.
University of Virginia Cavaliers, 2011–2014
Gautrat attended the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
. As a first year in 2011, she started in 22 games and appeared in 23 of the 24 total matches. As a midfielder, she was the second-leading scorer for the Cavaliers with 11 goals and eight assists. She was named the Soccer America National Freshman of the Year, NSCAA First-Team All-American, Second-Team Soccer America MVP and was a semi-finalist for the
Hermann Trophy. She was named the
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-ACC.
During her second year, Gautrat appeared in 15 games, starting 13, after missing the beginning of the season due to representing the United States at the
2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup where she helped the US take home gold. Gautrat scored four goals and served seven assists for the Cavaliers. She was named NSCAA 1st Team All-Southeast Region, First Team All-ACC, ACC Tournament MVP as well as Second Team Soccer America MVP, Second Team TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season, and First Team VaSID All-State.
As a third year in 2013, Gautrat started 25 games. She was first in
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in scoring with 46 points on 16 goals and a league-high 14 assists. She scored in all four NCAA Tournament wins to lead Virginia to College Cup. She was named Soccer America Player of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Year, VaSID State Player of the Year, First-Team NSCAA All-American, First-Team Soccer America MVP and First-Team All-ACC. She was named winner of 2013
Hermann Trophy.
As a fourth year in 2014, Gautrat repeated as the winner of the Hermann Trophy, becoming the fifth woman to win the award twice, after
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra (; born March 17, 1972) is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the ...
of North Carolina (1992 and 1993),
Cindy Parlow
Cynthia Marie Parlow Cone (; born May 8, 1978) is an American soccer executive and president of the United States Soccer Federation. A former professional soccer player, she is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup ch ...
of North Carolina (1997 and 1998),
Christine Sinclair of Portland (2004 and 2005) and
Kerri Hanks
Kerri Michel Hanks Petersen (; born September 2, 1985) is an American soccer forward who last played for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer. She is currently the head coach for the Clay County United Soccer Alliance U18 girls' soccer t ...
(2006 and 2008).
Club career
Houston Dash, 2015–2017
On January 16, 2015, the
Houston Dash
The Houston Dash is a professional women's soccer team based in Houston, Texas. It joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the 2014 season, and is affiliated with the MLS team Houston Dynamo FC.
History Establishment
On November ...
selected Gautrat with the first overall pick in the
2015 NWSL College Draft
The 2015 NWSL College Draft was the third annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select eligible college players. It was held on January 16, 2015 at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, PA.
Format
*Draft order wa ...
for the
2015 season of the
National Women's Soccer League.
Gautrat made her first appearance for the Dash on April 10, 2015 in a match against the
Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that participates in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is a continuation of the D.C. United Women of the W-League and cont ...
. Due to commitments with the United States women's national team at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, Gautrat missed almost half of the NWSL season. She returned to the Dash in late-July, appearing in a match against
FC Kansas City on July 20. Gautrat made ten appearances for the Dash in the regular season, recording three assists in 810 minutes played. The Dash finished fifth in the league and did not advance to the playoffs.
On January 13, 2016, Gautrat was on the official list of United States women's national team allocated players for the 2016, having been assigned to the Houston Dash along with Carli Lloyd. Gautrat made seven appearances for the Dash before joining the national team in preparation for the
2016 Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
. Gautrat will be returning to Houston for her third season in the NWSL and fifth overall season for the NWSL. Gautrat made her 2017 debut on May 6, 2017 in Chicago during the fourth week of the NWSL historical 5th season. Gautrat sat for the first few weeks due to a MCL injury that she sustained during her 66th appearance for the USWNT during the She Believes Cup against France in early March.
Chicago Red Stars, 2017
On August 30, 2017, the
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...
acquired Gautrat from the Dash for
Kristie Mewis
Kristen Anne Mewis (born February 25, 1991) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.
Early life
Mewis grew up in Hans ...
