MINNEAPOLIS — When Jordan Morris scored in the 71st minute on Saturday to put the Seattle Sounders up 3-0 on Minnesota United in an eventual 4-0 win, he threw his arms up in frustration rather than celebrate, a somewhat odd action for someone who all but secured three crucial away points.
“It was something like, ‘Why couldn’t I have done that on the last [chance]?’” Morris said. “Very happy to have it go in the net. I’ve had a lot of chances this season I haven’t finished so, a little bit of frustration, but great to see it go in.”
Morris’ frustrations stem from only scoring three goals so far this season with Seattle despite tying for the Golden Boot with three goals for the United States during July’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Morris scored a late game-winning goal to defeat Jamaica in the Gold Cup Final, and he’s hoping his impressive month-long international performances with the U.S. can springboard him for the rest of the MLS season.
“[The Gold Cup goal] gave me the confidence I needed to help this team do well,” said Morris. “I feel like I create a lot of chances, but it’s more the final third. I was talking a lot to one of the assistant coaches at the national team, and he just told me, ‘Try and slow down a little bit in front goal,’ and I 100 percent agree with him. There’s obviously not a lot of time, but taking that little pause and looking to finish. Working on that in training will be important to help me in the games.”
Head Coach Brian Schmetzer is also pleased to see Morris get on the score sheet. Schmetzer knows how hard Morris has been working and was happy to see him rewarded with a goal, especially after having a header he scored called back for offside in the first half on Saturday.
“It was good for Jordy to get off the snide because he deserves it,” Schmetzer said. “He’s putting the work in during training, putting extra work in in training to stay sharp…[He has] renewed energy [since returning from U.S. camp], a sense of commitment and confidence. You saw how he can fly by people at times. Now we’re just working on finishing all those chances.”
Added Morris: “A lot of my plays are through balls in behind where you’re going full speed, so you just have to try and slow down mentally, pick your spot and go for it…I still feel like I could be a little cleaner in front of goal. I feel like I should have had a couple today, but all that matters is the three points and getting the win and keeping the momentum going.”
