Morgan Gautrat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Morgan Gautrat

Gautrat with the United States national team in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Morgan Paige Gautrat
Birth name	Morgan Paige Brian
Date of birth	(1993-02-26) February 26, 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	St. Simons, Georgia, United States
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Orlando Pride
Number	16
Youth career
2005–2012	Ponte Vedra Storm
2007–2011	Frederica Academy
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2014	Virginia Cavaliers	81	(41)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2017	Houston Dash	33	(0)
2017	Chicago Red Stars	2	(0)
2018	Lyon	4	(1)
2018–2022	Chicago Red Stars	48	(3)
2023	Kansas City Current	5	(0)
2024–	Orlando Pride	8	(0)
International career
2008–2010	United States U17	22	(15)
2012	United States U20	21	(4)
2013–2022	United States	88	(8)
Medal record FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 2015 Canada Team Gold 2019 France Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 20, 2024

Morgan Paige Gautrat (born February 26, 1993) is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a midfielder for the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Morgan first played for the United States national team on June 15, 2013. She has played 88 games for the national team and scored eight goals.

Morgan Gautrat played college soccer for the University of Virginia Cavaliers from 2011 to 2014. She scored 41 goals and made 43 assists during her college career. She won the Hermann Trophy in both 2013 and 2014. This made her one of only a few women to win the award two years in a row. After college, the Houston Dash picked her first in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Morgan helped the United States win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. At 22, she was the youngest player on the team in the 2015 World Cup.

Morgan's Early Life and Soccer Start

Morgan was born in St. Simons Island, Georgia. She grew up with her older sister, Jennifer. Soccer was very popular where she lived. Morgan played with girls who were much older than her. Because she was small, her teammates called her 'Plankton'.

Morgan later played for the Ponte Vedra Storm in Florida. She played with them from age 12 to 19. Her team won state championships at the U-17 and U-19 levels. In 2012, her team, playing as the Clay County Soccer Club, won the United States Youth Soccer National Championship. Morgan missed this event because she was playing with the United States U-20 national team.

Becoming a Top Player

Morgan tried out for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) state team. She did not make the team the first time. This made her work even harder. She later made the state, regional, and national ODP teams. Morgan said that ODP helped her get noticed by coaches.

She went to Frederica Academy in St. Simon's Island from 2007 to 2011. She played soccer all four years and helped her team win four state titles in a row. Morgan also played varsity basketball. She was recognized for her skills in both sports.

Morgan finished her high school soccer career with 186 goals and 95 assists. She won many awards, including Parade All-American twice. She was also named Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year twice. In 2011, she was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. She was the first soccer player to win the Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year award.

Playing for the Virginia Cavaliers (2011–2014)

Morgan went to the University of Virginia. In her first year (2011), she played in 23 games and started 22. She was the second-highest scorer for her team with 11 goals and eight assists. She received many honors, including Soccer America National Freshman of the Year. She was also a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy.

In her second year, Morgan missed some games because she was playing for the United States U-20 team. She helped the U.S. win a gold medal at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She scored four goals and made seven assists for the Cavaliers.

In 2013, her third year, Morgan started 25 games. She led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in scoring with 16 goals and 14 assists. She scored in all four NCAA Tournament wins, helping Virginia reach the College Cup. She won the 2013 Hermann Trophy.

In her fourth year (2014), Morgan won the Hermann Trophy again. She became one of only five women to win the award twice.

Morgan's Professional Club Career

Houston Dash (2015–2017)

On January 16, 2015, the Houston Dash picked Morgan first in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. She played her first game for the Dash on April 10, 2015. Morgan missed almost half of the NWSL season that year. This was because she was playing with the United States national team at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She returned to the Dash in late July. She played ten games and made three assists.

In 2016, Morgan played seven games for the Dash before joining the national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. In 2017, she started her third season with the Dash. She missed the first few weeks due to a knee injury.

Chicago Red Stars (2017)

On August 30, 2017, Morgan joined the Chicago Red Stars in a trade. In January 2018, she signed a deal to play in France. However, the Chicago Red Stars kept her rights in the NWSL. She returned to the Red Stars in June 2018.

Olympique Lyonnais (2018)

On January 1, 2018, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in France announced they had signed Morgan. She was set to play for them until June 2020. However, she left Lyon after only five months. This was confirmed when she signed to return to the NWSL.

Chicago Red Stars (2018–2022)

Morgan returned to the Chicago Red Stars on June 19, 2018. She played in nine regular season games. She also played in her first NWSL playoff game. The next season, Morgan helped Chicago reach the playoffs again. The team won its first playoff game in history. Morgan scored her first NWSL goal on September 15 against Sky Blue FC. She was also named to her first NWSL Team of the Month. Morgan left the Chicago Red Stars at the end of the 2022 season.

Kansas City Current (2023)

Before the 2023 season, Morgan joined Kansas City Current. She signed a two-year contract as a free agent.

Orlando Pride (2024–present)

Gautrat with the Pride in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup

On January 11, 2024, Orlando Pride traded for Morgan Gautrat. She is currently playing for the Orlando Pride.

