Tag: Aidan Morris

Boro coach Carrick hails ‘fantastic’ Morris after strong start

The USMNT midfielder is making quite the impression early in his time at Middlesbrough

Aidan Morris is making quite the impression early in his time at Middlesbrough.

The midfielder joined Boro from the Columbus Crew in June, with the Championship side shelling out a reported $4 million.

Morris has been thrown into the fire in his first foray into Europe, playing the full match in both of Boro’s opening games of the campaign.

The 22-year-old has responded well to the challenge, as he was named man of the match in a 1-0 league win over Swansea over the weekend, before turning in another strong display in Wednesday’s 3-0 win at Leeds in the Carabao Cup.

After the game against Leeds, head coach Michael Carrick spoke glowingly of Morris and fellow summer signing Delano Burgzorg.

Carrick said: “It (making early signings) certainly helps, and credit to everyone for that – the backroom staff, in terms of recruitment, and having good ideas, and having a plan and sticking to it.

“We’re all in it together. We’ve spoken about the value of getting the two lads in early, and it is the truth.

“We’ve seen the benefits of that, and we’re feeling those benefits. I thought the two boys in particular were fantastic tonight, in different ways, and you can see how well they’ve settled in.”

Next up for Boro is a trip to face Derby County in a Championship encounter on Saturday.

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USMNT midfielder Morris joins Middlesbrough from Columbus

The 22-year-old midfielder has made the jump to Europe

Middlesbrough has confirmed the signing of Aidan Morris on a transfer from the Columbus Crew.

The 22-year-old midfielder joins the Championship side in a reported $4 million move, and has signed a four-year contract.

Morris has become one of the highest-rated midfield prospects in MLS in recent years, having made over 100 appearances for the Crew and won two MLS Cups despite his young age.

A fixture with U.S. youth national teams, Morris made his senior USMNT debut in January 2023 and has earned five caps thus far.

“He suits our style of play, he’s strong, he likes to get on the ball, and he plays off both feet,” said Boro head coach Michael Carrick.

“He’s a good age, but he’s already had a taste of success and he has a good amount of experience. We’re excited to work with him.”

Morris was called into the most recent U.S. pre-Olympic training camp, and looks to be a solid bet to compete in the games in France next month.

“Watching Aidan’s growth as a player and person during his time at the Crew has been a true privilege, and we greatly appreciate his dedication to the club and our city,” said Crew general manager Issa Tall.

“Aidan has always been focused on learning and improving, and he’s an exceptional role model for our academy players. We are proud of what Aidan accomplished individually and with our club as he made a significant impact in the Crew’s history. He always aspired to play in Europe and earned the opportunity, and we look forward to him further displaying his form and character as he joins Middlesbrough.”

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USMNT to replace Alan Sonora on Gold Cup roster due to injury

Soñora may not be the only squad change

The U.S. men’s national team had a mostly successful Gold Cup group stage, but the news wasn’t entirely positive.

Shortly after overseeing a second consecutive 6-0 victory, interim coach B.J. Callaghan delivered some unwanted news: midfielder Alan Soñora’s tournament is over due to a hamstring injury.

“In terms of the roster updates, right now, Alan Soñora will be replaced due to a hamstring injury,” Callaghan told reporters after the match. “I don’t have the replacement yet.”

Soñora left the USMNT’s win over St. Kitts and Nevis at halftime, and was not in uniform against the Soca Warriors on Sunday.

The rules of the Gold Cup allow teams to replace injured players following their group stage games, up to 24 hours before their quarterfinal match kicks off. That leaves the USMNT until July 8 to make their move.

Per CONCACAF, the injury must be enough to keep a player out of play for at least 15 days, and that severity must be approved by the federation’s medical committee. Tournament regulations also require the USMNT to call up a player from its initial 60-man preliminary roster.

USMNT evaluating others for knockout round

Soñora’s status may be clear, but Callaghan has other players to monitor in the coming days.

U.S. Soccer announced earlier on Sunday that Aidan Morris had been granted permission to leave camp for what it called “personal reasons,” and Callaghan declined to offer much detail.

“I don’t have anything further to add to the Aidan Morris issue other than he requested to leave camp for personal reasons, and we granted [that],” said Callaghan, adding that the timetable on the Columbus Crew midfielder’s return is “open.”

