Caps take `gladiator' mentality into Seattle
Surging Sounders present tough test
Jordan Morris sometimes feels like a real-life cheat code. He's pretty good in the digital world, too.
The Seattle Sounders forward is enjoying a career year — his seven goals (fourth in MLS) and six assists (fourth) have him tied for the league lead in goal involvements — something the Vancouver Whitecaps have unfortunate first-hand experience with this season.
The Sounders, who host Vancouver tonight, handily beat the Caps 3-0 at the MLS is Back Tournament in Florida in July, with Morris having a hand — and foot — in all three goals.
He had the shot that led to a Jasser Khmiri handball in the box for Nicolas Lodeiro's 16th-minute penalty kick goal. He outran and outmuscled the Caps' defence to slide Seattle's second goal home in the 34th minute, before helping salt the game away with a flick-on assist off a corner kick to striker Raul Ruidiaz.
One of the fastest players in the league, his 34th-minute goal in Orlando came at the expense of right back Jake Nerwinski, who stayed stride for stride with Morris after the Sounders forward received the perfect line-breaking pass from Lodeiro, but the Vancouver defender couldn't budge the broad-shouldered Sounder off the ball before he slid it past goalkeeper Max Crepeau.
“Yeah, he did get the best of me the first game. I don't know what his FIFA pace is,” said a chuckling Nerwinski. “I'm not happy with my pace. I wonder if he's happy with his. But I'll take him in a foot race.”
(For the record and the gamers out there, FIFA has Morris down as an 88 acceleration, sprint speed of 91. Nerwinski is 78/82.)
Coach Marc Dos Santos was left bemused, and somewhat exasperated, when asked during Thursday's Zoom availability if Morris posed a matchup problem specif
ically for Nerwinski.
Dos Santos: “I'm just going to ask you one question: Do you just watch Seattle? Again, please, I'm being very respectful asking you this question. Do you only watch Jordan Morris against us? Do you watch him against other teams?” Journalist: “Yes. Yes, I do.” MDS: “Is he a threat against other teams?”
Journalist: “He's a threat against any team he plays against.”
MDS: “One hundred per cent. We agree on the same thing. So he is a threat against everybody, and not just against Jake Nerwinski.”
Journalist No. 2, unaware he's unmuted: Laughs uncontrollably.
“In the last two days of training, trust me, trust me with all my heart, we've spoken, we've addressed, we're aware, we have cover … but you could know all of this and Jordan Morris could still be a threat,” said Dos Santos.
“It's not only about Jordan Morris versus Jake. He's just one of the
best players in the league, one of the best threats in the league. A powerful player, a dangerous player in transition, and we're very aware of that. Trust me, we're on it, and hopefully we're going to be ready for it.”
But the Sounders have far more weapons than just the Mercer Island, Wash. native, who has five multi-point games this year.
Ruidiaz's 39 total shots (fifth) have translated into a team-leading eight goals, trailing only LAFC'S Diego Rossi (11) and Gyasi Zardes (nine). The defending champion Sounders (7-3-3) top both the Western Conference and the latest MLS power rankings. Their league-leading goal differential is plus-17; the next closest team in the West is FC Dallas at plus-6.
Portland, the West's No. 2 team, is the only club to beat Seattle in the past nine games, with the Sounders going 6-2-1 over that stretch. It's a tall order for the
Whitecaps (5-9-0, 10th West) to go to Centurylink Field today, but then again, that's been the theme of the season for the club.
The Caps haven't won a regular-season game in Seattle since 2016. Since then, they're 0-4, having been outscored 7-0. Vancouver heads into the contest on a twogame slide and having conceded the second-most goals in MLS (31).
“We know how difficult it's going to be,” Dos Santos said of the upcoming stretch, which sees the Caps play nine times between now and Nov. 8, Decision Day in MLS.
“At the end of our schedule, four of 23 games are going to be played at B.C. Place, and 19, we're on the road. Considering Portland our home, it's not true. That's very nice to talk about it, but it's 100 per cent a big lie. It's not our home. The challenge to make the playoffs is very, very high, and very demanding. But today we're three points away from that line. Today, there's
a huge belief that all the teams in the West can make the playoffs. That distance is very, very close.
“What we need to understand is the next nine games are going to be extremely hard, never home, (playing a) very much condensed schedule against all opponents that are fighting for the Supporters' Shield or for a playoff spot.
"So, the mindset has … a gladiator type of mindset. Fighting through so much pain and uncomfortable moments. It has to be ugly at times. We're going to have to find solutions the best we can.”