USWNT stars Morgan, Heath, Lavelle went to Europe due to the pandemic, but don't expect a larger movement

When whispers began circulating at the end of the summer that a number of high-profile United States women's national team players would be making their way to England, there was curiosity on both sides of the Atlantic as to what this might mean for the global game.

Several players had done stints in Europe before, of course, but the arrival of five of the 2019 World Cup winners' top stars -- Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Rose Lavelle, Christen Press, and Sam Mewis -- to England was a marked difference to previous moves that had drawn criticism and even seen national team careers threatened.

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In 2018, Portland Thorns and USWNT star Crystal Dunn cut her time at Chelsea short over fears her national career would suffer, while Morgan (Lyon) and Carli Lloyd (Manchester City) also previously faced criticism after leaving for opportunities abroad.

Former United States manager Jill Ellis was a strong advocate of players remaining in the USA and the USWNT's existing pay structure makes playing outside of the U.S. quite complicated for players, especially if they don't have the support of U.S. Soccer. The federation pays the players' international salaries and game bonuses, as well as the club salaries for USWNT players who play in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). While teams own the league, U.S. Soccer are employed through a contract to manage aspects of the league. This includes paying national team salaries for some players as well as salaries for at least 22 other players. In exchange for these salaries, the teams and the league limit the amount of players who can go overseas, though this contract is revisited periodically and the next review is due at the end of 2021. It all means that the USSF has an extra interest in its big stars staying home and playing in the States.

However, these controls have been loosening in the last year due to a number of internal and external factors. The league has been looking to lessen the control U.S. Soccer has on its players while Ellis' successor as USWNT coach, Vlatko Andonovski, has said he sees the benefits of players getting experience abroad.

"Every player that is Europe-based, if they're healthy and performing well, they're going to be in our plans and will be called for upcoming camps," Andonovski said when asked about the Europe-based members of his squad.

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However, one factor undoubtedly pushed the balance for the players this year: the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the NWSL was the first professional sports league to return to play in the United States after the initial pandemic-enforced shutdown, uncertainty led to Press and Heath opting out of the league's Challenge Cup, while Morgan's club side, the Orlando Pride, were forced to withdraw from the tournament entirely due to a spate of COVID-19 tests.

"It was a really impossible situation," Heath told ESPN. "I haven't played a real game of football since March, and it was a long time to press pause on my career. It was a very tough decision because I have given so much of my career and my heart there.

"The NWSL is a great league. It's so competitive from every single team and every single game. They have the right people and they are invested in it. It's unfortunate that the outcome right now isn't players staying."

Man City's Mewis (North Carolina Courage) and Lavelle (OL Reign) did compete in the tournament, but the chance for regular football ahead of an Olympic year was a massive draw.

"I think the NWSL did such a good job with the Challenge Cup," Mewis told ESPN. "I think it is such an individual decision to switch teams or change leagues, and the opportunity is so great that I personally was like this is a chance for me to add some depth to my game and continue to evolve as a player."

Not only was the certainty of England's FA Women's Super League (WSL) season a draw for the players, but their coaches also backed them for pursuing regular game time and continuing their development. "Most important for Sam right now are competitive games, especially leading into an Olympic year, and she will be able to play 20 games over the next six to seven months, which is hugely valuable," North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley said when her transfer was announced.

While the winds may be slightly changing for the USWNT, it is unlikely -- especially with the return of the NWSL and several new expansion teams coming soon, like Racing Louisville FC and Angel City FC in Los Angeles -- that these moves will herald a mass exodus to Europe. The role of COVID-19 and subsequently a lack of domestic options for players also cannot be understated, with Morgan announcing on Monday she will be leaving Spurs to return to Orlando in January.

However, as women's football becomes a more global game and the ties between U.S. Soccer and the league continue to loosen, it wouldn't be surprising to see more of the USWNT' stars make the move across the pond in the future. -- Kathleen McNamee

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