Alex Morgan is in the business of scoring goals. And business is booming.

In her last 26 games playing for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Morgan has scored 25 times. They’ve come in a multitude of ways – from the penalty spot, headers, blistering drives and breakaways. She’s scored game-winners and braces, against Japan on July 26 at the 2018 Tournament of Nations, she bagged a hat trick. It was the fourth of her career.

Morgan then added not one, or two, but three braces during the 2018 Concacaf Women's Championship, one in each group game she played in, and another against Jamaica in the crucial semifinal win that booked the U.S. a spot in France 2019. A single goal vs. Canada in the title game on Oct. 17 would give her 7 total - the most of any player - and would make her the Golden Boot winner as the tournament's leading scorer.

She’s been scoring for the USA since 2010, and since scoring goals is perhaps the most difficult part of the game, there have been periods of great form and a few dry spells. But the past year has been impressive even by the high standards we’ve come to expect from the 29-year-old.

It’s always been clear that when Morgan is in the zone, opposing defenses are in for a long night.

This 26-game run – in which the USA has not lost – began in the latter half of 2017 after she returned from her six-month stint at Olympique Lyonnais, lasted through the final seven games of 2017, then continued into 2018.

The current streak began in the final game of the 2017 Tournament of Nations and now more than a year later, she’s still on a roll. She closed 2017 with seven goals in seven games (which made her the team’s top scorer for the year) and finished 2018 with a team-leading 18 goals in the 19 games in which she played. The 18 goals in the a calendar year are the second most of her career. The only year in which she scored more was in 2012 - an Olympic year - when she netted 28.

In a span of a few months, Morgan put herself within striking distance of 100 goals. Currently at 98, she would become the seventh woman in U.S. history to reach the century mark and join a highly exclusive club which features Abby Wambach, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers, Tiffeny Milbrett and Carli Lloyd. Even more impressively, she is on pace to achieve this feat in less caps (currently at 153 after the Scotland game on Nov. 13) than four of those six legends (Wambach and Akers scored goal No. 100 in their 129th cap; Hamm scored in her 155th cap) and could become the third youngest player in WNT history to reach 100. Wambach scored her 100th goal just after her 29th birthday and Hamm reached 100 when she was 26-and-a-half-years old.

Morgan’s first WNT goal came on Oct. 2, 2010 against China PR. She played in eight games that year and scored four goals. She followed that up with six goals in 2011 and had a breakthrough performance at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

In 2012, Morgan had one of the best scoring years in U.S. history, tallying a remarkable 28 goals with 21 assists to lead the team in both categories. Her goal total was the third-best in U.S. history behind only Michelle Akers (39 in 1991) and Wambach (31 in 2004) and her assist total was tied for second-best in U.S. history behind only Hamm (22 in 2004) and tied with Carin Gabarra (21 in 1991). She also helped the USA to the gold medal at the London Olympics, scoring the epic 123rdminute game-winner in the semifinal final that is still the latest goal in FIFA history, and earned personal recognition when she finished third for the FIFA Player of the Year award and was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year for the first time.

The next two years for Morgan were unfortunately plagued by injuries. In 2013, she missed a few games but still played 811 minutes in 12 games and scored six goals with four assists. She spent much of 2014 finishing her recovery but returned to play in seven matches, starting four, while scoring five goals with four assists before she suffered an ankle injury in the second match of the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship that kept her out for the rest of the year.

She rounded into shape just in time to participate in her second World Cup at the senior level and she was a key member of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions. She came off the bench in the first two games as she regained her fitness, but then got the start in the final group game against Nigeria and started all four knock-out round games. She played in 22 of the USA’s 26 games that year and scored seven goals. She got back to her old self in 2016 when she found the net 17 times, including what was probably the best goal of the year on March 9 against Germany in the SheBelieves Cup.

Her 2017-18 has been even more impressive, and not just because of her scoring rate, but because the goals are coming against elite talent at a time when the level of play worldwide is increasingly competitive.

With a trip booked to France, the intensity of play is only increasing. And while the U.S. Women know that nothing is given and everything is earned, with Morgan in her current form, fans are surely looking forward to an entertaining few months ahead.

