Jordan Morris: ‘I completely respect (Klinsmann) decision’

Rookie Jordan Morris sport to local media today for the first time after being left off of the US national team roster for Copa America.

Here’s some of what he had to say:

On when he found out: Before training on Friday. Jurgen just gave me a call and let me know. … He just left me a message. He told me not to take it too hard, that there was a lot of competition. I completely respect his decision. There were a lot of good forwards and they were playing really well. I wish those guys all the best. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch this summer. Now I’m just excited to get games in here and try to get some points for the Sounders.

On using it as motivation: Yeah, I think every time you’re left off something like that it give you fuel to your fire to try to get back in the mix a little bit. It’s always a little disappointing, but again I completely respect the decision and just try to keep working hard on things I know I can improve on to get to that next level.

On his tweet of encouragement for national team: It was just heartfelt. I just honestly wanted to wish them all the best and just get ready for the game against Colorado and shift my focus now toward playing in Seattle because that’s all in the past now, and now it’s all about trying to pick up wins here.

On helping Sounders while Clint Dempsey is away with national team: It’s always tough when a player of that quality leaves. He’s such a great player just orchestrating in there. But we have other really good players that can fill in and we’re excited to go on the road and get these points. No pressure, just an opportunity to get three points.

On Sounders’ results: It’s always frustrating when you lose games. Everyone in the locker room wants to win and get three points, especially when you play like – like we did, I thought, against Colorado – and you just don’t get the result out of it, it’s frustrating. But we know how good of a team we are, and we’re just going to turn it around.

On possible advantage to Sounders of he and Brad Evans remaining: Either way I think the team would have done great. Losing a lot of people, I guess can be tough. It would have been four if both of us had gone. But the team has other players who can step in and play those roles great. I don’t thnk it would have been too much different.

On his play not changing with Dempsey gone: Every game – no matter who’s playing, where you’re playing, who you’re playing against – you have to approach the game the same way. I’m going to try to approach the game similar: just go out and focus on what I’m good at and what I can bring to the table and just try to help the team win.

On disappointments of not being named to USMNT on heels of US U-23s failing to make Olympics: Of course it’s disappointing. We wanted to qualify for the Olympics and that didn’t happen. Personally I wanted to make the team and it didn’t happen. I don’t view it as a setback. There’s a lot of great players, and Colombia was a great team. It’s tough. It’s tough to make these teams and qualify for big tournaments like that. If you look at it as a setback it’s just going to bring your game down here, and I’m happy with how things have gone with the Sounders and just have to keep building off that.

On Klinsmann saying decision came down to Morris or Chris Wondolowski: I think in things. But he’s such a good finisher in the box. He’s great at other things, but he just knows how to score goals and knows his way in and around the box, and I think he’s better than me at that for sure, and that’s important as a player – as a striker – to find those goals. I think we have different skillsets and Jurgen went with his, which is totally understandable. He’s a great player. A really good player, someone I’ve looked up to, and his stats prove that. He has so many goals in the MLS. I’m excited for him, and I’m excited to watch him.

Meanwhile, Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said that forward Oalex Anderson has a hamstring strain and will miss the coming trip to New England and DC, but that defender Chad Marshall is likely to be able to go after being held out of the Colorado match last weekend.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Jordan Morris: ‘I completely respect (Klinsmann) decision’."