NEW YORK (Monday, March 27, 2023) – Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 5 of the 2023 MLS season.
Morris became the 16th player in MLS history to score at least four goals in a single match during the club’s 4-1 victory on the road at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, March 25 (Watch Highlights from His Performance Here). Among the 16 players to score at least four goals in an MLS match, Morris was just the third to do so on the road (Raúl Díaz Arce and Clint Mathis). With his four-goal performance, Morris leads the league with seven goals in the first five games, which is tied for the second-most in MLS history through the first five matches of a season, behind only Landon Donovan (eight) of the 2008 LA Galaxy. Seattle’s Léo Chú assisted on all four of Morris’ goals and the duo became just the second pair of teammates in MLS history to see one player score four goals and a teammate assist on each of the four in the same match.
After Sporting Kansas City took an early lead, the Sounders tied up the match in the 23rd minute when Chú whipped in a low cross, which Morris passed into the back of the net with a sliding finish (Watch Here). Seattle took the lead in the 54th minute after a turnover by Sporting in their own half saw Chú dribble inside and find a cutting Morris, who curled his shot underneath the arms of the diving goalkeeper (Watch Here). Morris bagged his hat trick in the 69th minute after Chú played Nicolás Lodeiro into space and the Uruguayan’s inch-perfect cross found a sprawling Morris who carefully volleyed it into the net from close range (Watch Here). The U.S. Men’s National Team forward bagged his fourth as Chú lobbed a cross, which Morris headed home with a leaping finish from just outside the six-yard box to seal the 4-1 victory in the 77th minute (Watch Here).
With his four goals on Saturday night, Morris (49) eclipsed MLS legend Clint Dempsey (47 goals) for the third-most goals in club history. Only Raúl Ruidíaz (59 goals) and Fredy Montero (58 goals) have scored more regular-season goals for Seattle. Morris is the first player in Sounders history to score four goals in a match and the first to do so in MLS since Charlotte FC’s Daniel Ríos against Philadelphia on October 1, 2022. With seven goals this season, Morris has already equaled his total from the 2022 season and is just five behind his single-season career high of 12 in 2016.
Morris is the first Seattle player to win MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire since Raúl Ruidíaz did so on Matchday 20 of 2021. This is Morris’ fourth Player of the Matchday honors, with his most recent coming on Matchday 11 of 2020. His four honors are now tied with Dempsey and Ruidíaz for the most in Sounders history.
Seattle will look to earn their fourth win of the season when they travel to face the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on Matchday 6 on Saturday, April 1 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass / FOX).
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
