Soccer star Alex Morgan has found herself in hot water with her league, apparently due to her online complaint about the dangers of an opponent’s tackle.
The National Women’s Soccer League on Wednesday announced in a news release that it had fined the San Diego Wave FC veteran an undisclosed amount for “comments detrimental to the league made on social media” in violation of a rule governing “prejudicial statements and public criticism.”
In Morgan’s post, on X (formerly Twitter), she took issue with a play during the Wave’s 2-1 loss to Kansas City Saturday. Morgan had the ball, and a defender, Stine Ballisager Pedersen, slid across her, upending them both. The referees didn’t make a call.
“In what world is this not a penalty and red card, or even foul?” Morgan asked.
She went on to say that she’d “100% not be walking today” if she hadn’t seen Pedersen coming and avoided planting her leg.
Morgan is not alone in her officiating concerns.
Sophia Smith, a Portland Thorn and Morgan’s teammate on the U.S. women’s national squad, wrote online of the fine, “this is so backwards and priorities are allll messed up.”
Morgan’s coach, Casey Stoney, in fact, has incurred multiple fines by the NWSL, also due to comments deemed “detrimental to the league.” Stoney’s fines, the most recent of which came down last month following an injury to Taylor Kornieck, were issued both for statements made to the press and on social media.
