Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 420: Interview with Sounders and USMNT Forward Jordan Morris
71 Plays2 years ago
We had planned to do a "normal" episode this week to talk about the Leagues Cup loss to RSL, but our scheduling got a bit complicated this week. So, rather than listen to Jeremiah and Aaron bemoan one of the worst performances in recent memory, you'll have to suffice with this interview we did with Jordan Morris earlier in the week. Hope you enjoy it.
Sponsors
If you'd like to become a subscriber to our Substack, that can be found here.
You can also support the show by checking out our line of merch including every past YachtCon design and our latest skull-and-crossbones logo.
Recommended
Transcript
Sponsorship Introductions
00:00:00
Speaker
This episode of Nos Arietes is sponsored by Full Pull Wines, a Seattle-based wine retailer and proud sponsor of Nos Arietes since 2011. Full Pull was founded in 2009, is based in Seattle, and is owned and operated by longtime sounder supporters. They offer the best boutique wines of the world to members of their mailing list, with special focus on their home, the Pacific Northwest.
00:00:21
Speaker
Hey, this is Christian Roldan. And Jordan Morris from the Seattle Sounders Football Club. And you're listening to... There's no study at this. Thanks to Watson's Counter for sponsoring this episode. Located in Ballard, Watson's Counter is your neighborhood specialty coffee shop, brunch spot, and now, coffee roaster. Sourcing exclusively high scoring coffees, Watson's Counter has started their coffee roasting project to showcase amazing coffees grown around the world. Their first featured coffee is the beautifully complex washed Ethiopian Odola.
Interview with Jordan Morris
00:00:50
Speaker
Follow them on Instagram at Watson's Counter to keep up with all the upcoming releases or check out their website at www.watsonscounter.com. Whether you want to stop by for your daily coffee to go or sit down for delicious Korean inspired brunch, Watson's Counter has got you covered.
00:01:15
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of NOS Adiatus, sponsored by Full Pull Wines and Watson's Counter. I am Jeremiah O'Shan. Joining me today, very special guest, Jordan Morris of the Seattle Sounders. Welcome to the show, Jordan. Thank you. Glad to be here.
00:01:30
Speaker
So we may as well get this out of the way right away. The reason that I got connected to you this time through a sponsorship that you're doing with Soul Juice, can you tell us real quickly what is Soul Juice and what's going on with that?
00:01:46
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. Got connected with Soul Juice and it's great for me. It's just a much healthier sports drink and I think there's only three ingredients in it. It's super clean and especially for me as a diabetic.
00:02:05
Speaker
is super helpful in terms of being able to take in carbs and take in electrolytes.
Sponsorship and Soul Juice
00:02:10
Speaker
But it doesn't cause that spike in my blood sugar that may be a Gatorade or Powerade or something like that, which has a lot more added sugar in it, causes that spike in my blood sugar. So for multiple reasons, obviously, I'm a big fan of the product. But for me as an athlete, it's been incredibly helpful to be able to hydrate and get those electrolytes back in me without having that blood sugar spike.
00:02:35
Speaker
Yeah, it's funny. I feel like I've, I've talked to you a few times sort of, or at least a couple of times on these sort of, these sort of like, uh, sponsor related, uh, deals. And it's funny because it always feels like it's something that is very of interest to you already. Like I'm guessing you're a little picky or like the sponsorships that come to you sound to be very, uh, interest oriented.
00:03:00
Speaker
Definitely. For me, I really prioritize and love to work with brands that I really believe in the product. A lot of that does surround my diabetes and how that can be helpful in terms of being a diabetic and as an athlete. This is definitely one of those products that it's so easy to endorse a product that you really believe in. For me, that's definitely
00:03:25
Speaker
and the added benefit is it's been just so helpful for me as an athlete as well because, you know, I've talked about this a lot before, but as a diabetic before the game at halftime, whatever, my blood sugar is not in the right spot. You know, I can't take in the Gatorade or the carbs or things like that because my blood sugar is not where it's supposed to be. But I found that with this,
00:03:46
Speaker
with with soldiers so I'm able to do that before a game before training before you know a half time I'm able to to get those electrolytes and those cars back in my system and it's definitely been been super helpful for me on the field but yeah I think it comes back to just really believing in the product for me. Well that's I have to imagine that makes things a little easier for you uh as opposed to
00:04:06
Speaker
doing everything that comes your way. You can be a little pickier. Exactly. But anyway, I appreciate you taking the time and doing this. Full disclosure, I was running late for this interview and Jordan was very graciously waiting for me on the call. I have to say, I was not assuming that would be the case, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Thank you, Jordan.
