Prior to Saturday’s 4-1 win over FC Cincinnati, it had been 538 days since Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris started an MLS match at CenturyLink Field.
Throughout his lengthy injury layoff, including all of last season with a torn ACL, one thing compelled Morris to keep battling through difficult stretches: the clamor of Sounders supporters cheering as he took the pitch.
“It felt amazing,” said Morris. “That’s what gave me the motivation last year to keep working hard during the tough times. It was for this moment, to come back and hear that crowd noise and be back playing on this field. It was a very emotional night, and I’m so happy to be back, but to get three points was huge.”
The Sounders Academy alum marked his return for his hometown club with a complete performance, bagging a brace and terrorizing FC Cincinnati’s back line all evening. Lining up on both flanks throughout the match, Morris repeatedly torched defenders and provided a spark after the Sounders fell behind just 13 minutes into the match.
For Head Coach Brian Schmetzer, the most pleasing aspect of Morris’ performance was that he displayed all the hard work he’d put in during his time away from the team.
“He said that he wanted to be goal-dangerous, and he was tonight,” said Schmetzer. “I think that is what I’m going to latch onto, using his own words as guidance for him to finish the year on a high note as well.”
Morris has said that the toughest part of his recovery was having to watch his team compete, knowing that he couldn’t be on the field with them. So, when he grabbed his first goal, blazing down the left and curling a shot into the far post, it was a cathartic moment.
But the only thing that surpassed the ecstasy of scoring two goals on his return to CenturyLink Field was sharing the celebrations with his teammates.
“My teammates helped me get through last year because there were some tough times, so [I was] leaning on them,” said Morris. “Coming into this year, they understood it might take a little time to get back to full [strength] and get back to having all of my touches right. They were so supportive, and having that team embrace after the goals was something really, really special to me.”
While Schmetzer was quick to pump the breaks on any burgeoning narratives or unrealistic expectations, he clearly enjoyed seeing Morris’ hard work over the past year vindicated with a brace.
“I’m very proud of him because he’s a tough kid,” said Schmetzer, “and he persevered through a lot of tough times.”
