In the past nine months, Stanford’s Jordan Morris has scored goals against the likes of San Jose State, Gonzaga, San Francisco, Washington, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cal Poly.
Now, Mexico can be added to the list after the sophomore started, and scored, for the U.S. Men’s National Team in its 2-0 win over archrival Mexico in San Antonio on Wednesday night.
Morris, who earned his third cap in his fourth call-up to the Senior Team, started up top alongside Gyasi Zardes and made history in the 49th minute. Michael Bradley brought the ball upfield and passed to Zardes. The return pass ricocheted off defender Mario Osuna and was picked up by Morris at the top of the penalty area. He took a touch, broke in and slid the ball between the legs of goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo from 10 yards.
Morris, a native of Mercer Island, Wash. and 2014 NSCAA First Team All-American, is thought to be the first collegian to start for the U.S. in at least two decades. He’s the third player with Stanford ties to start for the USMNT and first since Chad Marshall did so on Jan. 23, 2010 against Honduras in Carson, Calif. Marshall started 11 times for his country in three different years (2005, 2009 and 2010). Todd Dunivant started twice in 2006.
Marshall scored one goal in his 11 starts, on March 9, 2005 in a 3-0 USA victory over Colombia in Fullerton.
Morris also narrowly missed a chance in the first half when a cross barely sailed over his head for what would have been a point-blank chance at goal.
He is the sixth U.S. national team player to score his first career goal against Mexico, joining Josh Wolff, Jimmy Conrad, Jozy Altidore, Michael Orozco and Landon Donovan.
On March 31, Morris made his second appearance with the Senior Team when he came on in the 89th minute against 12th-ranked Switzerland at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich. Last November, he became the first active collegian since 1995 to receive a cap for the USMNT when he came on in the 76th minute in a friendly against Ireland in Dublin. An earlier call up to the national team camp for its Sept. 3 friendly against the Czech Republic in Prague made him the first current collegian to join the USMNT in 15 years.
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics