Sounders’ Morris must impress for US in historic friendly vs Cuba

Despite not making the cut for this past summer’s Copa America, Sounders rookie forward Jordan Morris seems to be very much on coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s radar for the United States men’s national team. Klinsmann called up Morris earlier this season for World Cup 2018 qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Trinidad and Tobago, but he only saw time as a second-half sub in both matches.

Even though this week’s international break only features friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand, Klinsmann’s call-up of Morris bodes well for the 21-year-old. His form for the Sounders in his first season as a professional has been sensational. His 12 goals broke the record for an American rookie in the MLS, and he’s only five short of the record for any rookie. The team Klinsmann has called up might not be his first choice for winning now but is full of players that he seems to believe are the future of the national team.

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Morris joins talented American players like Bobby Wood, Christian Pulisic, Jozy Altidore, Lynden Gooch and Perry Kitchen. All but one of those players currently plies his trade abroad, though Altidore spent quite a while in Europe before returning to the MLS. Clearly, Morris is in good company. Now that he’s getting his shot alongside the best the country has to offer, it’s time for the Seattle native to impress the coach – and the world.

And this time around, Morris might get just one shot. Klinsmann is reportedly (and mercifully) going to release Morris before the New Zealand match, which is just one game before the Sounders’ crucial matchup with the Houston Dynamo. This probably means that Morris will get his chance to impress against Cuba, a match in which the result is probably far less important than its historical significance.

Since the result doesn’t matter, this set of friendlies is going to be far more crucial in helping Klinsmann decide his roster for the upcoming Hexagonal round of World Cup 2018 qualifying. Wood and Altidore scored and played well in the last round of qualifying, and they’re both likely cemented in Klinsmann’s plans. Because Clint Dempsey is out indefinitely, Morris’ biggest competition for the last spot or two on the Hex rosters are probably the final two in this squad: Chris Wondolowski and Julian Green.

It’s worth noting that Morris currently has one more goal in the MLS this season than Wondolowski, who seems to get selected to US squads based on reputation and experience alone. I probably don’t have to remind any USMNT fans about his notorious miss in the knockout round of the 2014 World Cup. Green, on the other hand, has been touted for years as the next great American player, but he’s mostly failed to live up to the hype both for club and country.

If Morris can get a goal or two against Cuba, and show Klinsmann that he’s a better pick than Wondolowski or Green, he’s surely locked down a place in the next round or two of qualifiers. His club form alone has probably shown that, and Morris has improved dramatically over the course of his first professional season. Some Sounders fans might prefer he stay under the national-team radar to keep him healthy and with his hometown club, but who doesn’t want to see a local kid become the next great American soccer hero?

You can watch the US (and hopefully Morris) face Cuba on Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, and against New Zealand (hopefully without Morris) on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. on ESPN.

Spenser Davis also covers the Sounders for Sounder at Heart.