Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Aaron Kovar will both appear in the annual Chipotle Homegrown Game during MLS All-Star Week later this month, the latest accolade for the team’s pair of Seattle-bred rising stars.
Longtime MLS and U.S. national team star and MLS Homegrown Team head coach Landon Donovan named the team’s 20-man roster on Tuesday. The team will take on the Mexico Under-20 national team in the third incarnation of the Homegrown Game on July 27 at 6 p.m. PT at Avaya Stadium, the home of the San Jose Earthquakes.
Morris, 21, leads all MLS rookies this season with six goals after signing his Homegrown contract in January. A native of Mercer Island who won a national title at Stanford last fall before joining the Sounders, Morris has also earned nine caps with the USMNT.
Kovar, 22, has already set career highs this season in games played (13), starts (10) and minutes played (732), and scored his first career MLS regular season goal on May 28. Originally from Seattle, Kovar was part of the Sounders FC Academy between 2010-12 before ultimately signing a Homegrown contract in January 2014.
Morris and Kovar join former Sounders forward Sean Okoli (2014) as Sounders players selected for the Homegrown Game.
The AT&T MLS All-Star Game will take place on July 28 at Avaya Stadium. Although no Sounders players were selected to the Fan XI, they can still be selected either by MLS All-Stars head coach Dominic Kinnear or via MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s two commissioner picks, to be revealed on Sunday.
2016 MLS Homegrown Team Roster
Goalkeepers: Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas), Maxime Crépeau (Montreal Impact)
Defenders: Danilo Acosta (Real Salt Lake), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Guillen (FC Dallas), Phanuel Kavita (Real Salt Lake), Jalen Robinson (D.C. United), Tyler Turner (Orlando City SC)
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls), Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake), Jay Chapman (Toronto FC), Coy Craft (FC Dallas), Harrison Heath (Orlando City SC), Aaron Kovar (Seattle Sounders FC), Raul Mendiola (LA Galaxy), Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes)
Forwards: Joey Calistri (Chicago Fire), Jordan Hamilton (Toronto FC), Jack McBean (LA Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC)
