SEATTLE, WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced today that Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Aaron Kovar have been selected to the Homegrown Roster for the 2016 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game. Announced by MLS Homegrown Team Head Coach Landon Donovan earlier this afternoon via Facebook Live, the pair of Seattle Homegrown Players are part of the MLS Homegrown Team that takes on the Mexico U-20 National Team on Wednesday, July 27, the night before the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game between MLS and Arsenal FC of the English Premier League. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. PT from Avaya Stadium in San Jose.
Morris, 21, leads Sounders FC with six goals in 17 appearances in his rookie season. The Stanford University product won the MAC Hermann Trophy for the nation’s top player and led the Cardinal to the 2015 NCAA Championship, capping a prolific collegiate career that included two NSCAA First Team All-American and three First Team All-Pac 12 selections. He became the first collegiate player to earn a call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team since 1999, now totaling nine career caps, scoring his first international goal against Mexico in April of 2015.
Kovar, 22, has started 10 of 13 appearances for Sounders FC this season, with the winger scoring his first career MLS goal on May 28 of this season on the road at New England. The third-year pro signed with Seattle prior to the 2014 season after a two-year collegiate career at Stanford, where he was the 2012 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year before recording six assists in 15 appearances as a sophomore in 2013.
Kovar and Morris earned Gatorade Washington State Player of the Year honors in 2011 and 2012, respectively, after starring at the high school level in the Seattle area. Kovar graduated from Seattle’s Garfield High School and played with Sounders FC Academy from 2010-2012. Morris, who graduated from Mercer Island High School, was named 2012-2013 U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Player of the Year after scoring 28 goals in 32 games for the Sounders FC U-18 squad. The pair over-lapped for one season at Stanford in 2013 and helped the Cardinal to a 10-7-4 record and a NCAA Tournament appearance.
A total of 11 MLS clubs are represented amongst the 20 players selected to the Homegrown roster. MLS Homegrown Players aged 23 or under were available for selection.
The MLS Homegrown Team takes on its most formidable opponent to date in the Mexico U-20s, one of the region’s accomplished youth national teams. The Mexico U-20s lay claim to 13 CONCACAF U-20 Championship titles, most recently winning the past three editions of the tournament in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The Mexico U-20 travelling roster will be named at a later date.
Seattle Sounders FC (5-10-2, 17 points) returns to action on Wednesday, July 13 against FC Dallas on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Q13 FOX, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Sigi Schmid's club then hits the road for a Cascadia clash against the Portland Timbers on Sunday, July 17 at Providence Park. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. PT in the lone match of the season to air nationally on free-to-air FOX Broadcast Network.
2016 MLS HOMEGROWN TEAM ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas), Maxime Crépeau (Montreal Impact)
DEFENDERS: Danilo Acosta (Real Salt Lake), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Guillen (FC Dallas), Phanuel Kavita (Real Salt Lake), Jalen Robinson (D.C. United), Tyler Turner (Orlando City SC)
MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls), Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake), Jay Chapman (Toronto FC), Coy Craft (FC Dallas), Harrison Heath (Orlando City SC), Aaron Kovar (Seattle Sounders FC), Raul Mendiola (LA Galaxy), Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes)
FORWARDS: Joey Calistri (Chicago Fire), Jordan Hamilton (Toronto FC), Jack McBean (LA Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC)