Callaghan said he would also be evaluating forward Jordan Morris and center back Miles Robinson, calling both “day-to-day.” Robinson started for the USMNT in their 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, playing 45 minutes before being replaced by Matt Miazga.

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Canada coach Herdman on Morris: His heart is with the USMNT

Herdman expects Morris to be cap-tied to the USMNT at the Gold Cup

Canada men’s national team head coach John Herdman has said he believes Aidan Morris is leaning toward continuing on with the United States.

The U.S. and Canada each called the Columbus Crew midfielder into their preliminary squads for both the Gold Cup and Nations League.

Morris has been capped two times by the USMNT, but remains eligible for Canada through his father. Last month, the 21-year-old admitted he was unsure which country he would represent long term.

Ahead of a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Panama on June 15, Canada named its final roster on Wednesday, which did not include Morris.

Speaking on a conference call with reporters, Herdman admitted he did not expect the highly regarded central midfielder to play for Canada.

“It’s a tough one because I think the young lad understands the opportunity here in Canada, but his heart is with the U.S. and on the last conversation, he’s not quite ready to make a commitment to Canada,” the coach said.

“This is the big challenge we face,” he added. “The other challenge is we aren’t creating enough youth opportunities to ensure players fall in love with playing for Canada. We have to start competing in this area.”

Herdman added that he expected Morris to be called up by the USMNT for the Gold Cup and play in the tournament, which would cap-tie him.

Callaghan: We think really highly of Morris

Morris did not make the cut for the USMNT’s Nations League roster but speaking to reporters last week, interim head coach B.J. Callaghan said he believes the midfielder has a bright future with the national team.

“Aidan is a young players having a great season, he really had a breakout season last year,” Callaghan said. “He’s someone that we’re super familiar with and we think really, really highly of.

“He was in our January camp and he was in our April camp. We put him into a big game versus Mexico, so that’s a signal that we think very highly of Aidan.

“Us and the staff have had conversations with Aidan, so he’s always a player that we’ll keep in consideration as we look to build out our Gold Cup roster and rosters beyond.”

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The next Balogun? Here are the dual nationals the USMNT will target now

Securing the striker was a huge win, but there’s still plenty of work to do for U.S. Soccer

Folarin Balogun’s commitment was the latest, and perhaps biggest victory in a recent string of major recruitment wins for the U.S. men’s national team.

Ricardo Pepi, Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson, Jesús Ferreira and Sergiño Dest all committed in the last few years, and the latter four started against the Netherlands in the World Cup knockout round.

More recently, Alex Zendejas committed to the U.S. over Mexico and Brandon Vazquez said he was all in for the USMNT — though he’s technically still able to represent Mexico for now.

Even after a major win like Balogun, there is still plenty of work to be done at U.S. Soccer. There is a seemingly never-ending supply of promising dual nationals who could help the USMNT, either now or in the future.

Here are a few of the more pressing names that U.S. Soccer will be focused on after securing Balogun. The players are listed alongside the non-American countries for which they are eligible.

USMNT midfielder Morris admits he’s considering Canada switch

Snatching the 21-year-old away from the U.S. would be a major coup for Canada

When the CONCACAF Nations League preliminary rosters were released on Friday, Aidan Morris found himself on two.

Morris making the U.S. roster wasn’t a surprise: The 21-year-old has earned his first two USMNT caps this year and has marked himself as one of the more promising two-way midfielders in the pool.

But the other country was unexpected. Morris was called up by Canada, a country that he is eligible for through his father.

The Columbus Crew midfielder, who is also eligible for Italy, was born and raised in the U.S. but in an interview with ESPN, he said he is unsure if he will continue with the USMNT or switch to Canada.

“It’s tough. I’ve got family from the U.S., I’ve got family from Canada,” he said. “But then there’s also the sense of playing and going to a World Cup. There’s a lot on my mind right now. I don’t think I have an answer in terms of what I’m going to do, or what I’m thinking of. So my only answer is I have time and this is a big decision for me and I don’t need to be rushed because this is a big decision for my career.”

Morris would be cap-tied to the U.S. if he plays in the Nations League or Gold Cup this summer, and he admitted that he could hold off until after the summer to make a decision on his international future.

“I think if the thought comes to me, then I think I’d love for it to come to me before summer, so I can take part in as much as I can,” he said. “But yeah, if it doesn’t, then I’m fine with that as well. It’s a three-and-a-half year process to the World Cup.”