00:04:30
Speaker
just a little peek into the kind of person Jordan is here, I guess is what I'm saying.
World Cup Experiences
00:04:34
Speaker
But so moving beyond that, this has been kind of a wild nine months for you. You made your World Cup debut, which has to be a pretty surreal thing to
00:04:45
Speaker
have next to your name is, uh, you know, world cup debut and world cup caps and all that kind of thing. And, and I guess just let's start there. What was the experience like for you in, uh, in, in cutter and, and having a friend, like some friends with you on that team that you, you become close with not just Christian, but it seems like you have real relationships off the field with a lot of these players. Yeah, for sure. I mean,
00:05:10
Speaker
That first I mean it's hard to put into words what that meant to make make that World Cup team and to get a step on the field that's been.
00:05:19
Speaker
My goal since I was a kid was to play in a World Cup and to have that come true was incredible. Having my friends and my family was able to come out and be part of the family program that was there and my wife and it was just incredible. I remember running over when I was subbing it against Wales and just seeing my family like in those first couple rows, just a surreal moment for all of us and all like the sacrifice that they put in as well to help me get to where I am. It was just a really cool
00:05:46
Speaker
moment to be able to share together. But yeah, it's a dream come true to be able to do that. And then like you mentioned, the team in general was just so close. I think that's been out there, obviously the brotherhood that we have. And to be able to share with guys like Christian, Aaron Long, Walker Zimmerman, some of my really good friends made it even more special.
00:06:08
Speaker
And so I don't know how much experience you have with the, like, I guess you've been with this group for a while, but it is a little different of a group than what, when you started with the national team, how can you kind of sort of compare the relation to the internal relationship of this, you know, raw, you know, it's obviously, it's a, it's a fluid thing, but how would you compare the relationships that you have with the players here versus the way that the team was during the sort of the previous era that you were a part of?
00:06:35
Speaker
Yeah, obviously for me, I kind of switched from being the younger guy in the previous era to being one of the older guys, maybe one of the more veteran guys on the team. So that was a little bit different. And then I think it just goes back to that kind of brotherhood aspect of what I was talking about, I think Greg and the staff.
00:06:55
Speaker
did such an incredible job of building a culture there, both on and off the field of how we wanted to play. Everyone knew their roles, exactly what was expected of them when they stepped on the field. But then also off the field, just the bond that we made, the brotherhood that we made, I think that stemmed a ton from the culture that was created. But obviously, it's just a great group of guys as
Team Dynamics and Criticism
00:07:20
Speaker
well. So I think just that closeness that
00:07:24
Speaker
you know, that this group felt was, you know, maybe a little bit different than the group before. Not to say that obviously there were great guys, great players. It was incredible to be a part of that group before and get to play with guys that I had grown up, you know, obviously watching and some of my, you know, U.S. soccer heroes getting to grow up and be, you know,
00:07:44
Speaker
watching them, but then to be teammates with them was really special in its own sense. But I think that brotherhood was just so, so close in this, in this group that we had. And did there's, you know, the way that some of the way the perception is, I think from the outside is there's this, there's like an MLS or domestic contingent. And then there's a European contingent. But then when you hear the players talking, it doesn't seem like they see that same divide. And it's like, like you said, it does seem like there's kind of a cohesive team aspect of this.
00:08:15
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's definitely more from the fan base. There's none of that within the group. When you put on the jersey, it doesn't matter where you play. You're all part of the same group. You all have the amazing honor to represent the national team, especially at a World Cup. So there definitely wasn't that divide within the group in any sense. I think that more comes from the outside.
00:08:37
Speaker
Speaking of the way the perceptions are from the outside, it seems like a lot of those MLS guys, you in particular, have sort of become a lightning rod for frustrations of fans. Are you exposed to that? And I guess, how do you react to sort of a lot of the outside attention as far as that goes?
00:08:59
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think it's hard not to be exposed to it. You know, I don't really use social media very often. I don't really have to Instagram. I'm not really on them too often. And yeah, I mean, of course it's frustrating and we're all human beings. We have emotions and see that stuff or hear about that stuff and it can be frustrating, especially, you know, for players like us playing in the MLS who have, you know,
00:09:27
Speaker
obviously worked incredibly hard to get to where we are and you know deserve the spot on that team to hear people say that we didn't is obviously can be frustrating and and hurt for sure but I know that it's part of the game it's part of the deal that there's going to be criticism out there positive negative things said about you in the end it doesn't matter it was all what
00:09:48
Speaker
was within the group. And that's what we always said was the focus was totally on what we can do within the
Coaching and Team Performance
00:09:56
Speaker
group. And for us, we kind of pushed that outside noise away and just focused on being there in the moment and doing whatever we could to help the group. But yeah, I mean, I'd be lying if I said that that stuff isn't frustrating to hear. Is it something that is talked about internally with the other players?
