Nicolas Lodeiro reflects on Jordan Morris’ departure
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No matter which way you look at the Seattle Sounders’ upcoming season, it is impossible to ignore the enormous changes around the organization that have already been made official. Considerably so, anytime there are significant losses and iconic names leave a club, there is always thick fog of uncertainty that looms over a team, which can only dissipate with exciting new signings and eventually with wins on the field.
That uncertainty could also be felt in the locker room. Players often question roster moves and although most understand some are still frustrating. When a group has been as successful for as long as the Sounders have been, changes can disturb those who remain.
Sounders FC announced that the midfielder had signed with his hometown club on Friday, bringing Rowe back to the community where his soccer journey first began.
“I think excited is a big word that I’ve used in the past few days,” Rowe told SoundersFC.com. “There’s definitely a sense of pride to come back and play where everything kind of started for me at the youth level. To be able to play in front of my family and lifelong friends is amazing.”
Rowe, 29, grew up in Federal Way and spent the bulk of his youth soccer days playing for local club Crossfire Premier. After two star-turn seasons with UCLA, Rowe burst onto the scene with the New England Revolution in 2012, where he spent eight of his nine seasons as a professional. During his tenure with the Revs, he established himself as technical, clever player capable of playing anywhere across the pitch, bagging 30 goals and 44 assists across more than 250 MLS appearances.
SEATTLE, WASH.
– Sounders FC today picked up two players in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas. With only one pick coming into today, the Rave Green traded a 2022 second round selection to Inter Miami CF for Oregon State defender Joe Hafferty, a former Sounders FC Academy product and today’s 37
th overall selection. The club then drafted goalkeeper TJ Bush out of James Madison with the 80
th overall pick in the third round.
Hafferty, 22, was a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, including a First Team nod in 2019. He started 50 of his 53 appearances over three seasons for the Beavers before seeing his senior year called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A native of Renton and a Liberty High School graduate, Hafferty spent 2013 through 2017 with Sounders FC Academy.
Sounders FC today announced that it has loaned forward Jordan Morris to Swansea City of the English Championship. Morris joins the Welsh side immediately and will remain with the club through its 2020-2021 campaign, which is scheduled to conclude in May. Since signing as a Homegrown Player prior to the 2016 season, Morris has 41 goals and 23 assists in 121 MLS appearances (including postseason play), helping the Rave Green to four MLS Cup appearances and two championships. The Mercer Island native was named 2016 MLS Newcomer of the Year, 2019 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, as well as a 2020 MLS Best XI selection and finalist for the 2020 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player Award.