. In January 2018, Gautrat signed a deal to play in France for Olympique Lyonnais, Chicago retained her NWSL rights. The
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...
announced Gautrat's return to the team on June 19, 2018, as she signed a deal for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Olympique Lyonnais, 2018
On January 1, 2018,
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (; commonly referred to as Olympique Lyon, Lyon, or simply OL) is a French women's Women's association football, football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. It ...
announced they had signed Gautrat to a 2 and a half year deal, that would run until June 30, 2020. On May 30, 2018 it was reported that Gautrat was leaving Lyon after only 5 months. This was confirmed on June 19, 2018 as the
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...
announced she had signed a deal to return to the NWSL.
Chicago Red Stars, 2018–2022
On June 19, 2018, after having spending 5 months with
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (; commonly referred to as Olympique Lyon, Lyon, or simply OL) is a French women's Women's association football, football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. It ...
, Gautrat made her return to the
Chicago Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...
.
Gautrat appeared in 9 regular season games for the team before appearing in her first career NWSL playoff game on September 18. The next season, Gautrat helped lead Chicago to the playoffs again, where the team earned its first playoff win in team history; Gautrat scored her first career NWSL goal in a September 15 game against
Sky Blue FC
NJ/NY Gotham FC is a professional women's soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey. Founded in 2006 as Jersey Sky Blue, the team was known as Sky Blue FC from 2008 until 2020. A founding member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2013 ...
and was named to her first ever NWSL Team of the Month that same month. The Chicago Red Stars announced Gautrat's departure at the end of the 2022 season.
Club summary
Notes
International
Youth national teams
![FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2012 Awards Ceremony 15](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/FIFA_U-20_Women%27s_World_Cup_2012_Awards_Ceremony_15.JPG)
Gautrat was a member of the
United States U-17 women's national soccer team that placed third at the
2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in
Costa Rica. At age fifteen, she was the youngest member on the squad.
Gautrat was a member of the
United States U20 squad that won the
2012 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship
The 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship was the sixth edition of the CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Panama from 1 to 11 March 2012.
All matches were played at the Estadio Rommel Fernández. The top three ...
and earned a spot at the
2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. During the qualifying tournament, she played in four games totaling 337 minutes, scored one goal and served one assist. Her goal occurred during the team's 4–0 semi-final victory over Mexico, which earned the squad its berth to the U-20 Women's World Cup. Leading up to the World Cup, she earned 15 U-20 caps and scored three goals.
Gautrat would later help the team win the
2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan; playing all six matches and scoring a goal.
Describing Gautrat, head coach Steve Swanson said, "Morgan does everything extremely well, which is rare for any midfielder. She can finish, she makes great runs, she's an excellent passer, she can take players one-on-one and she can head the ball. There are not a lot of things she can't do, but what sets her apart is her brain. She's got an amazing soccer brain for her age and she's still one of the younger players on this team."
Senior national team
Gautrat received her first senior national team call-up in June 2013, when she was named to a 23-player roster for a training camp and a two-game series against the
Korea Republic
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
. At 20 years old, Gautrat was the youngest player on the roster. Gautrat earned her first cap on June 15, 2013 during the first match against the Korea Republic, replacing
Lauren Holiday
Lauren Cheney Holiday (born Lauren Nicole Cheney; September 30, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder and forward for the United States women's national football team from 2007 to 2015. She is a t ...
in the 77th minute.
On September 3, 2013, Gautrat made her second appearance in a match against
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
at
RFK Stadium. She replaced
Erika Tymrak
Erika Leigh Tymrak (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was previously a member of the United States under-17 team that was r ...
in the 70th minute. Two minutes later, Gautrat scored her first goal for the national team off an assist by
Abby Wambach. The United States won the match 7–0.
In 2014, Gautrat made 16 appearances with the national team while also playing with her college team.
She started off the year at a national team training camp from January 8 to 15 at
U.S. Soccer's National Training Center in
Carson, California. On February 24, Gautrat was named to the 24-player roster for the
2014 Algarve Cup
The 2014 Algarve Cup was the 21st edition of the Algarve Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held annually in Portugal. It took place between 5–12 March 2014.
