SEATTLE, WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced that Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris has been named the 2016 AT&T Rookie of the Year. Morris is the first Seattle player to earn the honor after recording a team-leading 12 goals in his first pro campaign, setting an MLS record for an American-born rookie and second-most overall while appearing in all 34 regular-season matches. The Homegrown Player signed with Seattle in January following a prolific career with Stanford University and the Sounders FC Academy.
“It’s a huge honor and it was one of my goals going into the year, but there were some other amazing rookies this year and they had some awesome seasons,” said Morris. “Just to be a finalist for the award with two other great, great players was cool. It is obviously a huge honor.”
In one of the most decorated rookie campaigns in MLS history, Morris’ 12 goals were tied for 11th league-wide, while his six game-winning tallies were second in MLS to New York’s Bradley Wright-Phillips, the 2016 MLS Golden Boot winner. Morris added four assists and ranked second among MLS forwards with 2,8546 minutes played. Sounders FC compiled a 10-2-1 record when he recorded a goal or assist en route to the club’s eighth consecutive postseason appearance and a spot in the upcoming MLS Western Conference Championship.
“We are proud of Jordan and we think he has been as impactful in his first season as any rookie in the history of the league. We also believe that because of his work ethic, intelligence and humility he will only get better,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “Jordan is an exemplar of the best qualities of his hometown Seattle. He is an unparalleled teammate and role model for our community. For kids who are fans of the Sounders, it's a good thing if you want to be like Jordan Morris when you grow up.”
With nearly 45 percent of the weighted vote, Morris edged fellow finalists Keegan Rosenberry of the Philadelphia Union and Jack Harrison of New York City FC. The award was voted on by MLS club management, media and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results.
<strong>PLAYER</strong> |
<strong>PLAYER VOTE %</strong> |
<strong>MEDIA VOTE %</strong> |
<strong>CLUB VOTE %</strong> |
<strong>AVERAGE %</strong> |
<p>Jordan Morris</p> |
<p>47.33%</p> |
<p>44.86%</p> |
<p>42.67%</p> |
<p>44.95%</p> |
<p>Keegan Rosenberry</p> |
<p>20.00%</p> |
<p>41.12%</p> |
<p>30.67%</p> |
<p>30.60%</p> |
<p>Jack Harrison</p> |
<p>17.33%</p> |
<p>9.35%</p> |
<p>18.67%</p> |
<p>15.12%</p> |
“Jordan is a big reason that our club has been successful this year. He has dealt with huge expectations and pressure from the media, and handled himself like a veteran pro,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “I believe that he can improve in some key areas, and he has shown his willingness to learn and become a better player. His ability to impact the team in different areas is in line with our overall ‘team first’ mentality here in Seattle.”
Morris netted his first career strike in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on April 16 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, which ignited a four-match scoring streak that tied an MLS rookie record. He recorded his first multi-goal performance with a brace against the LA Galaxy on September 25 in a 4-2 Seattle win at the StubHub Center, punctuating a season that also saw Morris appear in the Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game against the Mexico U-20 National Team. The 22-year-old has appeared in all three of Sounders FC’s matches in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs and recorded an assist in a pivotal 3-0 home victory over FC Dallas in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Outside of league play, Morris has 12 career caps for the U.S. National Team and scored in a 2-0 win over Mexico in 2015. He was recently selected for a pair of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica, but was forced to return early due to a hamstring strain. The USMNT has an unblemished 5-0-0 record this year in matches Morris appears in.
Morris signed with Sounders FC as a Homegrown Player in January following a standout career at Stanford University, where he was a two-time NSCAA First Team All-American and three-time First Team All-Pac 12 selection. As a senior in 2015, he led the Cardinal to the National Championship and won the MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top collegiate player in the country. The Mercer Island native began with the organization as a Sounders FC Academy player in 2012 and went on to star for the U-18 squad, scoring 28 goals in 32 games and earning 2012-2013 U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Player of the Year honors.
Sounders FC is up for one more MLS postseason award still to be named, as midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro is one of three finalists for 2016 Newcomer of the Year after recording four goals and eight assists since signing on July 27. The club has previously seen five players earn MLS postseason awards. Fredy Montero was named Newcomer of the Year in 2009, Mauro Rosales Newcomer of the Year in 2011, Kasey Keller Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011, Eddie Johnson Comeback Player of the Year in 2012 and Chad Marshall Defender of the Year in 2014.
Seattle now prepares for the Western Conference Championship, with the first leg against Colorado scheduled following the FIFA international break on November 22 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (7:00 p.m. PT / FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). The return leg is being played at Colorado's Dick's Sporting Goods Park at 1:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, November 27.
The Conference Championship is held over two legs, with aggregate goals determining which team moves on to the 2016 MLS Cup. In the event that both teams score an equal number of goals over the course of the two matches, the team with the greater number of road goals for the series advances. Should the series be tied for both total goals and away goals, the teams play two 15-minute periods of extra time at the conclusion of the second leg in which away goals do not count. This is followed by penalty kicks, if necessary, to determine the winner.
ALL-TIME AT&T ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2016: Jordan Morris – Seattle Sounders FC
2015: Cyle Larin – Orlando City SC
2014: Tesho Akindele – FC Dallas
2013: Dillon Powers – Colorado Rapids
2012: Austin Berry – Chicago Fire
2011: C.J. Sapong – Sporting Kansas City
2010: Andy Najar – D.C. United
2009: Omar Gonzalez – LA Galaxy
2008: Sean Franklin – LA Galaxy
2007: Maurice Edu – Toronto FC
2006: Jonathan Bornstein – Chivas USA
2005: Michael Parkhurst – New England Revolution
2004: Clint Dempsey – New England Revolution
2003: Damani Ralph – Chicago Fire
2002: Kyle Martino – Columbus Crew
2001: Rodrigo Faria - MetroStars
2000: Carlos Bocanegra – Chicago Fire
1999: Jay Heaps – Miami Fusion
1998: Ben Olsen – D.C. United
1997: Mike Duhaney – Tampa Bay Mutiny
1996: Steve Ralston – Tampa Bay Mutiny