• France (host)
• England
• Germany
• Italy
• Norway
• Scotland
• Spain
• Sweden
• Brazil
• Chile
• Australia
• China PR
• Japan
• Korea Republic
• Thailand
• USA
• Canada
• Jamaica
• Netherlands

Still left to determined are one berth at the OFC Women’s Nations Cup in New Caledonia (Nov.18-Dec. 1), three berths at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Ghana (Nov. 17-Dec. 1) and one berth between the Concacaf fourth-place finisher Panama and the South American third-place finisher Argentina.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will wrap up its 2018 schedule against Scotland on Tuesday, Nov. 13 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, UDN) at The Simple Digital Arena in Glasgow. The USA has a 17-0-2 record in 2018 and will be playing to finish this year unbeaten.

Here are Five Things to Know about Scotland:

Scotland Women’s National Team Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Lee Alexander (Glasgow City), Jenna Fife (Hibernian), Shannon Lynn (Vittsjo GIK, SWE)
DEFENDERS (6 ): Chloe Arthur (Birmingham City, ENG), Jenny Beattie (Manchester City, ENG), Frankie Brown (Bristol City, ENG), Rachel Corsie (Canberra United, AUS), Joelle Murray (Hibernian), Emma Mitchell (Arsenal, ENG) Kirsty Smith (Manchester United)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Lizzie Arnot (Manchester United, ENG), Leanne Crichton (Glasgow City), Hayley Lauder (Glasgow City), Jo Love (Glasgow City), Christie Murray (Liverpool, ENG), Caroline Weir (Manchester City, ENG)
FORWARDS (7): Fiona Brown (FC Rosengård, SWE), Lana Clelland (ACF Fiorentina, ITA), Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea, ENG), Claire Emslie (Manchester City, ENG), Lisa Evans (Arsenal, ENG), Zoe Ness (Durham United), Jane Ross (West Ham United, ENG)

FIRST-TIME QUALIFIER: SCOTLAND IS HEADED TO FRANCE
Scotland earned its berth to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup by winning UEFA Group 2, edging Switzerland on the final day of qualifying. Scotland defeated Albania, 2-1, in Shkoder, Albania while Switzerland was held to a surprising 0-0 draw by Poland in Mielec. Scotland went 7-1-0 in its World Cup qualifying group with the only blemish a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in April of 2018 in Switzerland. This match against the USA is the first home game for Scotland time since their historic qualification. In other friendly matches this year, Scotland fell to Norway 3-0 and drew Russia 0-0 in January and took a pair of games from New Zealand, both by 2-0 scores in March.

HISTORY vs. SCOTLAND
The USA has played Scotland only three times and has won all three games. The most recent matches came in February of 2013 in the first games for then-head coach and Scotland native Tom Sermanni. The USA won 4-1 in Jacksonville, Fla., and 3-1 in Nashville, Tenn. Julie Ertz’ (then Johnston) earned her first cap against Scotland in Jacksonville. Crystal Dunn and Christen Press earned their first caps against Scotland in Nashville. Ten players on the Scotland roster were also present for the last meeting between Scotland and the USA in Nashville in 2013. On the USA’s roster are just three players who appeared in that match, including Megan Rapinoe, who scored.

ROAD GAME
The USA has never faced Scotland in Scotland. In fact, this will be the USA’s first friendly match in the United Kingdom outside of England, but the USA did play two games at the famed Hampden Park in Glasgow during the 2012 Olympics. The USA’s two wins at Hampden Park during the 2012 Olympics were vs. France (4-2) and Colombia (3-0).

SHELLEY KERR LEADS DETERMINED SQUAD
Scotland head coach Shelley Kerr is a former Scotland international, a gritty center back who had a lengthy club career and played almost 60 times for her country. She has been Scotland’s coach since April of 2017, but also coached Arsenal, where she succeeded current Utah Royals FC head coach Laura Harvey. After leaving Arsenal in 2014, she coached Lowland Football League side Stirling University which marked the first time a woman was been named as manager of a men's side at that level of soccer in the United Kingdom.