Format
The twelve invited teams are split into three groups that played ...
that took place from March 5 to 12. She started in the team's first match of the tournament on March 5 against Japan, a 1–1 draw. She also started in the match against
Sweden on March 7, a game that ended the 43-game unbeaten streak for the United States. Gautrat started in the team's final match of the tournament against
Korea DPR
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
that secured their seventh-place finish in the tournament.
Gautrat joined the team for a two-game series against China on April 6 and 10. She started in both matches. In late April, Gautrat was named to a 22-player roster for a match against
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on May 8. She played 68 minutes of the match, which ended in a 1–1 draw. She was then named to the roster for two games against France on June 14 and 19. Gautrat was named to a 19-player roster for a match against
Switzerland on August 20 in Sandy, Utah. She made an appearance during the match, coming in for
Megan Rapinoe
Megan Anna Rapinoe (; born July 5, 1985) is an American professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Midfielder#Winger, winger and captains OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), as well as the United States ...
in the 78th minute. The United States went on the win 4–1.
Gautrat joined the national team for a training camp at the end of August in order to prepare for two matches against
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
in September as well as the
2014 CONCACAF Women's Qualifying tournament in October. She appeared in the first game against Mexico on September 13 and was subsequently named to the roster for the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship that served as a qualification for the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was the seventh FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship contested by the women's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada for the ...
. Gautrat made three appearances in the tournament, starting one.
Her first appearance of the tournament came during the team's final group match against
Haiti, when she replaced Tobin Heath in the 63rd minute. She also came in during the 67th minute of the semi-final match against Mexico on October 24, helping the United States win 3–0 and qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Her third appearance came during the final against
Costa Rica on October 26, helping the United States win the tournament. Following the CONCACAF Qualifying tournament, Gautrat was named to the 24-player roster for the
International Tournament of Brasilia in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
that took place from December 10 to 21. She came in for Lauren Holiday during the 65th minute of the match against Brazil on December 14. Gautrat made two assists in the match against Argentina on December 18. Gautrat played all 90 minutes in the final against Brazil. The game was a 0–0 draw, but the tournament title was given to Brazil, who had more points from the group stage.
Gautrat playing for the USWNT, May 2015, left
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
Gautrat started off the year at a 21-day training camp in 2015 from January 5 to 25 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California. Following the training camp, Gautrat was named to the 24-player team that would travel on a 13-day trip to Europe for matches against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in mid-February. Gautrat made the start in the match against France on February 8 and was replaced by Abby Wambach in 63rd minute.
She also played all 90 minutes in the match against England on February 13, which was a shutout victory for the United States.
On February 21, Gautrat was named to the 25-player roster for the
2015 Algarve Cup
The 2015 Algarve Cup was the 22nd edition of the Algarve Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held annually in Portugal. It took place on 4–11 March.
Format
Because of the number of competitive teams this year, the format was change ...
in Portugal. She played all 90 minutes of the team's opening match against
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
on March 4, a 2–1 victory for the United States. She also started in the final match against France on March 11, helping the United States win their 10th Algarve Cup title. Following the Algarve Cup, Gautrat was named to a 25-player roster on March 20 for a match against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on April 4 in St. Louis. She entered the match in the 79th minute and scored the team's fourth and final goal in the 81st minute, helping the United States defeat New Zealand 4–0.
On April 14, 2015, Gautrat was named to the 23-player roster that would represent the United States at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the age of 22, she was the youngest member of the team. She played in six games of the tournament, starting four.
Gautrat became a World Cup Champion on July 5, when she helped the United States defeat Japan 5–2 in the Women's World Cup final. She recorded an assist during the match, passing the ball to
Tobin Heath
Tobin Powell Heath (born May 29, 1988) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for OL Reign of the NWSL, as well as the United States national team. Heath has been described as "perhaps the USA's most skillful player" ...
, who scored the final goal of the game.
Gautrat joined the national team on a Victory Tour following their World Cup win that started in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
on August 16 and ended in
on December 16.
