Alex Morgan stuns the soccer world with retirement announcement; USMNT look for good vibes in friendlies

Happy Friday! Men's soccer's international break has officially begun and offers some exciting matches, while this weekend also offers a chance to celebrate one of the game's all-time greats in Alex Morgan, who will play the final game of her 14-year career on Sunday. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a check-in before the weekend's action begins.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Sept. 6
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Wales vs. Turkiye, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Fox Socer Plus
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: France vs. Italy, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Fubo Sports
🌎 CONMEBOL WCQ: Brazil vs. Ecuador, 9 p.m. ➡️ Universo
🌎 CNL: Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 10 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Saturday, Sept. 7
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Ireland vs. England, 12 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Germany vs. Hungary, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ ViX
🇺🇸 Friendly: USMNT vs. Canada, 4 p.m. ➡️ TBS
🇲🇽 Friendly: Mexico vs. New Zealand, 9 p.m. ➡️ TUDN

Sunday, Sept. 8
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Portugal vs Scotland, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS1
🇪🇺 UEFA NL: Switzerland vs. Spain, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ ViX
🌎 CNL: El Salvador vs. Bonaire, 10 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: San Diego Wave vs. North Carolina Courage 4 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

⚽ The Forward Line

👏 Alex Morgan announces retirement

Two-time Women's World Cup winner Alex Morgan announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, as well as her pregnancy with her second child. Morgan said she made the decision at the start of the year and the timing of the pregnancy means she will play the final game of her storied 14 year career on Sunday, when the San Diego Wave host the North Carolina Courage in NWSL regular season action.

Morgan will retire as one of the most accomplished players to play the game with two World Cups, gold and bronze medals at the Olympics, one WPS championship, one NWSL Championship and one NWSL Shield, as well as the UEFA Women's Champions League and a lengthy list of personal accolades. She was considered one of the U.S. women's national team's most promising prospects when she began her professional career in 2010 and delivered on that promise, becoming the face of the USWNT as she went on to earn 224 caps and score 123 goals, fifth-most all-time.

Most notably, though, Morgan was an agent of change who leaves an indelible mark on the sport. She earned her first USWNT cap in 2010 and began her club career in the now-defunct WPS the following year, a time when women's soccer lacked serious investment, broadcast slots and audiences. Morgan will during women's Sports' undeniable rise, something she helped to foster and can observe through the lens of her daughter, Charlie.

• Morgan: "Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player. It just made me immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up but because a pathway exists that even a four-year-old can see now. We're changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I'm proud in the hand I had in making that happen, in pushing the game forward, in leaving it in a place I'm so happy and proud of."

Even considering her on-field accolades, Morgan's most impressive accomplishments are the off-field battles she won. She was one of five USWNT players to file a complaint against U.S. Soccer in 2016 and then became the lead plaintiff in the team's equal pay lawsuit in 2019, successfully reaching a landmark agreement in 2022 and ending a decades-old dispute in the process. Morgan also played a sizable role in establishing the NWSL's first anti-harassment policy, acting as an ally to ex-Portland Thorns teammate Mana Shim as she and Sinead Farrelly were the catalysts for dismantling systemic abuse of players in the league. The World Cup winner organized a group of 240 NWSL players who successfully demanded the league institute anti-harassment protocol in 2021, creating a wave of change that has has inspired the player-first approach the league has taken since, including in the new collective bargaining agreement ratified last month.

Morgan's final Game will air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET and can be streamed on Paramount+.

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🔗  Midfield Link Play

🇺🇸 Positive vibes for the USMNT

The U.S. men's national team returns to play on Saturday when they take on Canada in a friendly, their first game since their group stage exit from the Copa America forced a rethink on the team's direction ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Interim head coach MIkey Varas will work with a roster that is chiefly made up of players who took part in the competition, though midfielder Gio Reyna was a late scratch from the group after being diagnosed with a left groin strain. Cade Cowell will take his place, making him the seventh fresh face on the roster as Varas uses his time in the job to expand the player pool slightly. Defender Mark McKenzie, an unused substitute during the Copa America run, also told Morning Footy this week that this month's friendlies are a chance to go back to basics.

