Jordan Morris broke free to score his second goal in six minutes on Saturday and steal a crucial three points for the Seattle Sounders at the death against FC Dallas. Morris then sprinted to the left side of the Brougham End near the locker room tunnels with teammates jubilantly chasing him down as the Lumen Field crowd erupted into a frenzy.
If Morris’ celebration against FC Dallas after his stoppage-time winner on Saturday felt familiar, it certainly was. He admitted as much afterward.
Nearly five years earlier, Morris scored the match-winner in extra time against FC Dallas in the opening round of the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs. Morris recorded a hat trick, the first in Sounders postseason history, and propelled Seattle to its second MLS Cup title in four years. Morris sprinted to the same area of the pitch as FC Dallas was left wondering, yet again, how it let an opportunity slip.
While the stakes weren’t nearly as high on Saturday, the points were vital all the same for a team that has been struggling at times this season to click into full gear.
“It’s a big result, that’s really what it comes down to,” said Morris. “I’m happy to get on the score sheet, but we needed that win.”
The brace also notched a landmark for Morris, who with his 60 career goals passed Sounders MLS original and legend Fredy Montero for second on the club’s all-time regular-season goalscoring list. Only current teammate Raúl Ruidíaz has scored more.
“It means everything,” said Morris. “A big goal of mine was to keep climbing that [club goalscoring] list. That’s what I feel I can bring to the game is to be a threat, be a goalscorer. To see my name up there with a legend like Fredy and Raúl and other greats who have played for this club, it means a ton to me. It validates a ton of hard work that I’ve put in, but it’s about my team and my teammates and what they’ve done to help me get there.”
Added Head Coach Brian Schmetzer: “That’s a great milestone. Jordan’s been around a long time. He’s done a great job for the club, the hometown kid. I’m happy for him.”
Morris and the Sounders know they still have work to do. Even with the result, they ended the weekend outside the playoff picture, even on points with the Vancouver Whitecaps but behind in the tiebreaker.
Seattle has two more matches left in this crucial three-game homestand against the Chicago Fire on Saturday (7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS) and the New England Revolution on July 6. Both the Fire and Revs sit below the playoff line themselves in the Eastern Conference.
The Sounders twice erased 2-0 deficits in the past week, first clawing back for a 2-2 draw at the Houston Dynamo last Wednesday before the miraculous 3-2 win over FC Dallas on Saturday. The Western Conference table is tight — just six points separate the Colorado Rapids in fourth from the Sounders in 10th — and a couple more results could go a long way in catapulting Seattle up the standings.
“Cristian \[Roldan\] said it after the game that this is going to change our season,” said Morris. “We just have a belief now…We made it a goal of ours in the second half of the season to push up the table because we know we have the quality to compete for a trophy. It shows that the team keeps fighting and there’s no quit in this group.”