Morgan's International Career

Youth National Teams

After the award ceremony at Japan 2012 FIFA under-20 women's world cup. From left to right: 4-Crystal Dunn, 3-Cari Roccaro, 7-Kealia Ohai, 1-Brayne Heaberlin (GK), 9-Chioma Ubogagu, 6-Morgan Gautrat, 17-Taylor Schram, 16-Sarah Killion

Morgan was part of the United States U-17 team. They finished third at the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica. At 15, she was the youngest player on the team.

She was also on the United States U20 squad. They won the 2012 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship. This earned them a spot in the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. Morgan played in four games during the qualifying tournament. She scored one goal and made one assist. Her goal helped the team win their semi-final match against Mexico.

Morgan helped the U20 team win the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. She played in all six matches and scored a goal. Her coach, Steve Swanson, said Morgan was a very skilled midfielder. He noted her ability to score, pass, and head the ball. He also praised her "amazing soccer brain."

Senior National Team Debut

Morgan was first called up to the senior national team in June 2013. She was 20 years old, the youngest player on the team. She played her first game on June 15, 2013, against Korea Republic. On September 3, 2013, she scored her first goal for the national team against Mexico. The United States won that game 7–0.

In 2014, Morgan played 16 games with the national team while also playing for her college team. She played in the 2014 Algarve Cup and helped the team qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also played in the International Tournament of Brasilia.

Winning the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

Gautrat playing for the USWNT, May 2015

Morgan was part of the 23-player team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. At 22, she was the youngest player on the team. She played in six games, starting four. On July 5, Morgan became a World Cup Champion. The United States beat Japan 5–2 in the final. She made an assist on the final goal of the game. After their win, Morgan joined the team on a Victory Tour across the U.S.

2016 Summer Olympics

Morgan was named to the team for the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship. The United States qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Morgan played in the final against Canada, which the U.S. won 2–0. She was named the best player of the tournament.

She also played in the 2016 SheBelieves Cup. On March 6, Morgan played her 50th game for the national team. She helped the U.S. win the 2016 SheBelieves Cup. On July 12, 2016, Morgan was named to the Olympic team. She played her first Olympic game on August 3 against New Zealand. She made an assist in that game.

After the Olympics and Injuries

After the Olympics, Morgan scored in two friendly games against Romania in late 2016. She played in the 2017 SheBelieves Cup but then had a knee injury. This caused her to miss several games. She returned for the 2017 Tournament of Nations but played mostly as a substitute. Injuries continued to affect her in 2018. She returned for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. However, she suffered a head injury in a game against Jamaica.

Morgan's injury problems continued into 2019. She was part of a training camp in Portugal. She played a full game against France but then missed other matches. She was not included in the team for the 2019 SheBelieves Cup.

Winning the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

On May 2, 2019, Morgan was named to the team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Many people were surprised by her selection because she had not been with the team much before. She played in only one game at the World Cup. This was against Chile on June 16. She played the entire game, which the U.S. won 3–0. On July 7, Morgan became a two-time World Cup champion. The team beat the Netherlands 2–0 in the final.

Recent National Team Appearances

Morgan scored her 7th and 8th international goals after the 2019 World Cup. These goals were against Portugal and Costa Rica. In January 2020, she was not included in the team for the Olympic Qualifying Championship. She then had a two-year period where she was not called up to the national team. This meant she did not play in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

On January 13, 2022, Morgan was called up to a training camp. She was then included in the team for the 2022 SheBelieves Cup. She returned to play in a game against the Czech Republic. Morgan won the SheBelieves Cup trophy for the third time in her career.

Career Statistics

Club Summary

International Summary

International Goals

As of match played November 10, 2019. United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each Gautrat goal.

No.	Date	Cap	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	September 3, 2013	2	RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States	Mexico	7–0	7–0	Friendly
2	February 13, 2014	5	Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA, United States	Russia	5–0	8–0
3	October 20, 2014	14	RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States	Haiti	6–0	6–0	2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship
4	April 4, 2015	26	Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO, United States	New Zealand	4–0	4–0	Friendly
5	November 10, 2016	62	Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA, United States	Romania	3–0	8–1
6	November 13, 2016	63	StubHub Center, Carson, CA, United States	Romania	4–0	5–0
7	August 29, 2019	84	Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA, United States	Portugal	2–0	4–0
8	November 10, 2019	87	TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL, United States	Costa Rica	2–0	6–0

Personal Life

Morgan Gautrat is a Christian. She is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

She married soccer player Fabrice Gautrat in November 2017. In June 2020, she wore a jersey with "Gautrat" on it during a game. This was reportedly a surprise for her husband.

Honors and Awards

Lyon

• Division 1 Féminine: 2017–18

Orlando Pride

• NWSL Shield: 2024
• NWSL Championship: 2024

United States U20

• CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2012
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: 2012

United States

• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2014, 2018
• Algarve Cup: 2015
• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016
• She Believes Cup: 2016; 2018; 2022
• Tournament of Nations: 2018

Individual

• Parade National Player of the Year: 2010
• NSCAA Youth Player of the Year: 2010
• Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year: 2010, 2011
• Soccer America National Freshman of the Year: 2011
• MAC Hermann Trophy Winner: 2013, 2014
• 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship Golden Ball Winner

See also

In Spanish: Morgan Gautrat para niños