• McKenzie: "Everybody knows straight out of Copa America, we were disappointed about that. … We stepped back into camp and understood the objective of this camp is to show who we are, to show the qualities that we have, to show that we probably played under the level that we wanted to and now it's time to rise back up."

Saturday's game against Canada serves as a nice opportunity for a reset in more ways than one. Jesse Marsch's Canada team set new standards for themselves after a fourth-place finish at the Copa America and will be a good measuring stick for USMNT, experienced players and newcomers alike. The USMNT's core has a wide variety of experiences against Canada, losing a crucial World Cup qualifier in 2022 to their neighbors, but beating them in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League final to assert regional superiority, while the ambitious opponent could offer solid proving ground for the fresh faces in camp.

The combination of new players and the Copa America wake-up call could see increased comPetition for spots, leaving Varas with some interesting choices to make. The USMNT starter who is perhaps most likely to lose his starting spot is goalkeeper Matt Turner, who has struggled for playing time at the club level since leaving MLS for the Premier League in 2022 and has few strong performances to back up his claim to the job. His longtime understudy Ethan Horvath could throw his hat in the ring, but Olympics goalkeeper Patrick Schulte is a fascinating addition to the roster that could suggest the comPetition for the 2026 starting job is already underway.

Other areas of focus could be in defense, where the USMNT will likely need to move on from 36-year-old center back Tim Ream in the coming years as well as line up depth at right back in the absence of the injured Sergino Dest. McKenzie is a contender for Ream's spot but far from the only one, while 25-year-old Marlon Fossey -- a youth international who is in a national team camp for the first time in five years -- was identified as a potential back-up to Dest.

🔗  Top Stories

🇺🇸 Alex Morgan retires: Tributes are pouring in for Alex Morgan, who leaves a lasting legacy on women's soccer at the end of her 14 year career.

🆕 Ballon d'Or nominees: The nominees are in for the men's and women's Ballon d'Or, rewarding young players and offering the prospect that a first-time winner could win either award.

🏀⚽ Magic Johnson's NWSL move: Magic Johnson joined the ownership group of the NWSL's Washington Spirit, becoming the latest celebrity owner amidst an influx of investment in women's soccer.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia's next transfer?: James Benge reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is pushing Al-Nassr to sign Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, perhaps teasing another big spending spree from the Saudi Pro League.

🇵🇹 900 for Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal on Thursday in Portugal's win over Croatia, becoming the first man to score 900 in official matches.

🇸🇲 San Marino's history: San Marino beat Lichtenstein on Thursday, marking their first win in 20 years and their first-ever competitive win.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England post-Southgate: Ahead of England's game against Ireland on Saturday, here's a look at the coaching search as the FA looks for Gareth Southgate's successor.

🩹 Croix Bethune injury: Washington Spirit rookie will miss the rest of the NWSL season after tearing her meniscus.

❌ Palmer misses Conference League: Chelsea excluded Cole Palmer from their UEFA Conference League squad in an effort to manage his minutes.

🏆 Best MLS teams: From David Beckham and Landon Donovan's LA Galaxy to the early D.C. United days, here's a look at MLS' most dominant teams.

🇨🇦 Marsch on CIWYW: Jesse Marsch pops into Call It What You Want to talk Canada's drone spying scandal, the USMNT's aim to hire Mauricio Pochettino and a prediction for Saturday's match.

💰  The Back Line

💵 Best bets

• UEFA Nations League: France vs. Italy, 2:45 p.m. ET
  💰 THE PICK: Under 2.5 goals (-130)
  There have been over 2.5 goals in just two of Italy's last nine games, and it hasn't happened in any of the last three. Aside from the 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 semifinals, the over hadn't hit in France's previous six games. Sure, we've seen France win a game 14-0 against Gibraltar last year, but this is a battle of heavyweights, and Italy's emphasis has always been defense first. That, combined with an inconsistent attack, and not to mention Kylian Mbappe's slower-than-expected start to life at Real Madrid, means the under is a good play here. 
  
  

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.   

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