Ahead of Saturday evening’s Western Conference Semifinal between the Seattle Sounders and LAFC, the weather in Los Angeles did something that it hadn’t done in a while: rain.
It’s only fitting, then, that Seattle marched into BMO Stadium and knocked off top-seeded LAFC 2-1 after extra time to advance to its first Western Conference Final since 2020. Even more fitting was the 109th-minute match-winner from local product Jordan Morris, who continues to shine for his boyhood club and show up when it matters most.
“He’s had a couple [important goals], but this one was massive,” Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said of Morris.
Morris scored in both contests of a two-leg Western Conference Championship series against the Colorado Rapids in 2016, including the lone goal in a 1-0 away win while battling flu symptoms, to help Seattle earn its first MLS Cup appearance. He also scored the first postseason hat trick in Sounders franchise history in a thrilling 4-3 win after extra time against FC Dallas in the opening round of the 2019 playoffs, which also ultimately led to the Sounders’ second league title.
Now, Morris adds another unforgettable moment to his legacy in a season where he set a career high with 13 MLS goals.
“The way [Morris] turned and spun, we talk about it, tough angles, hitting the ball up,” said Schmetzer. “That was the classic striker’s goal. You’ve got to know where you’re at, you’ve got to know where the goalkeeper is, you’ve got to know where the frame of the goal is. Credit to him, he’s been working hard on being a No. 9.”
Morris and the Sounders had been in this situation before. In 2019, Seattle visited Los Angeles for the Western Conference Final to take on an LAFC side that had set an MLS points record. LAFC opened the scoring in that match, like they did on Saturday night, and just like the Sounders did five years ago, they came from behind to win.
“In the playoffs, you just have to fight and claw your way back,” said Morris. “To see that hit the net, we still had some time to go, but we knew if we held them off for a little bit, we’d win the game.”
The Sounders now await their Western Conference Final opponent from a semifinal match on Sunday between the LA Galaxy and Minnesota United. A Galaxy win would send Seattle back to southern California, roughly 10 miles south of where the team won on Saturday, while a Minnesota win would mean the Sounders would host the Loons at Lumen Field in a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Championship.
Seattle also controls its own path to hosting MLS Cup. Due to several upsets in the Eastern Conference, if the Sounders advance out of the West, 2024 MLS Cup will be held in Seattle for the second time in six years, making Saturday’s achievement all the more valuable.
“From the start of the game, we came out and set the tone, had the right mentality,” said Morris. “To come back [and win], especially with how things had gone against this team, shows the character of this team and the mentality.”