SCOTLAND BRINGS HISTORY MAKERS TO CLASH WITH USA
Most of the squad set to face the USA on Tuesday is unchanged from the historic victory in Shkoder, with Jane Ross – scorer of the goal that earned Scotland its World Cup berth – once again included among Kerr’s attacking options. Two players who helped Scotland to its historic qualification last September are not on this roster due to injury in midfielder Kim Little – who was one of the top players in the NWSL with the Seattle Reign from 2014-2016, was the top scorer in the league in 2014 when was also named the MVP – as she recently suffering a broken fibula, and right back Sophie Howard. Glasgow City midfielder Hayler Lauder replaces Little, while Hibernian’s Joelle Murray takes the place of Howard.

A number of Kerr’s squad have been in good form since their last international outing, with Caroline Weir in particular enjoying a sensational start to the English Women’s Premier League season with Manchester City alongside Scotland teammates Claire Emslie and Jen Beattie. Most of the Scotland players play for top cubs in England, with two in Sweden and one in Italy, but defender Rachel Corsie plays in the NWSL with Utah Royals FC. She is on loan Canberra United in Australia. Corsie played in all 24 games for the Royals last season, starting 23.

PAISLEY, Scotland (Nov. 13, 2018) – The U.S. Women’s National Team completed an unbeaten 2018 after shutting out a gritty Scotland side, 1-0, on Tuesday night at The Simple Digital Arena. Alex Morgan’s goal in the 39th minute ultimately separated the sides.

The USA had the lion's share of possession throughout the match, as Scotland dropped 11 players inside its own half for most of the game, making it difficult for the WNT to create opportunities. The U.S. finally broke through when Mallory Pugh sent a perfect cross into the six-yard box for Alex Morgan, who finished with a beautiful full volley for the game-winner and her 18th goal of 2018. Scotland did not manage to get any shots on goal in the half but had two in the second frame.

Scotland made three halftime substitutions and created a few more opportunities, but the USA set the tempo and maintained its lead with some solid defending. In the 62nd minute, Pugh was brought down inside the box, earning a penalty kick for the USA. Carli Lloyd stepped up to take the spot kick but her attempt smashed the cross bar and the USA carried the 1-0 score line to the end of the game.

Up Next: The U.S. players will go into a much-deserved holiday break before the team reconvenes for its annual January training camp, which will take place in Europe. The USA is set to face World Cup host France at Stade Océane in Le Havre on Jan. 19 (2:30 p.m. ET; FS1) to open its 2019 campaign.

Social: Follow the #USWNT on Facebook; Twitter (@ussoccer_wnt; @ussoccer_esp); Instagram and Snapchat (ussoccer_wnt).

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Alex Morgan (Mallory Pugh), 39th minute: The USA finally broke the Scotland rear guard in the 39th minute with a nice bit of possession that allowed Mallory Pugh to send in a long cross from the right wing. Morgan met the service with a thundering full volley into the right side of the net from the top of the six-yard box for her 98th career goal. USA 1, SCO 0. FINAL. WATCH GOAL.

Additional Team Notes:

• The USA finishes 2018 with an unbeaten record of 18-0-2, marking only the fourth time in program history that the USA finishes a calendar year in which it played 10 or more games without a defeat.
• In 2018, the USA collected wins vs. Denmark, Germany, England, Mexico (thrice), China PR (twice), Japan, Brazil, Chile (twice), Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Canada, Portugal and Scotland; and ties against Australia and France. Twelve of the 16 countries the USA faced in 2018 are headed to France for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
• The USA is unbeaten in its last 28 matches (25-0-3) and has outscored its opponents 93-17 through that stretch, scoring in all 28 games. Since the 2017 SheBelieves Cup, the USA has failed to score in just one game (vs. Australia at the 2017 ToN) – a 33-game span.
• The WNT hasn’t conceded a goal in 884 minutes, with the last concession coming against Brazil in a 4-1 win at the Tournament of Nations on Aug. 2, 2018.

