Sam Mewis/Goal Click

Sam Mewis, USA & North Carolina CourageSan Jose, USA"Something that has been particularly cool about this journey to the World Cup is becoming friends with Alex (Morgan). Alex is like an ACTUAL celebrity. She's truly an icon of our sport and yet is such a normal person. I have truly enjoyed getting to know her and it's been so much fun to realize that we can make fun of her and joke around with her! I think that coming onto the team as a young newbie, you see all the veterans and these famous players and you act so meek and quiet at first with them. But after a while it's like 'these people are my teammates and I'm just going to be myself and treat them normal.'"Once you are able to break down that wall that you see as separating you from them, it really brings the team so much closer because everyone is truly friends with each other and can just be themselves. So I feel like this picture captured this idea that Rose and I have developed a relationship with Alex that is more than just teammates. She's become our friend and we share so many little moments with her, like taking ice baths and suffering through the cold. I have so much respect for the veterans on the team, like Alex, and even more respect for the way they have accepted the new players and crafted real relationships with us."