2016 Summer Olympics
Gautrat joined the national team for their first training camp of the year at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California from January 5 to 21. She was then named to the 20-player roster for
2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying. The United States qualified to the
2016 Olympic Games
)
, nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams)
, athletes = 11,238
, events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines)
, opening = 5 August 2016
, closing = 21 August 2016
, opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer
, cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro d ...
in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
after a semi-final win against
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
on February 19. Gautrat played all 90 minutes in the final against Canada on February 21. The United States won the tournament after defeating Canada 2–0 and Gautrat was named Budweiser Woman of the Match. Following the tournament, Gautrat was named to the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Best XI and also won the Golden Ball for best player.
Gautrat was named to the roster for the
2016 SheBelieves Cup
The 2016 SheBelieves Cup was the inaugural edition of the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held in the United States. It took place between March 3 and 9, 2016, before the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Teams
Squads
For ...
that took place from March 3 to 9. She played all 90 minutes in the team's opening match of the tournament on March 3 against England. On March 6, Gautrat earned her 50th cap with the national team during the match against France, a 1–0 victory for the United States. She became the 52nd United States female player to make 50 appearances. Gautrat played 90 minutes in the final against
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
on March 9, helping the United States win the 2016 SheBelieves Cup. Gautrat joined a 23-player roster for a training camp ahead of two matches against
Colombia in early April. She did not play in either game due to a
hamstring
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupe ...
injury. Gautrat was on the roster for another two-game series against Japan in early June and she started in both games.
On July 12, 2016, Gautrat was named to the 18-player team that would represent the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She made her Olympic debut on August 3 in the team's opening match against New Zealand. She recorded an assist during the match on
Alex Morgan
Alexandra Morgan Carrasco (born Alexandra Patricia Morgan; July 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker and captains for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division o ...
's goal in the 46th minute.
She also appeared in the second group match against France, helping the United States take away another victory and secure their first-place finish in the group.
[ She also made started in both games against Columbia and Sweden. During the quarter-final against Sweden, she was chosen to take a penalty kick after overtime sent the game to penalty kicks. She made the penalty kick in favor of the United States.]
Post-Olympics and injury struggles
Despite the loss at the Olympics, Gautrat would end 2016 strong, scoring in both games in a series of friendlies against
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
Gautrat would play in the
2017 SheBelieves Cup
The 2017 SheBelieves Cup was the second edition of the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women's soccer tournament held in the United States. It took place between March 1 and 7, 2017.
The four teams were ranked No. 1, 2, 3 and 5 in the FIFA Wome ...
but would suffer a minor knee injury that would cause her to miss a series of friendlies against
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
the following month as well as friendlies against
Sweden and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
in June. Gautrat would return in the
2017 Tournament of Nations
The 2017 Tournament of Nations was the inaugural Tournament of Nations, an international women's football tournament, consisting of a series of friendly games. It was held in the United States, from July 27 to August 3, 2017, and featured four t ...
but would play only as a late game sub against Australia. Gautrat would spend the rest of 2017 in and out of training camps due to nagging injuries and would sparingly find playing minutes as a late game sub. These injuries would carry over into 2018 as Gautrat was left out of the team's January camp. Gautrat would return for the
2018 SheBelieves Cup
The 2018 SheBelieves Cup was the third edition of the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women's soccer tournament held in the United States. Featuring national teams from Germany, England, France, and hosts United States, it began on March 1 and en ...
and would be used as either a starter or a substitute player through the remaining games of the first half of the year. Gautrat's health woes would continue in the
2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship as she suffered a head injury against
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and would be forced to leave the match. Gautrat ended 2018 not on the roster for friendlies in Europe at the end of the year, marking the end of an inconsistent and injury filled second half to the year.
Gautrat's ongoing injury concerns remained an issue going into the 2019 calendar year. She was included in the teams 26-player January camp that took place abroad in
Algarve
The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese).