Additional Player Notes:

• Alex Morgan scored her 18th goal of 2018, second most in a calendar year for her (she scored 28 in 2012) and finishes the year with 98 career goals in 153 caps. She also finishes 2018 leading the USA in minutes played with 1,500. Morgan has scored 25 goals over her last 26 WNT matches, a run that began at the end of 2017. The 25 goals have included six braces and one hat trick.
• Mallory Pugh, who is 20-years-old and earned career cap No. 43rd today, earned her third assist of 2018 and 14th of her career. She scored six goals in 2018.  
• Ashlyn Harris earned her fifth career shutout tonight, and second of 2018.

– U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Scotland
Date: November 13, 2018
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: The Simple Digital Arena; Paisley, Scotland
Kickoff: 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local)
Attendance: 3,790
Weather: 50 degrees, cloudy

Scoring Summary:           1             2             F
USA                                      1             0             1
SCO                                      0             0             0

USA – Alex Morgan (Mallory Pugh)           39^th minute              

Lineups:
USA: 24-Ashlyn Harris; 2-Emily Sonnett (21-Jessica McDonald, 68), 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 25-Emily Fox (22-Danielle Colaprico, 76); 8-Julie Ertz, 16-Rose Lavelle, 19-Crystal Dunn; 11-Mallory Pugh, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.) (3-Sam Mewis, 90+3), 13-Alex Morgan (20-Allie Long, 88)
Substitutes not used: 6-Andi Sullivan, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 18-Adrianna Franch
Head Coach: Jill Ellis 

SCO: 1-Lee Alexander (12-Shannon Lynn, 46); 4-Rachel Corsie (capt.), 5-Jennifer Beattie, 7-Hayley Lauder (17-Frankie Brown, 46), 14-Chloe Arthur (2-Kirsty Smith, 46), 6-Jo Love (16-Christie Murray, 66), 9-Caroline Weir, 18-Claire Emslie, 20-Fiona Brown (23-Lizzie Arnot, 84), 22-Erin Cuthbert, 13-Jane Ross (19-Lana Clelland, 75)
Substitutes not used: 21-Jenne Fife, 3-Nicola Docherty, 8-Zoe Ness, 10-Leanne Crichton, 15-Joelle Murray, 24-Sam Kerr
Head Coach: Shelley Kerr

Stats Summary: USA / SCO
Shots: 10 / 8
Shots on Goal: 3 / 2
Saves: 2 / 2
Corner Kicks: 5 / 6
Fouls: 7 / 10
Offside: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Emily Sonnett (caution)     36^th minute

Officials:
Referee: Amy Fearn (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Franca Overtoom (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Bianca Bussem-Scheffers (NED)
4th Official: Cheryl Foster (WAL)

ussoccer.com Woman of the Match: Mallory Pugh

USA vs. SCOTLAND
Date: Nov. 13, 2018
Venue: The Simple Digital Arena; Glasgow, Scotland
Broadcast: FS1, UDN 
Kickoff: 2 p.m. ET

Starting XI vs. Scotland: 24-Ashlyn Harris; 2-Emily Sonnett, 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 25-Emily Fox; 8-Julie Ertz, 16-Rose Lavelle, 19-Crystal Dunn; 11-Mallory Pugh, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 13-Alex Morgan

Subs: 3-Samantha Mewis, 6-Andi Sullivan, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 18-Adrianna Franch, 20-Allie Long, 21-Jessica McDonald, 22-Danielle Colaprico

U.S. Team

• The USA is 17-0-2 in 2018, with wins vs. Denmark, Germany, England, Mexico (thrice), China PR (twice), Japan, Brazil, Chile (twice), Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Canada and Portugal; and ties against Australia and France.
• The USA is unbeaten in its last 27 matches (24-0-3), and has outscored its opponents 92-17 through that stretch, scoring in all 27 games. Since the 2017 SheBelieves Cup, the USA has failed to score in just one game (vs. Australia at the 2017 ToN). That's a 32-game span.
• The WNT hasn’t conceded a goal in 794 minutes in 2018, with the last one coming against Brazil during the Tournament of Nations on Aug. 2.

