You couldn’t come up with a better story than Jordan Morris’ 2019 season with the Seattle Sounders.
A local kid who attended the club’s inaugural MLS match back on March 19, 2009, the Homegrown winger grew up dreaming of pulling on the iconic Rave Green jersey and playing at CenturyLink Field.
On Sunday, Morris lifted the MLS Cup trophy as he celebrated his second league title in four seasons. This time, he got to do so on his home turf.
“I was emotional before the game because I was thinking about that [inaugural match],” Morris said after the game. “I was here at the first game 10 years ago, and now I’m on the field playing for a championship.”
In his first season with the club, the high-flying attacker notched 12 goals and four assists as he won 2016 MLS Rookie of the Year. It wasn’t the only trophy he secured that year, as Morris helped the guide Sounders to their first-ever MLS Cup title.
“To win [MLS Cup] again is just so amazing,” said Morris. “It’s a special club. It’s a special city.”
Injuries made it nearly impossible for Morris to get into any sort of rhythm in 2017. After picking up a hamstring strain late in the year, he was limited to just a 19-minute cameo in Toronto as the Sounders faltered in their attempt to defend the title.
Looking to get back on track in 2018, he was once again forced to watch from the sidelines, tearing his ACL in a February Concacaf Champions League match, which forced him to miss the entire campaign.
“Coming off the injury last year, you dream about moments like this,” added Morris. “To win a championship was super special.”
Morris returned with a new fire, a new appreciation for the game that spurred his best-ever season in Rave Green. His exploits on the pitch were duly rewarded with the 2019 MLS Comeback Player of the Year.
In his return to the postseason, he sparked the Sounders’ return to MLS Cup with his first professional hat trick in a 4-3 win over FC Dallas in extra time of Round One. He followed that match-winning display up with another top performance against LAFC, shutting down league MVP Carlos Vela and tallying an assist as Seattle won the Western Conference with a 3-1 result.
Morris received a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd when he was subbed off in the 85th minute
Although he didn’t get on the scoresheet in the final against TFC, his speed and direct play helped generate some of Seattle’ most dangerous moments in the first half. Swapping wings in the second half, he continued to drive the Sounders forward with his power in transition.
“I remember lifting that trophy up with Jordan Morris,” midfielder Cristian Roldan said when asked about his favorite memory from the day. “That’s something he deserved more than anybody after the year that he had last year.
“After his first year where he won a trophy, I mean this guy has been to three finals in three years. You scratch that ACL year and he’s been to three finals in three years. Without him, we probably wouldn’t be here. Credit to him, I am so proud of him.”
All week leading up to the final, Morris spoke about what it would mean to win MLS Cup in his hometown. On Sunday, he and the Sounders delivered a trophy in front of almost 70,000 supporters.
Jordan Morris is just 25 years old and he’s a two-time MLS Cup champion. He’s one of our own.
