SAN DIEGO — Alex Morgan’s deft timing made her one of soccer’s better female strikers.

So it’s only fitting she now ends her playing career with a well-timed finish.

Authoring a graceful exit that will boost her employer’s attendance and free up minutes for young teammates, Morgan announced that Sunday’s match between the San Diego Wave and North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium will end her playing career.

Painting the picture in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the 35-year-old striker said she’s pregnant with her second child and decided early this year that the 2024 season would wrap up her 15-year career in professional soccer.

What a run it’s been.

Known as “Baby Horse” for her galloping style, Morgan shed that nickname and became one of the most prolific scorers — and winners — in the sport’s history.

She netted several memorable goals with two World Cup champions and an Olympic championship. In club soccer, she won the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League title with the 2013 Portland Thorns.

The Cal alum’s influence went far beyond a sure left foot. Morgan became the “it” player as perceived by a broad spectrum of women’s soccer fans and marketers.

As a result, she raised the sport’s trajectory.

The success of the Portland Thorns, one of the NWSL’s original franchises, can be traced to the day investor Merritt Paulson agreed to buy into the embryonic league only if investors in other NWSL franchises agreed to allow him to sign Morgan, then 23.

“Look,” Paulson explained, to Sports Illustrated, “when the owners put in their requests for national-team players, there’s no doubt that Alex was No. 1 on everybody’s list. She’s a world-class talent, she’s unbelievably marketable, and she has that package at such a young age.”

By then, the 23-year-old Morgan was already “the face of U.S. Soccer” in the view of one national-squad star.

“Alex is taking on a different role (from mine),” Abby Wambach, described by Morgan as a mentor, told Sports Illustrated. “She’ll have more of the mainstream popularity of being the pretty girl and being able to cross over to 15- and 25-year-old men — the Mia Hamm-like qualities that touch millions. But she’s not just a pretty face. So much attention on women in sports is based on looks, but Alex backs that up with even stronger athleticism. I’d absolutely compare her to David Beckham in terms of her appeal. And this national team has kind of missed that element. We had a little bit with (goalie) Hope (Solo) on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ but Alex, being a forward, really is the perfect storm. She’ll benefit women’s soccer and women’s sports in a larger scope.”

Morgan’s career proved Wambach’s forecast was correct.

She attracted several million followers on social media and became a pitch person for multinational corporations. (This summer, she was part of a Reese’s ad campaign).

Leveraging her popularity, Morgan pushed FIFA, U.S. Soccer and other entities to increase the financial support of women’s leagues and teams throughout the world.

On a personal level, she connected with hundreds of girls who, seeing her and others on the increasingly popular U.S. team, aspired to earn soccer scholarships and play professionally.

Melanie Barcenas was one such player.

Barcenas was 10 when she attended a USWNT match in Mission Valley and coaxed Morgan into giving her a jersey after calling to her from the stands.

The episode resonated last year, when Barcenas and Morgan met again — this time as teammates. Barcenas figures to be a major part of the Wave’s future.

Mutual benefit

When the Wave were approved as an NWSL expansion club, Morgan rejoiced.

San Diego is where she and her husband, Servando Carrasco, had planned to retire when she finished playing. Approving her request, the Orlando Pride traded the Diamond Bar native West, creating a homecoming for Morgan’s husband, who had roots in San Diego and Tijuana. The transfer also moved the couple and their daughter, Charlie, born in May 2020, near relatives.

Morgan responded with perhaps her finest year of soccer. She scored a league-high 15 goals as the 2022 Wave became the NWSL’s first expansion team to reach the playoffs. In addition, she scored the game-winning goal of the club’s first playoff game, exciting a large crowd in Mission Valley, and performed well with the national team.

To what degree Morgan attracted fans to Wave games can’t be known, but the franchise broke the NWSL’s attendance record for a single regular-season game in her first season, won the attendance title last year and now stands second in the 14-team league.

What’s next?

Two small children will keep Morgan busy. She’ll also likely have business opportunities in soccer and outside soccer, and she’s active in the San Diego foundation she created in 2022 to better the lives of local girls and women.

For the Wave, too, the transition looks manageable. San Diego added a pair of veteran forwards during this season in Delphine Cascarino, 27, from France’s top league; and María Sánchez, 28, from the NWSL’s Houston Dash.

Replacing Morgan’s on-field production won’t be daunting, given that she hasn’t scored in her 12 matches this season — although has commanded defenders’ attention and steadied teammates. Sunday in the team’s third game under second interim coach Landon Donovan, the Wave never created a touch for Morgan in the penalty box across 45-minute first half.

It is now up to Donovan, Morgan’s teammates and Morgan herself to figure out if she can score another goal — or two — in her futbol farewell.

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