SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris has been voted Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 5 of the 2023 MLS season. Morris scored a club-record four goals in Sounders FC’s 4-1 road win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.
Morris became the 16th player in MLS history to score at least four goals in a game, and the first to accomplish the feat on the road since Clint Mathis scored a league-record five goals at Dallas on August 26, 2000. Morris now sits third all-time in club history in both regular-season (49) and all-competition goals (59), passing Clint Dempsey in both categories (47, 57). He now trails only Fredy Montero (58, 76) and Raúl RuidÃaz (59, 73) in scoring.
After Seattle gave up an early goal, Morris logged his first goal of the match in the 23rd minute when he stabbed home a Léo Chú cross. The Rave Green took the lead for good in the 54th minute, with Morris once again taking a pass from Chú and sliding the ball through the arms of the Sporting KC goalkeeper. He completed his hat trick in the 69th minute after Chú found Nicolás Lodeiro in space for a cross to Morris, who smashed it into the net from close range. The Mercer Island native set the club single-match record for goals at the same time Chú set the club single-match record with four assists, with the Brazilian crossing to Morris for a header in the 77th minute.
The U.S. Men’s National Team forward now has seven goals through five games on the season, leading the early Golden Boot race and equaling his total set in 2022. Morris’ single-season career high is 12 goals, set in 2016 en route to winning MLS Rookie of the Year.
Morris is the first Seattle player to win MLS Player of the Matchday since Raúl RuidÃaz on Matchday 20 of 2021. This is Morris’ fourth Player of the Matchday honor, most recently winning for Matchday 11 of 2020. His four honors are now tied with Dempsey and RuidÃaz for the most in Sounders FC history.
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
Brian Schmetzer’s side continues its road stretch against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, April 1 at Dignity Health Sports Park (4:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV – Watch Free, FOX, iHeart Media, El Rey 1360).
