On the morning of last Friday's Sounders' training session, forward Jordan Morris received a message that no young star wants to hear. It was from United States National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, informing Morris that he would not be competing for his country in the Copa America Centenario this summer.
“He just left me a message and told me not to take it too hard, that there was a lot of competition,” said Morris. “I completely respect his decision; there’s a lot of good forwards playing and they’re all playing really well.”
After narrowly falling short for an Olympic bid with the U.S. U-23s earlier this year, Copa America would have been the first major international tournament for Morris. Now, he may need to wait for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup for his first shot at competing on an international stage.
“Yeah, I think every time you’re left of off something like that it gives you fuel to your fire to try to get back in the mix,” Morris told reporters. “It’s obviously a little disappointing and I would have loved to be on the team but again [I] completely respect the decision, and [I’ve] just got to keep working hard at things I know I can continue to improve on to get to that next level.”
In a media session over the weekend, Klinsmann stated that the decision ultimately came down to Morris or San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski. Many pundits speculated that it was Wondolowski’s experience and work ethic that tipped the scale, but Klinsmann stated on Saturday that "we decided in this moment right now to go with Wondo [Wondowlowski]."
Wondolowski, who recently signed a new contract with San Jose, had in fact begun the season with a bang, scoring seven goals in the first eight games and vaulting into first place in the 2016 Golden Boot standings. Since then, he has been held scoreless in four straight matches. Morris, meanwhile, began the season with a five game scoreless stretch, but snapped it with a goal in four straight games, tying an MLS rookie record.
“He [Wondolowski] just knows how to score goals and knows his way in and around the box,” said Morris. “I think we have different skill sets and Jurgen went with his, which is totally understandable. He’s a great player, someone I’ve looked up to and his stats prove that…I’m excited for him and I’m excited to watch him.”
The day after receiving the call from Klinsmann and just before the Sounders took the field against the Colorado Rapids, Morris sent out a tweet to U.S. teammates, wishing them luck in the upcoming challenge, and to his fans.
“It was just heart felt,” said Morris. “I wish those guys all the best; it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch this summer.”
With the weekend’s news behind him, Morris can now focus on getting results at home in Seattle. His form will now be as important as ever for the success of the Sounders in the upcoming away matches, with teammates Clint Dempsey and Nelson Valdez away at the tournament.
“Now I’m just excited to get games in here and try and get some points for the Sounders,” Morris said. “I’m happy with how things have gone with the Sounders and [I’ve] just got to keep building off that.”