The region has it ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, where team then travelled to face both
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in a set of friendlies. She started and played a full 90 minutes in the teams 3–1 loss to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on January 19 in
La Havre, but she did not dress in the teams 1–0 win over
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
on January 22. Following this trip abroad with the team, Gautrat was not included in the following 23-player camp for the
2019 SheBelieves Cup
The 2019 SheBelieves Cup was the fourth edition of the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women's soccer tournament held in the United States. Featuring national teams from Brazil, England, Japan, and hosts United States, it began on February 27 an ...
that took place from February 27 – March 5. She also was left off the 24-player roster for the team's next camp that featured home friendlies against
Australia on April 4 and
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
on April 7.
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
On May 2, 2019, Gautrat was named to the 23-player roster that would represent the United States at the
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international Women's association football championship contested by 24 women's national teams representing member associations of FIFA. I ...
. She was regarded by many as a surprise selection for the tournament, having not been able to be with the team for about 4 months prior to the selection of the final roster. She failed to make an appearance in any of the teams three send off matches that were against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
on May 12,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on May 16, and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
on May 26.
Gautrat made only one appearance at the
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international Women's association football championship contested by 24 women's national teams representing member associations of FIFA. I ...
, where she featured in the teams second group stage match, vs
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
on June 16. She started and played all 90 minutes in the teams 3–0 win over the South American World Cup debutants. On July 7, she became a two time World Cup champion after the teams 2–0 defeat of the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
.
Post 2019 World Cup – Present
Gautrat scored her 7th and 8th international goals in the months following the United States'
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international Women's association football championship contested by 24 women's national teams representing member associations of FIFA. I ...
victory; in matches against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
on August 29, and
Costa Rica on November 10. On January 17, 2020, Gautrat was not included in the United States final 20-player squad for the
2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
The 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship was the fifth edition of the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the quadrennial international football tournament organized by CONCACAF to determine which women's national tea ...
that took place through February 9. Following that decision, Gautrat then entered a two-year long period where she was not called in to the United States national team, as she did not appear in the team for the remainder of 2020 and all of 2021. Subsequently, she was not chosen to represent the United States at the delayed
2020 Olympic Games
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...
in Tokyo, Japan. On January 13, 2022, Gautrat received a last minute call up to the team's January training camp to replace an injured
Imani Dorsey
Imani Michelle Dorsey (born March 21, 1996) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She attended Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic High School in Olney, Mar ...
. Following the conclusion of that camp, Gautrat was included in the United States 23-player roster for the
2022 SheBelieves Cup
The 2022 SheBelieves Cup, named the 2022 SheBelieves Cup Presented by Visa for sponsorship reasons, was the seventh edition of the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held in the United States. Featuring national teams f ...
announced on February 3. She made her return to the team with a start and a 45-minute appearance in a 0–0 draw vs
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
on February 17. Gautrat did not feature in the remainder of the tournament due to an injury, but took home the
SheBelieves Cup
The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational women's soccer tournament held in different cities in the United States in late February or early March. In its first three years (2016, 2017 and 2018), it was contested by the same four teams: the United ...
trophy for the third time in her career following the team's 5–0 win over
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
on February 23.
Player statistics
World Cup and Olympic appearances
International goals
;Note
Personal life
Gautrat is a
Christian. Gautrat is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
She was in a relationship with
Eric Bird from 2013 to 2015. She married soccer player
Fabrice Gautrat in November 2017. On June 27, 2020, she wore a jersey with "Gautrat" as her name during the
NWSL Challenge Cup
The NWSL Challenge Cup, currently known as the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual tournament organized by the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top-tier women's league in the United States soccer league system. T ...
, reportedly "to surprise her husband."
Honors and awards
Individual
High school
* Parade National Player of the Year: 2010
*
NSCAA
The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...
