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As the youngest member of the U.S. women's national soccer team, Alex Morgan said she's in "a great position now."

That position has been on the bench, though. With the Women's World Cup starting Sunday in Germany, many observers think the 21-year-old former Cal forward should be playing more.

"She makes things happen," ESPN commentator Bob Ley said after the Americans' shaky victory over Mexico three weeks ago. "They're a better team with her in there."

ESPN colleague Brandi Chastain, the former World Cup star, thinks Morgan should start.

"Right away, she could force teams on their heels," she said. Though Lauren Cheney and Amy Rodriguez can score, she said, "I think Alex Morgan complements Abby Wambach much better. She's in or around and behind players. She moves off the ball very well."

North Korea. The Americans were No. 1 in the world in the most recent FIFA rankings, but they need to finish better than they did in beating Mexico 1-0.

They dominated play with a 34-4 shooting advantage but couldn't score until Cheney's 27-yard blast in stoppage time. Coach Pia Sundhage inserted Morgan in the 76th minute, and her speed and skill caused Mexico some problems.

Morgan seems content with paying her dues - to a point. In an interview before the Mexico game, she said, "I'm in a great position now. My goal was to make the roster. Right now, my role is to come off the bench and raise the energy. I'm never going to be content to be a bench player. I hope to eventually become a big part of this team."

She has been the No. 4 forward behind Wambach, 31, who scored nine goals over the last two World Cups; Rodriguez, the former USC player, and Cheney, out of UCLA. Kelley O'Hara, the 2009 college Player of the Year at Stanford, also waits in the wings.

Sundhage told The Chronicle last month, "The best way (Morgan) can help is coming off the bench." She described Morgan as "fast and strong. She puts away chances, left-footed or right."

Morgan has scored seven times in her first 19 appearances. With a World Cup berth on the line, she came off the bench with five minutes left to score one of the biggest goals in recent years, in stoppage time of a 1-0 win over Italy in the first leg of a two-match playoff series. She had made herself known on the international stage with the winning goal against North Korea in the final of the 2008 Under-20 World Cup.

Rory McIlroy (born 4 May 1989) is a professional golfer from Holywood, Northern Ireland. He has represented Ireland, Europe and Great Britain & Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007. Later that year he turned professional and soon established himself on the European Tour. He had his first win on the European Tour in 2009, and on the PGA Tour in 2010. He represented Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup.

On 19 June 2011, he won the U.S. Open, his first major. He finished with a record score of 16-under-par on his way to an eight-shot victory, as the youngest winner since Bobby Jones in 1923. He has been cited as the most exciting young prospect in golf and having the potential to become one of the highest earners in sports in terms of endorsements.The victory lifted McIlroy's position in the Official World Golf Ranking to a career high of number four.

Rory McIlroy smile
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Rory McIlroy golfer
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Rory McIlroy professional Golf player

Rory McIlroy has terminally split with his long-time girlfriend Holly Sweeney and embarked on a relationship with world tennis No 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

A statement released by the Co Down star's management company, International Sports Management, last night confirmed the end of the young golf star's relationship with his former childhood sweetheart.

It said: "Rory McIlroy's long-time relationship with Holly Sweeney came to an amicable end before the Open Championship."

Sources close to McIlroy confirmed last night that McIlroy has formed a close friendship with the 21-year-old Danish tennis star.

The young golfer, who is widely tipped to be the next Tiger Woods, made two visits to Wimbledon to watch tennis following his US Open triumph four weeks ago.

However, he is believed to have met Wozniacki at the World Heavyweight title boxing match between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg on July 2.

The following day, Wozniacki wrote on her Twitter account: "Fantastic fight! Also met Rory McIlory, who was sitting just behind me:) Really down to earth great guy:)"

McIlroy has previously admitted that he made a mistake when he broke off his relationship with his childhood sweetheart at the start of the season to concentrate on his golf.

She was pictured at his side during homecoming celebrations following his triumphant win at the US Open this summer and has been the subject of much media coverage since his astonishing victory.

"I realised pretty quickly that I had made a mistake, and I had to do a lot of begging and grovelling to get her back," he said at the time. "She is fantastic."

The pair had been going steady since they were teenagers and she was also a shoulder to cry on at Augusta National in April, when McIlroy's management team flew her out for the final day of the Masters.

"She takes my mind off golf... and having her there made Sunday night a lot easier, having someone there you really know," he said in the aftermath of his traumatic loss in Augusta.

The couple lived together with their two dogs at McIlroy's 13-acre Co Down hideaway.

But speculation about his relationship with the young tennis star, labelled "a county club couple made in heaven" in one internet blog site, has been rife since the pair were spotted having an intimate dinner together at a London restaurant earlier this month.

Tongues were also set wagging by their followers on their mutual Twitter sites with a flirty exchange of tweets, including a cheeky birthday greeting McIlroy sent the tennis player on her 21st birthday last Monday, in which he tweeted: "You're getting old."

She replied: "At least now you will be able to buy me a drink in the US" and "Not only in Hamburg", a few hours later.