00:10:18
Speaker
I mean a little bit you know I think sometimes when things pop up on Instagram or Twitter and we're sitting around we kind of share with each other and and you know I mean everyone's getting getting a little bit of it so we we kind of just in the end you just kind of laugh about it because there's
00:10:38
Speaker
you know we know that we deserve to be there and we know that that stuff is just coming from people that were wishing we were playing in Europe or whatever the case was so in the end you just kind of laugh about it and move on and but yeah I mean you definitely we it's not like a thing we talk about all the time but if we're sitting around and something pops up you know we chat about it a little bit
00:11:02
Speaker
So another thing where I suspect the external attitudes differ pretty greatly from the internal attitudes was the reappointment of Greg Berhalter. What do you think fans or outside observers sort of misunderstand about the relationship that Berhalter had with the team and sort of the tactical identity that he helped bring? Yeah, there's definitely a split between the outside
00:11:32
Speaker
you know, the outside noise and what the players think about him. I think you see all the players that came out and back Greg. And I feel the exact same way. He's done such an incredible job with the group. The way we play, the style of play, whatever that is, people are frustrated about, people are just going to be frustrated to be frustrated. I don't really fully understand it because he's done such an incredible job and will continue to do such an incredible job. And, you know, he,
00:12:00
Speaker
Like I said, he built that culture both on and off the field, and I think helped push you a soccer forward in so many ways. And when you see the players come out and back him and understand all that he's done for us as a group and us as individuals, I think, again, that outside noise just kind of doesn't make a lot of sense because the people that he works with day in and day out obviously recognize everything that he's done for them. And for me, I'm incredibly happy that he's back because he 100% deserves it.
00:12:29
Speaker
more recently, uh, BJ Callahan, uh, had coached the team both during the nation's league and during gold cup. What was, what was playing for Callahan like and what kind of, you know, how did he differ or how is he similar than, than Greg? It was awesome. Uh, obviously getting to know BJ over.
00:12:48
Speaker
over the last few years in his different roles within the group. And for me, what was so cool was to just see how much he thrived in that environment. Obviously, a lot of the ideas and things like that were similar with how we played on the field, the brotherhood off the field, all that stuff was
00:13:13
Speaker
was pretty similar to Greg. But for me, just to see BJ step into that role and do such an incredible job and just really thrive in that environment and thrive in that position, I think whatever he wants to do in the future, but definitely sets him up. I think he could be an incredible head coach someday. So obviously don't know his plans or what he wants to do, but I think
00:13:39
Speaker
you know, being coached by him, being a part of that, and just seeing him day in and day out in that environment, I think he'd make a great head coach. So it was really cool to be a part of, and I was really happy for him. So, coming off of the World Cup, you were able to ride that into a pretty amazing start with the Sounders. And I guess, what did you feel like was working so well early in the season for you with the Sounders?
00:14:08
Speaker
Um, yeah, I don't, I think, um, obviously I think Leo and I had a really good connection early on in the season. Um, I think that, um, you know, his, his ability to, to get in behind teams. And you see, I saw like a lot of the goals that I was able to score came from him and from his service and his ability to kind of get in behind teams and.
00:14:32
Speaker
And then me, you know, at that time was playing at the number nine, you know, getting in and being able to finish his crosses. I think we had a really, really good connection. And yeah, it's been, you know, a little bit more frustrating.
00:14:48
Speaker
in this last part of the season, been in and out of the team, obviously dealing with a couple injuries. But for myself, for the whole group, it's definitely been more frustrating. But I don't know exactly what the switch was. Unfortunately, it's similar to last year in a sense that we had such a great start to the season.
00:15:14
Speaker
you know, whether it was the post-Champions League, you know, hangover last year, whatever it was, it feels like right now in terms of how things are going, we need to find a way to get out of this rut, obviously, because we know that how last season ended. So I think that's our goal, obviously, starting with the game next weekend is to try to get out of this rut. And for me, just can, you know, try to get back to how things are going at the beginning of the season.
