Three minutes after Will Bruin coolly chipped goalkeeper Joe Willis and subsequently put the finishing touches on a 5-0 aggregate rout of the Houston Dynamo to help the Seattle Sounders advance to MLS Cup 2017, the 45,000 fans at CenturyLink Field on Thursday were as loud as they had been all evening.
Mercer Island native and Homegrown product Jordan Morris checked in as a substitute and made his first appearance since straining his hamstring on Sept. 10 against the LA Galaxy, and his return could not have come at a better time for the Sounders. When healthy, he is one of the fastest players on the ball in Major League Soccer and will be a mismatch whenever and wherever he plays against Toronto FC on Saturday (1 p.m. PT; ESPN, UniMás, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
“I’m feeling great, I’m excited to be back,” said Morris. “It’s been a long time. Hopefully I can come in and try and make an impact in [MLS Cup].”
The past three months was the longest stretch Morris has ever spent away from the game, and although he admitted it wore on him, it made him appreciate playing and not taking his time on the pitch for granted.
“Mentally that’s the toughest part, sitting up there watching games,” he said. “You want to be on the field and trying to help in any way that I can. It’s what you love to do, and when you take a step back and get away from the game, you realize how much you love being out there and playing.”
After winning MLS Cup last season and being named MLS Rookie of the Year, Morris had difficulty matching his 12-goal performance while battling an ankle injury for much of the first part of 2017 and this most recent hamstring issue. He finished the regular season with three goals and an assist in 23 matches, but at full fitness he shined with the United States national team, scoring four goals in 15 matches including an 88th-minute game-winner in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final.
“I’m very proud of that kid for working hard to get back,” said Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “I was going back and forth, how much time we should give him [in Leg 2 of the Western Conference Championship] and all of that. I needed him to get a few more minutes so he can be ready for MLS Cup.”
Morris is still working on becoming 90-minute fit, but his recovery and ability to change matches, especially late when defenses begin to tire, may very well be the difference in helping Seattle become the fourth team to win back-to-back MLS Cups.
“[Toronto is] going to be out for some revenge and wanting to win,” said Morris. “For us, it’s going to be a case of burying opportunities when we get them. If [a supersub] is my role, then I’ll come in and do the best that I can and work as hard as I can for as long as I’m out there and try and make an impact in the game. Sometimes that can be a little bit of a spark.”
