Sounders notebook: Jordan Morris 3rd on MLS ’24 under 24′ list

MLSSoccer.com announced its annual “24 under 24” list this week, and two Sounders made the cut this year. Rookie forward Jordan Morris made it to third place, while second-year midfielder Cristian Roldan landed at No. 24. Above Morris was NYCFC’s Jack Harrison (second) and last season’s Rookie of the Year, Orlando City’s Cyle Larin.

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said that he thought both Morris and Roldan should have been more highly ranked, but said that they were in good company and he was glad to see their efforts recognized.

In response to his ranking, Morris said that “for me it’s an honor but you try not to read too much into it. No matter where you are on the list, you gotta keep working hard.”

Three keys: Sounders vs. LA Galaxy preview

Here are some more updates from the Sounders:

• No updates were provided by the team as of Thursday, but Clint Dempsey has not been present in the team’s training sessions this week. He won’t be available against the LA Galaxy on Sunday, despite returning to training with the club last week.

Dempsey was, however, able to assist in making a young fan’s dream come true last weekend during the game against the Whitecaps. He and the Sounders surprised Nathan Beatty, an 8-year-old fan with inoperable brain cancer from Texas. The club had scheduled to meet Beatty on their road trip to Texas, but the boy’s favorite player, Dempsey, was unable to make the trip due to his recent irregular heartbeat issues.

Even though the rest of the team met with Beatty in Texas, the Sounders knew that what he really wanted was to meet Dempsey. They organized the trip for his family to come to Seattle, so that Nathan could finally meet his hero in person.

• Zach Scott announced his retirement this week, after a 15-year playing career for the Sounders. On what he’ll miss the most about playing for the Sounders, Scott said it’s more about what he won’t miss regarding his family.

“Of course I’ll miss it. It’s been 15 years of my life, yeah I’m gonna miss it,” he said. “But soccer is always gonna be a part of my life. I’m not retiring from soccer, I might be retiring from professional soccer but soccer will always be a part of my kids and my family and now I’ll get the opportunity to be more a part of their games and coaching them and watching them grow as players.”

Many fans expected Scott to return to the club in a coaching role, but it sounds like Scott doesn’t have that in his plans.

“I never closed the door, but right now I don’t see that in my future. I’d love to be part of some of the stuff they’re doing off the field, the Rave Green Foundation and stuff they’re doing on the nonprofit side. I always thought that was pretty cool. The team will always have a special place in my heart, and I’d never not answer a call if they need help.”

• The Sounders could face their only former head coach in the MLS era as soon as 2017, as it was rumored that Sigi Schmid had interviewed for the Atlanta United job this week. He was also rumored to have interviewed at Minnesota United, the other 2017 MLS expansion club. Atlanta, however, has the advantage of having Carlos Bocanegra as technical director; Schmid coached the former USMNT captain at UCLA and on the USA U-20 squad.

The other rumor, of course, is that Schmid is waiting for the Los Angeles Football Club job, which will be available when that franchise joins MLS in 2018. Schmid has been coy about this particular gig, because it seems like the perfect fit. Schmid grew up in Southern California, coached at UCLA and still lives in the area.

• Episode 3 of Sound Stories is online with guest Frank MacDonald, who has been involved with the Sounders and soccer in Seattle in various capacities since 1974. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Google Play or at this link.

Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.