Critical decision awaits Jordan Morris after NCAA title
Jordan Morris completed the final piece of his Stanford legacy at Sporting Park on Sunday. He spent the past three years building to this moment. He even managed to work his way into the United States national team picture as he drove the Cardinal closer to their ultimate objective. His performance in this NCAA final -- two goals scored and a penalty won in a 4-0 victory over Clemson -- highlighted the gulf between him and his collegiate peers and secured Stanford’s first title at last.
Morris batted away questions about his future after the culmination of his Stanford career, but he knew those measures provided only a temporary respite. His future loomed as the big question for most of his junior year. Not even a national title offered much of an opportunity to escape them.
All of the fuss stems from Morris’ progression from college prospect to national team forward. The 21-year-old is one of the most promising talents in the U.S. program at the moment, the sort of striker capable of stretching the field and sweeping home at the right times. He is always on the radar of U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann. He is already approaching double-digit caps. And he is still an amateur.
At this point, Morris must contemplate his future carefully. This title removes any lingering doubts about the best course. There is nothing left for him to accomplish at Stanford, even if the pull of a degree remains strong and there are genuine reasons to stay for the full four years. It is time for him to move onward and start his professional career.
Morris cannot afford to wait any longer. Stanford is a proving ground, but it is not a finishing school. Each day he spends in college is a day lost in his quest to push himself forward in a professional environment. It is time for him to continue his footballing education elsewhere.
There is ample incentive to act quickly given the year ahead for the national team. World Cup qualifying is in full swing. Copa América Centenario looms in June. There is room in the pool for a promising young forward (or two) to contribute in those endeavors. Klinsmann is willing to include Morris in his plans regardless of his status (look at the number of callups he received this year), but Morris strengthens his credentials by taking the plunge into the pros.
If Morris decides to leave Stanford after three years and sign a professional contract, then he must ponder where to start his career. The choices ahead of him are stark. His eventual decision -- his hometown Seattle Sounders or a club in Europe -- hinges on his priorities.
The simplest and most likely path is also the most straightforward one: signing with the Sounders. Morris is a Seattle native. His family holds significant ties to the area and to the club. His father, Michael, serves as the chief medical director for the Sounders. Seattle is prepared to make him the highest-paid Homegrown player in MLS history in order to tempt him to leave college and join the Sounders.
Even with those considerable factors in mind, there are reasons to pause, too. Morris isn’t likely to obtain market value in any deal with the Sounders. MLS is now implementing new Homegrown rules -- clubs can now offer prospects up to $175,000 per season without using a senior roster slot -- to improve compensation for young players. Those measures only extend so far, though. There are also competitive issues at hand with Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins both in the midst of long-term deals to lead the line. There are only so many opportunities at hand to feature as a regular in league play with the two high-profile Designated Players already in the side.
If those realities prompt Morris to pursue a different course of action, then he can explore European options instead. Those potential avenues are blurrier and the merits depend from situation to situation. The prospect of moving overseas generally provides an opportunity to jump straight into the fire and obtain something close to market value as a full international available on a free transfer. The introduction to a more rigorous day-to-day environment carries additional weight here given the particularities of this situation.
Those positives -- and they are considerable given Morris’ status and his place in the international pecking order -- come with strings, though. The decision to cut ties with the Sounders arrives at a personal cost. The move overseas strips away any semblance of a comfort zone. The path to first-team football winds a bit more unevenly elsewhere. And those issues combine to place his international status under more threat.
Morris must grapple with those realities and weigh them carefully. He is in a position to stay at Stanford and finish his degree if he so chooses, but his legacy in Palo Alto is firmly in place. His progression as a player requires a more rigorous course of action. It is now on his shoulders to decide how and where to pursue it in the days and the weeks ahead.
