SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Cristian Roldan have been named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Head Coach Gregg Berhalter unveiled his 26-player squad Wednesday afternoon at an event in New York City and via live broadcast on ESPN2. This marks the first FIFA World Cup call-up for either player. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM begins on November 20 and runs through December 18.
The USMNT, making its first World Cup appearance since 2014, was drawn into Group B earlier this year and is set to play Wales on November 21, England on November 25 and Iran on November 29. All games begin at 11:00 a.m. PT, with a national broadcast on FOX. Viewers throughout Western Washington are able to watch via Sounders FC partner FOX 13. Earlier this week the club announced details surrounding its official U.S. Men’s National Team FIFA World Cup Watch Parties taking place at The Armory at Seattle Center.
“As an organization, we are incredibly happy for Jordan and Cristian. If any two guys earned it, it’s these two,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “No players work harder or more honestly for their team, and I am so glad to see that effort rewarded with this opportunity. We are lucky to have them, as is Coach Berhalter.”
Morris, 28, has 49 appearances and 11 goals for the USMNT, including six during 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. The Mercer Island native received his first senior call-up while still at Stanford University in August of 2014 and made his debut in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland on November 18, 2014. After recording his first international goal in a friendly against archrival Mexico in 2015, Morris notably scored three goals in six appearances during the USMNT’s title-winning run in the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup, including the match-winner in the final against Jamaica. He also has tallied four goals in four games during a championship run in the 2019-2020 Concacaf Nations League, and most recently scored in a Nations League match against El Salvador on June 10 of this year. Since signing with Sounders FC as a Homegrown Player prior to the 2016 season, Morris has made 169 appearances across all competitions, ranking fifth in club history with 52 goals and tied for seventh with 28 assists. Among his accomplishments are being named 2016 MLS Rookie of the Year, 2019 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, 2020 MLS Best XI, 2020 Sounders FC Team MVP, 2022 Concacaf Champions League Best XI and a 2022 MLS All-Star.
“Congratulations to Jordan and Cristian, two players who mean so much to this club and community,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “We’ve witnessed their development first-hand as members of the club, and their ability to excel at the highest levels of our league has given them a chance to participate in the biggest competition in the world. I can’t think of two more deserving players to represent our country at the World Cup.”
Roldan, 27, has 32 career caps for the USMNTdating back to his debut July 13, 2017, when he played 90 minutes against Martinique in a Concacaf Gold Cup match. The University of Washington product has 10 career appearances in Gold Cup action, in addition to five appearances during 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. Roldan was selected by Seattle in the First Round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and has gone on to make 280 appearances for the Rave Green in all competitions, ranking third in the MLS era behind only Osvaldo Alonso and Stefan Frei. He ranks third in club history with 47 assists across all competitions and seventh with 36 goals, in addition to being named a 2021 MLS All-Star and a 2022 Concacaf Champions League Best XI selection.
This marks the second-consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance for the U.S. Men’s National Team where it has selected multiple Sounders FC players. Clint Dempsey and DeAndre Yedlin were named to the USMNT’s final squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The only other past players to be named to their country’s final World Cup roster while rostered with Seattle are Gustav Svensson (Sweden) and Román Torres (Panama) in 2018.
Sounders FC finished the 2022 campaign with a 16-17-5 record across all competitions. The Rave Green became the first MLS side to win the Concacaf Champions League title in the spring, before a regular season that fell short of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in the club’s 14-year history. Seattle heads into the offseason with its sights set on the 2023 campaign, which begins with the FIFA Club World Cup.
World Cup Watch Parties
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