Morris has had a breakout 2023 campaign with the Crew, starting all 12 of the club’s MLS games and chipping in with three goals and an assist.

He’s also impressed in his USMNT appearances. Interim head coach Anthony Hudson said Morris was “fantastic” after coming off the bench in last month’s 1-1 draw against Mexico.

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USMNT boss Hudson: Aidan Morris was ‘fantastic’ vs. Mexico

The 21-year-old impressed against El Tri in just his second cap

Anthony Hudson was full of praise for Aidan Morris, who impressed in just his second U.S. national team cap during Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Mexico.

Hudson brought Morris off the bench in the 64th minute of the Continental Clásico, with El Tri holding a 1-0 advantage after Uriel Antuna’s second-half opener.

As Hudson shifted to a three-man back line in search of an equalizer, Morris helped steady the midfield with an accomplished performance that also displayed the physicality he brings to the center of the park.

The USMNT would eventually grab a late equalizer through Jesús Ferreira, securing a 1-1 draw that made it five games unbeaten against El Tri.

Morris, 21, has already had a breakout 2023, earning his first two USMNT caps and scoring three goals for the Columbus Crew while starting all eight of the club’s MLS matches so far.

Last week, the Crew signed their academy product to a new contract through 2026.

In his post-game press conference on Wednesday, interim USMNT coach Hudson said he was happy with what he saw from Morris — a player he knows well from their time together with the U.S. U-20 side.

“I was so pleased for Aidan Morris, I thought Aidan was fantastic,” Hudson said. “I’ve known Aidan since he was with the [under] 20s and followed him ever since. And he’s a young man that just keep stepping up. Whatever challenge is put in front of him, he’s always going to step up to it. He’s a tough, tough, tough character. So I was pleased with Aidan.”

With the USMNT lacking a robust supply of defensive-minded central midfielders, Morris could be ready to step into a bigger role as the team prepares for a summer with the CONCACAF Nations League finals and the
Gold Cup.

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Atlanta United played without Thiago Almada. It didn’t go well.

Without Almada, Atlanta had a rough night at the office

Thiago Almada is arguably the best player in MLS, and is pretty much inarguably having the highest-caliber start to the season of any individual player in the league.

Unfortunately for Atlanta United, they had to play without the World Cup winner Saturday night. You’d expect them to have a harder time creating chances, and maybe attempt a more cagey approach without their 21-year-old attacking dynamo.

What you might not expect is for them to get completely obliterated, but that’s just what happened. The Crew stormed to a 6-1 win over an utterly hapless Atlanta, blowing things wide open after halftime.

A rocky start saw Columbus take a 14th minute lead, with some stagnant Atlanta defensive work and a bad bounce allowing the home side to capitalize. Alexandru Mățan attempted a low diagonal ball to the back post that was deflected…right into the path of Aidan Morris.

Atlanta struggled on from there, but at halftime it was just 1-0. That’s salvageable, right?

Not so much. About 90 seconds after the break, Christian Ramirez finished off a low cross from Jacen Russell-Rowe after Atlanta’s Noah Cobb missed his clearance attempt.

That’s about when the wheels fell off. Atlanta couldn’t get anyone on Philip Quinton for a 51st minute corner kick, which resulted in the Crew defender powering home a header.

Ramirez grabbed a brace, and it’s not a goal Atlanta’s going to want to see back. Steven Moreira walked forward into the midfield and, under no pressure, looked to play Ramirez through.

The big striker was also left completely unmarked, and just strolled into the box before shooting low past Brad Guzan.

Atlanta’s nightmare continued at the back, with Crew players making the game look like a training ground exercise. Mohamed Farsi got into acres of space along the right, and his low cutback found Russell-Rowe so open that the only problem he had was calling Ramirez off of it before finishing the move past Guzan.

Brooks Lennon picked up a late goal to at least spare Atlanta the embarrassment of being shut out, but even then, they found the Crew unstoppable at the other end.

Once again it was easy work: Will Sands saw some hesitation from defenders around him, waltzing out of token pressure along the touchline before crossing for Max Arfsten. Yet another open look ended with yet another goal, with Arfsten side-footing home in stoppage time as an exclamation point.

The only saving grace for Atlanta? When the New York Red Bulls come to Georgia on April 1, there’s at least a chance they’ll have Almada available.

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