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If you’ re any sort of women’s soccer fan, you know Alex Morgan.

The 22-year-old wunderkind, known as the “super sub” during the Women’s World Cup last summer and in the recent Olympic qualifying matches, got a start in the CONCACAF final against Canada. Morgan not only notched the first goal of the game and a another in the second half, but she picked up two assists to Abby Wambach.  The former Cal soccer star has been noted for her amazing mix of strength and beauty which makes her the epitome of Pretty Tough.

Morgan, one of three females athletes to appear in the 2012 Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit issue which hits newstands in time for Valentine’s Day,  will be part of the popular “bodypaint” feature. Yes, that means she’ll be wearing nothing at all, save for paint.

“Initially I was a little nervous, but this opportunity doesn’t come everyday,” Morgan told SI.com about the gig. “I wanted to involve my family with my decision and it helped that they were very supportive.”

Known for her audacity on the pitch, Morgan was asked, “What was more intimidating: posing in bodypaint or taking on Japan in the World Cup finals?

“I have been playing soccer my entire life. I know how to stay calm and not get too nervous for games. That’s why I would have to say posing in body paint was a little more intimidating,” Morgan told SI.com. “It was a completely new experience and definitely took some getting used to before I felt comfortable in body paint. I had to look in the mirror every five minutes to make sure I actually had a swimsuit on.”

Clearly, Morgan’s appearance in SI is a play for the fanboys who love to blog about how hot the soccer starlet is. But will the  decision to pose affect her image in any way?  USWNT teammate Hope Solo essentially posed nude in last year’s ESPN Body Issue and it didn’t seem to have hurt her. The Body Issue, however, was at least co-ed and pretended to be more a celebration of sports physiology than a compilation of centerfolds.

While it’s refreshing to see healthy images of athletic women rather than their gaunt supermodel counterparts, it’s doubtful that SI’s decision to feature Morgan was meant to be progressive in any way.

What do you think?

Will Morgan generate as much interest in her sport with her swimsuit appearance as she did for women’s soccer a year ago in Germany? Probably.  Will the national exposure (yes we mean exposure) finally put women’s soccer on the map? Probably not. Will we see Morgan cast as a competitor on “Dancing with the Stars?” Have to wait and see.

In the meantime, Morgan and her signature pink headband are expected to appear this summer at the Olympic Games in London where she’ll try to help the U.S. women to their third consecutive gold medal.  The USWNT has also added two more games to their busy schedule leading up to the Olympics, taking on reigning World Cup Champion Japan and the always difficult Brazil in early April. For those of us missing the WPS this year (the league recently announced they were suspending play) the WNT is a ray of light.

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This post is related to an ongoing story:

• 2012 London Games

View Original Post at prettytough.com

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There is 1 comment on this post. Join the discussion!

Crimson says:

Totally good for Morgan's personal brand. She's now officially launched. Look out Solo and Danica. The benefit to women's sports generally and soccer in particular, not so much. That said, good for her. It is her life after all.

It is however kind of interesting how a Cal alumni signed up for this program. Probably a message in there somewhere from Ms. Morgan that has little to do with the politically correct environment in which she matriculated.

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:27pm EST

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