Youth Player of the Year: 2010
* NSCAA High School and Youth All-American: 2010
*
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
Rise All-American: 2010
*
Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year: 2010, 2011
College
* Soccer America National Freshman of the Year: 2011
* NSCAA All-American First Team: 2011, 2013, 2014
* Soccer America First Team MVP: 2011
*
MAC Hermann Trophy Semi-finalist: 2011
* NSCAA All-Southeast Region First Team: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
*
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Freshman of the Year: 2011
* All-ACC First Team: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
* VaSID State Freshman of the Year: 2011
* ACC Tournament MVP: 2012
* Soccer America Second Team MVP: 2012
* TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season, Second Team: 2012
* VaSID All-State First Team: 2012
* MAC Hermann Trophy Winner: 2013, 2014
* Soccer America Player of the Year: 2013
* TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Year: 2013
* Honda Award Nominee 2013, 2014
* Soccer America First Team MVP: 2013, 2014
* TopDrawer Soccer.com Best XI First Team: 2013
* College Soccer Madness All-American First Team: 2013
* VaSID State Player of the Year: 2013, 2014
* All-NCAA Tournament Team: 2013, 2014
* ACC All-Tournament Team: 2013, 2014
* Virginia Nike Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team: 2013
* TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Best XI First Team: 2013, 2014
*
TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year Award
TopDrawerSoccer.com (TDS) is an American association football, soccer website that is dedicated to youth soccer in the United States. Specifically, the website focuses on Academy soccer, high school soccer, and college soccer in the United States ...
: 2014
Club
* 2019 NWSL Team of the Month: September
* 2021 NWSL Team of the Month: July, September, October
International
* U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year Finalist: 2013
*
2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
The 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship was the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the quadrennial international football tournament organized by CONCACAF to determine which women's national tea ...
Golden Ball Winner
International
;
USWNT
*
CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship
The CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship is an association football competition for women's national under-20 teams in the North America, Central America and Caribbean region. It serves as the qualification tournament for the FIFA U-20 Women's ...
:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
*
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
*
CONCACAF Women's Championship
The CONCACAF W Championship (previously known as the CONCACAF Women's Championship, CONCACAF Women's Invitational Tournament, CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup and CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying) is a football competition organized by the Confede ...
:
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
*
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious an ...
:
2015
*
FIFA Women's World Cup:
2015,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
*
CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament was an international football (soccer) event in the North America, Central America and the Caribbean region, and was the qualification tournament for the Olympic Games.
Women's football tourname ...
:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
*
She Believes Cup:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
;
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
;
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
*
Tournament of Nations
The Tournament of Nations was a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's soccer in non-World Cup and non-Olympic years hosted by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in several American cities. The inaugural tournament ...
:
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
In popular culture
Video Games
Gautrat was featured along with her national teammates in the
EA Sports' FIFA video game series in ''
FIFA 16
''FIFA 16'' is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android and iOS.
The ga ...
'', the first time women players were included in the game.
Ticker-tape parade and White House honor
Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Gautrat and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a
Ticker tape parade
A ticker-tape parade is a parade event held in an urban setting, characterized by large amounts of shredded paper thrown onto the parade route from the surrounding buildings, creating a celebratory flurry of paper. Originally, actual ticker ta ...
in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor
Bill de Blasio. In October of the same year, the team was honored by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
.
References
;Match reports
Further reading
* Grainey, Timothy (2012), ''Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer'', University of Nebraska Press,
* Lisi, Clemente A. (2010), ''The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story'', Scarecrow Press,
* Longman, Jere (2009), ''The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How it Changed the World'', HarperCollins,
External links
*
*
Morgan Brian Houston Dash player profileUS Soccer player profileUniversity of Virginia player profileTopDrawerSoccer player profile*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gautrat, Morgan
1993 births
Living people
Association footballers' wives and girlfriends
American women's soccer players
United States women's international soccer players
Virginia Cavaliers women's soccer players
Soccer players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Parade High School All-Americans (girls' soccer)
People from St. Simons, Georgia
Houston Dash players
National Women's Soccer League players
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup players
FIFA Women's World Cup-winning players
Women's association football midfielders
Footballers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Women's Olympic soccer players of the United States
Houston Dash draft picks
United States women's under-20 international soccer players
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin players
Division 1 Féminine players
Hermann Trophy women's winners
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players
Chicago Red Stars players
Kansas City Current players
American Christians