00:15:42
Speaker
Yeah. So along those same lines, how, how, what is the attitude within the team right now? I mean, it's, it's obviously, I gotta imagine it's, it's a little frustrating, especially coming off of, you know, probably what three pretty disappointing results. Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's, it's really frustrating. Um, you know, I think we all want to win. We all, um,
00:16:03
Speaker
You know, we all know that we aren't necessarily playing up to our standards, but it is frustrating in the sense too that there are games where we have been playing well and we just haven't been able to find the back of the net. And for me, obviously not being around the team for a bit, you know, I can't speak too much on the games when I was gone. But I think for us, it's just finding a...
00:16:27
Speaker
you know, some consistency. I think we're too, we're too up and down right now, you know, we go from getting a good result, and then we haven't been able to necessarily follow those up in it recently, you know, instead of at the beginning of the year, we went to Kansas City and got a result, then we went to LA and got a result, we were following up good results with more good results. Now, I think we.
00:16:47
Speaker
have maybe a good result here and there, and then we can't really follow it up and kind of build on a streak. So I think that's something that we need to improve on. I think there's been games that we've played well. And again, I think the final product, the goals haven't quite been there. So definitely some stuff to work on, but yeah, I think guys are frustrated for sure.
00:17:07
Speaker
You know, one of the things that, you know, we see from the outside is, is there does seem to be talent on this team. Like I think that's undeniable that there's, there's talent here. Uh, but even Schmetzer has, has alluded to this idea that we still don't know who our ideal 11 is and to be two thirds of the season and not really know that. And that's not necessarily anyone's fault. There's just been, you know, players coming in, players going out. Uh, do you have a strong sense of where your best position is right now?
00:17:40
Speaker
I mean yeah I mean I think for me preferably I would probably want to play up front. I think that's where I was playing well to you know having a great start to the season and playing well up there and I think that that's where I can be really dangerous. I think if you know if they put me on the the left obviously had been playing out there for a while too but I think Leo's been doing a really
00:18:08
Speaker
you know, having a great season, doing a really good job, being super dangerous. So, you know, again, it's all up to the coaches. Like maybe Schmetzer said, he doesn't quite know his best 11, especially when everyone's healthy. But I think, yeah, I think preferably for me, I'd probably want to play up front, but definitely.
00:18:27
Speaker
comfortable playing out wide as well.
Personal Life and Fatherhood
00:18:30
Speaker
So moving back off the field a little bit, you recently shared that you're going to be a father. How has just knowing that news changed your outlook?
00:18:43
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. Super excited to have a little boy come in early October. I think, you know, it just puts everything in perspective a little bit, puts what's truly important in life and in perspective. And, you know, like we mentioned before, kind of the outside noise or whatever, you know, maybe used to get to me a little bit more or, you know, letting, you know, obviously,
00:19:09
Speaker
learning from having a bad game, but maybe you have a tough result or a tough game and you get home, I see my wife and think about us having a little boy soon. It kind of puts things into perspective a little bit. So yeah, we're just super excited and looking forward to this new chapter.
00:19:28
Speaker
So I'm curious, you know, Chad Marshall has probably been your biggest fan. Christian Roldan might be your best friend on the team. Are either one of them pressuring you to, you know, go with a C name? No, I haven't gotten that pressure, thankfully. Yeah, I need to...
00:19:48
Speaker
And I need to reach out to Chad. Maybe that'll change. But no, they haven't. They've both been great. So no pressure so far. Chad maybe has a good base of knowledge of maybe knowing what dads need, perspective dads need. Exactly. I need to reach out to him for some advice. Right, exactly. I realize this isn't necessarily your place, but speaking of Christian, how is he doing?
00:20:18
Speaker
Yeah, you know, definitely not necessarily my place to talk about it. I think he's obviously it's been a tough season with him with dealing with the concussions and
00:20:32
Speaker
for me, you know, obviously as a friend and a teammate, it's really hard to see anyone going through tough injuries like that. And, you know, to see him back on the field has been great, but obviously, you know, still can be dealing with some residual things, things like that. So, you know, I know different injuries, but having gone through major injuries myself, just understanding how
00:20:59
Speaker
you know, isolating it can be at times when you're out for a while and kind of the hard part of being in and out of the team and just kind of that disrupted, disjointed season can be difficult. So, you know, obviously as a friend and a teammate, I feel for him a lot and, you know, he's such an important part of our group. So we just want him to be healthy and on the field. But in terms of his health, obviously that comes first.
00:21:27
Speaker
And so I don't know, do you, when in situations like this, do you try to sort of get outside of him being a teammate and try to get, try to like get at being a friend and I guess how you go about balancing the needs and wants of those two parts of the relationship?
