New United States men’s national team head coach Bruce Arena said in a Facebook Live Q&A on Friday that he intends to call in Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris to the January camp ahead of the next two matches in CONCACAF 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
Morris earned five caps in 2016. He was called into former U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s Columbus, Ohio, camp ahead of the first two Hexagonal World Cup Qualifiers in November, but he was sent home after being diagnosed with a hamstring strain suffered against FC Dallas in MLS’ Western Conference Semifinals.
Morris has 12 career caps for the U.S. and scored his lone goal in a friendly against Mexico in 2015.
Arena also reconfirmed his interest in having Sounders forward Clint Dempsey, who has been shut down indefinitely since September while recovering from an irregular heartbeat, join camp as well.
“I’ve spoken to Clint recently and I’ve been in touch with the people in Seattle and we’re going to move along slowly,” Arena said. “Our goal is to bring Clint to the camp in January in a limited capacity and slowly build him into the preseason in Seattle and hope that he can be a consideration for our games in March.”
U.S. Soccer recently nominated Dempsey and Morris for Male Player of the Year and Young Male Player of the Year, respectively.
