RENTON — Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris had a second MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of a hamstring injury.
The incident occurred on the road during the club’s 1-1 draw against Colorado on Saturday. Initial imaging to evaluate the area when the team returned was “hazy,” according to Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer.
“They’re going to retake the MRI,” Schmetzer said. “Then we have to send it to the specialist.”
Morris suspected the injury after making a breakaway run to set up teammate Paul Rothrock for a shot in the waning seconds of regulation. The latter missed the attempt, and Morris immediately went to ground until play stopped.
Morris was able to walk off the field unassisted. Schmetzer subbed defender Jon Bell on in stoppage time.
The club’s all-time leading goal scorer missed four matches because of a hamstring injury suffered in a CONCACAF men’s Champions Cup loss on March 11. Morris was set to return against FC Dallas earlier this month but suffered an adductor injury.
As Morris healed, backup forward Danny Musovski scored game-winning goals against Dallas and Nashville, earning a third consecutive start against Colorado.
Musovski scored his third goal of the season in the match but was subbed off at the break for Morris.
“Jordan was ready to play; he wanted to start the game,” Schmetzer said. “I made a decision to keep the same team on that won 3-0 [against Nashville]. That was my decision. He wasn’t happy about it. He was anxious to play.”
Morris didn’t train Tuesday. The Sounders (3-3-4) host St. Louis City (2-4-4) at Lumen Field on Saturday.
Building a wall
When setting up the defense for a close-range free kick, Schmetzer is leaning toward having a player lie on the ground behind the row of players that form the wall.
The consideration is because the team was burned Saturday when Colorado midfielder Djordje Mihailovic rolled a simple shot under the Sounders’ wall for the equalizer in the 54th minute. The Sounders wall jumped high to block a possible attempt from the air.
Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said there was some discussion to have a player lie down, but their training is to rise on their “tippy toes,” according to Schmetzer. Going forward, there will be consideration to distance and angle.
“Those things don’t happen quite as often in a game as you think,” Roldan said of fouls close to the box where a free kick is awarded. “You get a free kick on top of the box every once in a while … we didn’t pre-decide it prior, so we’re making a split decision.”
Sounders keeper Stefan Frei sets the wall and would have to decide the actual distance that warrants a player on the ground to help him stop a possible low attempt.
“We’re playing [Lionel] Messi later this year, so we might have to work on that,” said Schmetzer of the Sounders’ road match against Messi’s Inter Miami in September. The 2022 FIFA men’s World Cup champion has scored more than 60 goals from free kicks in his career.
“But I accept responsibility for that [Saturday],” Schmetzer said. “We should work on that and be clear on that.”
Ragen update
Jackson Ragen is expected to join partial training this week. The Sounders center back was slated to be out 4-to-6 weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in the win against Dallas.
“He’s getting closer,” Schmetzer said.