TORONTO – In one of its tune-ups for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. men’s national team faced an overmatched Stanford University side in a closed-door setting. It was a predictably lopsided affair and while Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore can’t recall the exact score, he does remember being struck by the skills of one particular player.
Jordan Morris managed Stanford’s only goal that day and, on Saturday at the MLS Cup final at BMO Field, he will represent the biggest scoring threat on Seattle Sounders FC.
“He was great against us,” Altidore said. “I remember looking over at [former national team assistant coach] Andi Herzog and said, ‘Is it too late to bring this guy, bring him along with us to Brazil?”
People have been struck by Morris’s ability for some time now, which is why he—as was the case for Altidore a decade ago—entered his freshman Major League Soccer season with all kinds of hype about where he may one day lead the U.S. program. In fact, according to TFC captain Michael Bradley, the whole thing may have gotten a little out of hand.
“From the beginning, it was built up to be something, in some ways, bigger than it needed to be for a young player who was just coming out of college,” said Bradley, who, like Altidore, got to know the 22-year-old Morris through the U.S. national team.
Fair or not, expectations were sky high when Morris debuted with his hometown Sounders last spring. And when he went five games without finding the back of the net, a deluge of criticism was directed toward a player who was young enough that he still lived with his parents.
“At first, dealing with that pressure was tough,” said Morris, whose dad, Michael, is Seattle’s team doctor. “A lot of people were quick to write me off and I think I let that get to me too much.”
Of course, scoring solves most problems and when Morris got the monkey of his back in game No. 6, it started a run of four consecutive matches in which he hit pay dirt. The critics were certainly quieted by that run, but Morris knew the force of external pressure wasn’t going away forever. In addition to his coaches and teammates, he credits both Altidore and Bradley as guys who helped teach him how to compartmentalize things and block the noise that comes with being a highly-touted pro.
“Whether it’s good or bad, it really won’t help me on the field,” Morris said. “For me, it was just kind of a change of attitude and a focus on what I can do to help the team win.”
There’s really no shortage of options there, especially for a player who exhibits an obvious desire to learn and improve.
“Jordan has a pretty unique package in terms of what he can do on the field,” Bradley said. “He’s fast; he can run with the ball; he’s not afraid. When the ball is on his right foot, he has a good idea of different ways that he can score.”
By season’s end, Morris had 12 goals in 34 outings, an impressive enough campaign to secure MLS rookie-of-the-year honours. With the benefit of an up-close look at Morris’s development, Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer is optimistic about where the young man is headed.
“He’s got a really high ceiling,” Schmetzer said.
Morris has scored in his past two contests, the most recent strike securing a 1-0 road victory versus the Colorado Rapids in the second leg of the Western Conference final. On the play, Morris darted toward a rolling ball inside the penalty box and used the outside of his right foot to chip it past Colorado keeper Zac MacMath. The ensuing collision had Morris down on the pitch for a bit, but he was soon back on his feet, moving with the rest of his squad toward the league final.
No surprise for a youngster who’s already shown great perseverance this year.
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