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

Most recently, Morgan scored goal No. 100  to become the seventh player in WNT history to join the exclusive century mark club. The club also features Abby Wambach, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers, Tiffeny Milbrett and Carli Lloyd. 

• READ: 100: Alex Morgan Joins Exclusive WNT Club

In her last 33 games playing for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Morgan has scored 28 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 gave her 7 total - the most of any player - and made her the Golden Boot winner as the tournament's leading scorer.

In 2019 so far she has scored against Japan on Feb. 27, against Australia on April 4 - her 100th - with the latter one being a spectacular one; and vs. Belgium on April 7 to up her total to 101.

Morgan has 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 years 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 33-game span for Morgan 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 and now 2019.

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.

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.

What's impressive about it all, it not just her scoring rate, but the fact that the goals are coming against elite talent at a time when the level of play worldwide is increasingly competitive. 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.

CHICAGO (April 18, 2019) –U.S. Soccer and Major League Soccer today announced a three-year partnership with Headspace, one of the world’s leading meditation and mindfulness apps.

Headspace will annually provide thousands of app subscriptions to ensure all U.S. Soccer and MLS athletes, coaches, and league and club staff have access to strengthen their mindfulness and meditation skills. This partnership illustrates U.S. Soccer and MLS’ commitment to being at the forefront of total wellness by providing athletes with the best mental skills training resources.

As part of the deal, Headspace will conduct in-person introductory training sessions with U.S. Soccer and MLS athletes and coaches, led by Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe, and the company’s Head of Sports and Fitness, Lindsay Shaffer. Training sessions will take place during U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team training camps and at various MLS events.

“MLS is committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance the overall total wellness of our athletes, coaches and staff members,” said Dr. Margot Putukian, MLS Chief Medical Officer. “The Headspace app provides top-line meditation training and is a wonderful supplement to the preexisting health and wellness resources the league and our clubs already provide. We look forward to members of the soccer community utilizing the Headspace app to advance their mindfulness skills to help them achieve their goals both on and off the field.”

Headspace is also creating a personalized training program for each individual athlete on the U.S. Women’s National Team to support their preparation on the journey to this summer’s tournament in France. The U.S. Women’s National Team is the defending World Champion and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Headspace, the world leader in mindfulness and meditation,” said James Bunce, U.S. Soccer Director of High Performance. “Not only will this partnership help all of our players’ performance on-the-field, but it will also have significant impact on their wellness off-the-field. While the importance of soccer’s physical components are well-known and well-trained, the power of mental conditioning in soccer has often been underutilized. Through this partnership with Headspace, we now have the expertise and technology to ensure that all of our players’ needs are being supported as they work towards their goals.

“We are also extremely excited to work closely with the Headspace development team and the U.S. Women’s National Team to individually support every player on the road to France. With this project, each player will be provided an individually-tailored mindfulness and meditation program to help make sure that no stone is left unturned in these players’ preparation for this summer’s tournament.”

U.S. Soccer’s partnership with Headspace further demonstrates the Federation’s commitment to making soccer the preeminent sport in the United States, using innovation, science and technology to provide the best possible training environment for its athletes. In addition to partnering with Headspace, U.S. Soccer created the High Performance Department and hired full-time staff dedicated to the Men’s and Women’s National Teams. The organization also partnered with StatSports for comprehensive physical data collection, and has implemented initiatives such as bio-banding to support long term player development.

“We know that mental preparation is as important as physical preparation for elite athletes,” said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis, “We are excited that Headspace has partnered with U.S. Soccer to provide the players another tool to help them perform at their highest levels heading into, and through the tournament this summer.”

MLS, U.S. Soccer and Headspace will also explore scientific research opportunities around the benefits of meditation and mindfulness related to key aspects of performance. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to co-create mental training content specific to soccer with leading physical and mental performance experts.

“While athletes go to great lengths to physically train their bodies, the mind is often neglected. Mental training is the future of sport, and meditation and mindfulness are proven techniques to improve mental fitness. We are thrilled to provide Headspace as the mental training tool to some of the world’s greatest athletes, helping them to achieve their performance goals, support their overall health and happiness, and work with U.S. Soccer and the MLS to create a future of sport in which athletes focus as much on training their minds as they do their bodies,” said Lindsay Shaffer, Head of Sports and Fitness at Headspace.

MLS and U.S. Soccer athletes and coaching staff will have access to Headspace’s comprehensive library of meditation content, including “Headspace for Sport,” which is designed to strengthen their mindfulness and meditation skills through a variety of 10-session “packs,” including Motivation, Concentration, Training, Competition, Communication, Analysis and Recovery.

Meditation and mindfulness are scientifically proven to support key aspects of preparation, performance, and recovery. When it comes to performance, mindfulness helps athletes stay focused, free from distraction, and ensure they are in the optimal flow state. In recovery, mindfulness can be used to induce the relaxation response, lowering the heart rate, relaxing the muscles, and counteracting the harmful effects of stress on the body. This ensures athletes have the ability to recover that much quicker, and often has the added benefit of improving sleep quality. Meditation also increases the grey matter in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for focus, and decreases grey matter in the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for stress and fear.

Mindfulness training is an additional resource to a person’s overall total wellness regimen. For assessment and management of psychological issues, treatment from a licensed healthcare professional is advised. For more information on the Headspace app, visit www.headspace.com.