SEATTLE, WASH. – U.S. Soccer today announced that Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris has been named to Head Coach Andi Herzog’s 22-man roster for the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team for training camp in advance of the team’s home-and-away playoff against Colombia, which will determine the final berth in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The first match of the 2016 Olympic Qualifying playoff is taking place on Friday, March 25 at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia, at 2:00 p.m. PT live on FS1. The return leg is being played on March 29 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas at 6:30 p.m. PT, with the decisive match broadcast live on ESPN2 following the U.S. MNT’s World Cup Qualifying match against Guatemala at 4:00 p.m. PT.
Morris, 21, has nine appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team and became the first collegiate player to earn a cap since 1995 when he made his senior team debut on November 18, 2014. He scored his first international goal in a friendly win over Mexico at the Alamo Dome on April 15, 2015 with a second-half strike to lead the Stars and Stripes to a 2-0 win. Morris currently has three goals in five appearances for the U-23 U.S. National Team in 2016 Olympic Qualifying, including a brace against Canada on January 10.
Last October, the USA won its three first-round games in the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship before falling in the semifinals to Honduras. The U-23’s bounced back and won the third-place match against Canada to earn a place in the playoff. Colombia finished second in the 2015 South American Youth Championship to claim its spot in the playoff.
In addition to hosts Brazil, 14 other countries have already qualified for the 16-team men’s Olympic Football Tournament. The winner of the aggregate-goal series between the USA and Colombia will round out the field.
The U.S. hopes to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, where it posted a 1-1-1 record but did not advance past the Group Stage. The USA’s best showing in the Olympics came during the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, when the team defeated Japan in the quarterfinals and finished fourth in the event.
The Rave Green play their first Cascadia Cup fixture of the season tonight against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, with the match being broadcast on Q13 FOX and Univision-Seattle for the first time this season.
U.S. U-23 ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Cody Cropper (Milton Keynes Dons), Ethan Horvath (Molde KJ), Zach Steffen (SC Freiburg)
DEFENDERS (8) : Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Eric Miller (Colorado Rapids), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Desevio Payne (FC Groningen), Shane O'Neill (Cambridge United), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas)
MIDFIELDERS (9) : Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Luis Gil (Queretaro), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham FC), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
FORWARDS (3) : Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Mario Rodriguez (Borussia Monchengladbach), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC)
