LOCAL Houston | The City Guide JUNE 2016 | Page 53

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE

MORGAN BRIAN | MIDFIELDER | TEAM USA
Midfielder Morgan Brian has a vision of where soccer is going, not just for women, but for everyone; and it’s
something she’s excited to be a part of. More than just looking forward at what’s to come, Brian realizes all the
hard work of those before her that have helped grow the sport to where it is today.
“As a kid it was my dream to play on this (national) team and I think the women before me have allowed me
to do that, and play it as our job. I feel like it’s my duty to continue to pave the way for the younger kids like
me who have a dream to play on the national team,” Brian shares, with love and respect for the sport. Never
in a million years (or at least the 23 she’s been around) did she expect to get paid to play her passion. There’s
not a day or a moment that passes that she forgets that.
It’s the maturity and knowledge of how the sport got to where it is today and all the blood, sweat and tears that
others put in to get it there that gives Brian an advantage on the field and in the public’s eyes. Brian was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, and she continues
to be a headlining name. “I think the women who have come before me have done a really good job at pushing
the limits in women’s soccer,” Brian says. She admits the sport, and her role in it, has come full circle.
Brian says playing on a World Cup team was her biggest dream since she was a kid, but the Olympics are a
dream all their own. “The Olympics are something the world watches for every sport. Everyone says the
Olympics are so different from the World Cup because the World Cup is every soccer player’s dream but the
Olympics are every athlete’s dream. I’m excited to compete with the United States and hopefully be the first
team to win a World Cup and a gold in the Olympics,” she says.
“Brazil will be a great experience for everyone and obviously we want to compete and hopefully bring back
a gold medal,” Brian says optimistically.

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