Starting Lineup

• Ashlyn Harris will earn cap No. 19 today. Before today, her most recent start came against Panama on Oct. 7 when she went 90 minutes to earn the win and her fifth career shutout.
• Emily Sonnett will earn cap 26 today. She has played in 13 games this year and has started eight times. She played in three games at World Cup qualifying.
• Abby Dahlkemper will earn her 30th cap tonight. It will be her 17th appearance and 16th start of 2018.
• Becky Sauerbrunn will earn her 149th cap tonight. Sauerbrunn is in 19th place on the all-time caps list.
• Emily Fox will earn her second cap today after making her debut vs. Portugal on Nov. 8. She is the 26th player to be capped under head coach Jill Ellis. Fox is a veteran of the USA's last two FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Teams. She is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina.
• Crystal Dunn will earn cap No. 75 today, becoming the 43rd U.S. WNT player to hit that mark, and will make her 15th start of 2018. While she has been playing as an outside back for most of the year, today she will start in the midfield.
• Julie Ertz makes her 16th appearance and 15th start of 2018 and will earn cap No. 73. She has scored four goals in 2018 and has 18 international tallies. She was named the MVP of the Concacaf Women's Championship while playing the entire tournament at defensive midfielder.
• Rose Lavelle will earn her 20th career cap tonight and makes her ninth start this year. She has scored six international goals, most recently the game-winner against Canada on Oct. 17 in the title game of the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship.
• Still 20 years old, Mallory Pugh will earn her 43rd career cap today. She has scored six goals in 2018 and has two assists. In her career she has scored 12 goals – most recently vs. Chile on Sept. 4 – and has earned 13 assists. Today marks her 14th appearance of 2018.
• Alex Morgan has 17 goals in 2018 and 97 career goals in 152 caps. She also leads the USA in minutes played with 1,412 this year. At age 29, she sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA's all-time goal list. Morgan has scored 24 goals over her last 25 WNT matches, a span that runs from the end of 2017. The 24 goals have included six braces and one hat trick. Morgan will earn cap No. 153 today, and is two away from tying Michelle Akers (155) for 17th all-time in caps.
• Carli Lloyd makes her 19th appearance of 2018 today. She is the USA's all-time active caps leader with 264. On Oct. 7 vs. Panama, Lloyd scored her eighth career hat trick and upped her career total to 105 goals. She is now two away from tying Michelle Akers for fourth all-time in the U.S. goals list.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will open its 2019 schedule in the country where it hopes to find success during the summer, taking on 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup host France on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Stade Océane in Le Havre (8:30 p.m. local / 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and the Fox Sports App). 

 France is currently fourth in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings and is one of the heavy favorites on home soil next summer.

Le Havre, which is located on the northern coast of France, is one of nine venues for next summer’s tournament. Stade Océane seats around 25,000 fans and will host seven Women’s World Cup matches, including a Round of 16 game and a Quarterfinal.

“To play France in France was an essential part of our scheduling preparations for next summer, and it will be an exciting and challenging match to kick off the year,” U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis said. “They are a top team, in the middle of their domestic league, and playing on home soil, so this is the type of experience we need to be ready for the World Cup in 2019.”

The USA also opened its 2015 Women’s World Cup year in France, falling 2-0 in Lorient, a result that the USA avenged just over than a month later, downing France 2-0 in the championship game of the Algarve Cup. The USA’s most recent meeting with France came earlier this year at the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, a 1-1 draw in front of more than 25,000 fans at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., in which Mallory Pugh scored for the USA and Eugénie Le Sommer tallied for the French. 

 The USA is 18-2-2 all-time vs. France. The teams have played 10 times since 2011, starting with the USA’s 3-1 win against France in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal. Over those last 10 games, the USA is 7-2-2 while scoring 15 goals to France’s 10.

As host, France did not have to go through qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup but has played a competitive schedule of matches this year against many World Cup or potential World Cup teams, including games vs. Italy, England, Germany, the USA, Nigeria, Mexico, Cameroon, Australia and Brazil.

After facing France, the USA will play a second match in Europe. That opponent and venue will be announced in the near future. The U.S. team will be abroad most of January as it will hold its annual January training camp in Europe.