It’s not every day that an American soccer player is compared to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
It’s even less as likely that the player being compared to two of the world’s best players happens to play college soccer.
However, that’s exactly what Stanford head coach Jeremy Gunn did on Sunday after the Cardinal won the program’s first NCAA title in a 4-0 romp vs. Clemson.
“You watch (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi, and they score almost every game, and you guys think it’s easy, but it’s not easy,” Gunn said in a press conference after the game. “(Jordan Morris) has made so much great impact, he is a special player, there is no doubt about it that he is a special soccer player, and he is a special human being as well, he is an absolute joy to watch.”
Gunn’s high praise of Morris comes after the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team forward scored a brace in the 2015 College Cup final. Morris, who is also one of three finalists in the running for the MAC Hermann Trophy, ends his 2015 college campaign with 13 goals in 18 games.
Morris missed a handful of games for the Cardinal this season due to international duty, but Gunn, the team and Morris all expected as much and adapted.
“When coach (Jurgen) Klinsmann came and talked (to the team), we were thinking it was going to be saying nice things,” Gunn said about Klinsmann’s intentions to introduce Morris to the national team. “But when he said he could take him on the first national trip, he did say things will happen fast if we do this, and they sure did.
“So many people get opportunities and they don’t do so well because it is so high of a level, they struggle and somebody else gets a chance. For Jordan, he’s taken his chances and then some.”
Because of Morris’ successes both with U.S. Soccer and at the collegiate level, many people are wondering if he will leave Stanford early to become a professional player either domestically or abroad.
He shied away from an announcement after the historic victory, though.
“I’m going to address that later,” Morris said when asked if Sunday’s game was his last for Stanford.
“I think, right now, it’s all about the team, all about appreciating and celebrating this moment because we’ve worked so hard as a team to get where we are and to come out as champions is amazing.
“So, that will come later, but for now I’m just going to celebrate with my brothers (Corey Baird, Brandon Vincent, Eric Verso and Ty Thompsen) up here.”
As a junior, Morris could still decide to return to Stanford next season, forgoing the richest Homegrown contract in MLS history — offered by the Seattle Sounders in November.
While he made his international debut against Ireland in 2014, Morris has undoubtedly soared onto the scene in 2015, scoring his first goal for the senior team against Mexico in April. He has scored seven goals in 11 appearances for the U.S. U-23s and was most recently a part of the senior squad as it began CONCACAF’s qualification process for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
However, according to Morris, none of those previous goals, call-ups or starts matched what he accomplished on Sunday.
“Definitely up there at No. 1,” Morris said when asked where this accomplishment ranks when compared to others he’s had. “It’s such a cool thing to be able to experience something like this, something bigger than yourself.
“I get to experience it with all my teammates up here who are just amazing guys who’ve made the last three years unforgettable.”
Morris may be in the spotlight more than ever now, but Gunn said that the 21-year-old, 5-foot-11-inch striker knows how to handle himself and the pressure. He is humble and doesn’t flaunt, according to his coach. And what makes Morris truly special, Gunn says, is that he plays for the team, not for personal glory.
“With Jordan, he played phenomenally today, but he still heard about it that he needed to work harder at halftime just like everybody else, and he is not above that,” Gunn said after the game.
“You saw coming out the second half, he rolled his sleeves up and he was fighting just like everybody else,” Gunn said. “There was a different attitude in the second half. I could go on forever about him.”
“We will all continue to support him with whatever he does in the future.”