Alex Morgan: NWSL Handling of Paul Riley Harassment Allegations a 'Systemic Failure'

United States women's national team superstar Alex Morgan said a "systemic failure" by the National Women's Soccer League left players in a vulnerable position.

She joined Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly on NBC's Today on Tuesday to discuss the pair's recent allegations of sexual coercion and inappropriate conduct against former North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley, who was fired last week after details of his alleged actions were published by Meg Linehan of The Athletic.

Morgan explained the lack of resources available to report abusive actions opened the door for predatory behavior (via ESPN):

"I'm here to support Mana and Sinead and to continue to amplify their voices, and just show the systemic failure from the league and how wrong they did in handling Mana's case and complaint and investigation and where they failed Mana and Sinead, and probably many other women."

"When I look back, I tried to be as good a friend and teammate as possible to Mana in helping her file a complaint, when at the time there was no anti-harassment policy in place, there was no league HR, there was no anonymous hotline, there was no way to report."

"We've now started to put these things in place, by demand of players, not by the league being proactive. Something we ask is for the league to start being proactive, not reactive. We're asking for transparency."

Linehan provided details from more than a dozen of Riley's former players, with Shim and Farrelly going on the record to discuss their experiences, and 10 other sources throughout women's soccer that alleged Riley used controlling behavior toward players.

"My first reaction was: Holy s--t. This all makes sense. This guy has a pattern. Holy s--t. He’s still coaching in the league. We have to do something," Shim told The Athletic upon learning about other players who suffered similar experiences with the former coach.

Riley said a majority of the allegations are "completely untrue" in an emailed statement to The Athletic.

"There's a chance I've said something along the way that offended someone," Riley wrote. "I do not belittle my players, comment on their weight, or discuss their personal relationships."

He added: "I have never had sex with, or made sexual advances towards these players."

The Courage terminated Riley's contract after the allegations became public, and the NWSL accepted the resignation of commissioner Lisa Baird after Morgan provided details from an email Baird sent saying it previously concluded an investigation into Riley and wouldn't give any further information.

Meanwhile, the league announced a "commitment to systemic transformation" Sunday, including the retention of a law firm to "oversee these investigations and make recommendations for reforms." The newly formed executive committee also released a statement:

"On behalf of the entire league, we are heartbroken for what far too many players have had to endure in order to simply play the game they love, and we are so incredibly sorry. We understand that we must undertake a significant systemic and cultural transformation to address the issues required to become the type of league that NWSL players and their fans deserve and regain the trust of both. We're committed to doing just that and recognize that this won't happen overnight, but only through vigilance over time."

U.S. Soccer also launched an investigation into the matter.

On Today, Farrelly said she's happy to see the support players have received over the past week:

"The support and the validation of this story by everyone globally has just been, has blown me away and really has felt like it has given my pain a purpose. Mana and Alex and a couple of other women we worked with, and every person who's reached out and shown support, has turned this moment into a movement and made this matter."

"They have truly amplified our voices and just made this what it should be, which is a huge deal, and demanding change."

The NWSL, which postponed last weekend's matches amid the backlash, is tentatively scheduled to resume its 2021 season Wednesday night with three fixtures: NJ/NY Gotham vs. Washington Spirit, North Carolina vs. Racing Louisville and Portland Thorns vs. Houston Dash.