SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Injury report: Updating status of Jordan Morris and more before Sounders’ conference finals

Nov 17, 2016, 5:02 PM

A hamstring injury could prevent MLS Rookie of the Year Jordan Morris from playing Tuesday. (AP)...

A hamstring injury could prevent MLS Rookie of the Year Jordan Morris from playing Tuesday. (AP)

(AP)

Since there hasn’t been much in the way of news between the Sounders’ conference semifinal win and the impending conference finals, it’s a good time to look at the various injuries that the Sounders have been dealing with as of late. Some players have been out for some time, some are fully back and training, and some are even able to play with their respective national teams. With a little less than a week to go, which players will be ready for the first leg of the Western Conference finals against the Colorado Rapids?

• Jordan Morris

If anything could ruin an award like Rookie of the Year, it’s getting hit with an injury in the middle of your team’s huge playoff run. Morris tweaked his hamstring in the second leg of the conference semifinals in Dallas, and the team’s medical staff has been hard at work to get him back into training for the conference finals. Morris participated in “half” of Wednesday’s training session, according to head coach Brian Schmetzer, the most that he has done since going off at halftime in the second leg of the conference semifinals in Dallas. With less than a week to go, it seems like a pretty big rush for an injury that can’t be taken lightly. My guess is that Morris won’t be ready to play in the first leg against Colorado, but if everything continues as planned, we could see him make the trip to Denver for the second leg.

Roman Torres

While it seemed a bit more dire at the time, Torres really only missed the first leg of the conference semifinals against FC Dallas due to a hamstring injury. While he didn’t play in the second leg, he was on the bench in Dallas, signaling that he was probably fine to play but didn’t really have match fitness. He played a full 90 minutes on Tuesday for Panama, so he should be completely ready to go against Colorado.

• Brad Evans

The Sounders’ captain has had to deal with a number of injuries over the course of the season, and it’s been a couple of months since he played a full 90 minutes for the team. Despite making a few appearances late in matches in the last month, Evans still wasn’t healthy enough to start. He has participated in full training this week for the first time in months, though, so he may be ready to go. The thing is, it’s not even certain if Evans should start. Even if he’s healthy enough to do so, it depends on who Schmetzer has at his disposal. Torres has clearly displaced Evans in central defense, and Tyrone Mears’ form has improved enough to keep Evans out of that spot. Unless the injuries in attack persist, a fully healthy Evans could find himself still on the bench.

• Flaco Fernandez

Sometime in October, the Uruguayan midfielder had finally started to round into form since returning to the Sounders in July. Then the dreaded hamstring injury managed to strike him in the middle of a great run for Seattle, and he hasn’t been seen since. Fernandez is coming along well, according to Schmetzer, but I don’t think we’ll see him in either match against Colorado.

• Andreas Ivanschitz

The Austrian midfield maestro was yet another player who had found his form under Schmetzer in recent months, and his knee injury early in the knockout round against Sporting KC was a heartbreaker. But Ivanschitz finally made it into full training this week, too, and I think we’ll probably see him start or make the bench at CenturyLink next Tuesday.

Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.

Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders Stefan Frei San Jose Earthquakes...

The Associated Press

Ebobisse rallies San Jose past Seattle Sounders 3-2

Jeromy Ebobisse scored one minute after Danny Musovski pulled Seattle even late in the second half, rallying the San Jose Earthquakes to a 3-2 victory over the Sounders.

5 days ago

Seattle Sounders...

The Associated Press

Cabral’s late goal nets 1-1 draw for Rapids with Seattle Sounders

Kévin Cabral scored in the 88th minute to give the Colorado Rockies a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

12 days ago

Seattle Sounders...

The Associated Press

Andrew Thomas’ 2 saves help Seattle Sounders tie Austin 0-0

Brad Stuver had five saves for Austin and Andrew Thomas made two for Seattle Sounders in a 0-0 tie on Saturday night.

26 days ago

Seattle Sounders...

Anne M. Peterson

Sounders among 3 MLS teams celebrating 50 years of North American pro soccer

The Seattle Sounders and two other MLS teams officially joined North American professional soccer 50 years ago in 1974.

27 days ago

Seattle Sounders...

Greg Beacham

Lloris makes 7 saves, wins MLS debut as LAFC beat Sounders 2-1

Hugo Lloris made seven saves and won his MLS debut, leading Los Angeles FC to a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

1 month ago

Seattle Sounders Club World Cup...

The Associated Press

Preview: A look at Seattle Sounders and rest of Western Conference

How do the Seattle Sounders and the rest of the Western Conference look heading into 2024? The Associated Press breaks down every team.

1 month ago

Injury report: Updating status of Jordan Morris and more before Sounders’ conference finals