00:21:45
Speaker
Yeah, I think you definitely just become more of a friend at times with anyone that's gone through a difficult difficult spell or difficult time with with injuries. I think it just, you know, I think that's the cool part about our group is we're a close group. We, we all are there for each other and understand that.
00:22:06
Speaker
you know, for me, like I mentioned, going through some long-term injuries, I understand kind of how difficult it can be to be away from the field and be away from the group. So I think you definitely put on your friend hat in that sense and just try to be there for Christian.
Injury Management and Personal Growth
00:22:23
Speaker
And how are you feeling physically?
00:22:27
Speaker
Feeling, yeah, feeling pretty good. You know, it's been a lot of travel, a lot of, you know, a lot of air miles the last little bit in terms of going to the Gold Cup and coming back for a game and then going to DC and going to, you know, coming back in the group and going to Salt Lake. So it's been a lot of time, you know, away from home and a lot of time traveling and then just this knee, you know, just trying to manage it and, you know,
00:22:56
Speaker
It's been a little bit frustrating obviously, derailing the goal cup a little bit and just the lingering.
00:23:05
Speaker
kind of some pain that I've been feeling. So it's just gonna be something that I have to manage for the rest of the year. But other than that, feeling good and it's good to be back home and kind of get a full training week under my belt heading into the game next weekend. So this was your second, I think, All-Star appearance, is that right? Yeah. How does that experience differ this time from past and what did you take away from that?
00:23:34
Speaker
I mean, cool experience. It's always an honor to be there. You know, I think it was awesome that I would in DC get to go to the White House and kind of just feel the history of that.
00:23:50
Speaker
That city has been, yeah, it was in Minnesota the year before, which was great as well. But I think having it in DC was really fun in terms of the stuff around the game, getting to train on the National Mall. And like I mentioned, going to the White House, getting to meet the First Lady and the President was a really cool experience. But it's always an honor to obviously be there to represent the league and the Sounders.
00:24:16
Speaker
So I saw that they did the, like you just mentioned that you guys trained on the national mall. How did they set that up? Was it like, is that, was that a, I dunno, what was the field quality like for that?
00:24:27
Speaker
Yeah, I think I, you know, it wasn't great. So we just played soccer tennis that day to avoid any potential, just any wrong steps or anything like that. So that was a pretty easy day on the field, but it was, you know, obviously cool to have that background and that, you know, be in that setting.
00:24:47
Speaker
And you've been able to have now a lot of experience, like just amazing experiences over the last year or two, especially. Is there something that you've learned about yourself going through all this and going and seeing some of the highs and I suppose some of the lows as well?
00:25:06
Speaker
I think just trying to stay as level-headed as possible, not get too high with the highs especially, and definitely don't let the lows bring you too low, which can be difficult at times. So I think just trying to really stay as level as possible, but I think also just with like going to the World Cup and
00:25:29
Speaker
all-star game and things like that. When you have moments like that or experiences like that in your career, for me, it's always just made me, you know, hungrier to have more experiences like that. So I think the motivation each time you get to experience something like that just continues to make me more motivated to try to have, you know, more experiences like that in the future, which is great. But yeah, I think for me, it's just trying to stay as level as possible.
00:25:58
Speaker
Well, Jordan, that feels like probably a good place to end this. Thank you so much for taking the time. Again, I apologize for my own tardiness. No worries. And I appreciate you being so understanding of the situation. But congratulations on everything, especially fatherhood, impending fatherhood.
00:26:17
Speaker
It is a I'm sure a million people have told you this but it really is a life-changing and perspective altering experience and You seem well prepared for all that now. Thank you very much. We're we're super excited. So it's gonna be gonna be awesome All right. Anything else that you wanna anything else going on that you you need to get out there and plug No, I don't think so. I don't think so go check out soldiers at Costco. But other than that, I think it's a
00:26:47
Speaker
I think we're all good. And I think that there's a funny little ad if I write that I saw with you that is involved in that, right? Yeah, it was, you know, I did a photo shoot with them and they had their mascot there and yeah, he's funny. So it was a fun time. Awesome. Well, Jordan, thank you so much for doing this. I am Jeremiah Chan signing off for NOSO Antis. We will catch you next time.
00:27:20
Speaker
Thanks for listening to another episode of NOS Adietes. As you may know, we are transitioning to becoming a primarily listener supported podcast. One of the perks of becoming a paid subscriber is getting the full version of interview episodes like this one. If you're interested in hearing the rest of the interview and supporting independent soccer media, head over to nosadietes.substack.com and become a paid subscriber.
00:28:39
Speaker
Let's win another one!