GARDENA: Alex Morgan, co-captain of U.S. women’s national team, said she plans to play at the Tokyo Olympics even though the Games will take place just three months after she is due to give birth to her first child in April. “It’s my goal to play there,” Morgan said in an interview. “It’s clearly a short window but if I’m able to, I want to be there representing my country.” Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco last month announced that they were expecting a daughter. It has certainly been a busy year for the Southern California striker. In March she joined her team mates in suing their employer, U.S. Soccer, arguing that the women’s team was underpaid compared to their less successful male counterparts. The 30-year-old, who scored six goals during her team’s charge towards a fourth World Cup title, said she hoped the lawsuit can be settled out of court even though a trial date has been set. “It’s moving quickly,” she said. “We’re having updates every week and we have the trial set for May, so we are absolutely hoping to have it resolved before the Olympics. But the sooner, the better,” she said. She said the legal battle did not interfere with the team’s focus. “The lawsuit isn’t necessarily a distraction but it’s something that needs to happen for us to value ourselves properly,” she said. “Our employer is not doing the same.” The women’s team has also won four Olympic golds.
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