Jordan Morris reportedly on provisional Gold Cup roster

Remember when Sounder at Heart told you that Jordan Morris was probably going to earn a Gold Cup call? Today American Soccer Now's Brooke Tunstall tweeted that the Stanford student, Sounders Academy alum and all around swell guy Morris was on the provisional roster for the United States in the Gold Cup.

In #USMNT news, hearing @JmoSmooth13 is on the provisional @GoldCup roster. @StanfordMSoccer

— Brooke Tunstall (@YesThatBrooke) June 9, 2015

With a win the US would assure itself a berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup. If they do not win they would face the winner for the right to travel.

Morris just got done helping the US U23s take third in the prestigious Toulon Tournament where he had a goal and an assist. After the Toulon Group Stage he jetted up to Amsterdam where he earned an assist in the stunning come-back win over Netherlands.

The provisional roster for the Gold Cup is similar to other early rosters. He still needs to make the 23-man roster for the official tournament. Morris will be competing with the following forwards - Dempsey, Altidore, Agudelo, Johannsson, Wood, Wondolowski, Zardes, and maybe some others.

Morris isn't the most talented in the group, even if you have Rave Green glasses (Dempsey, Altidore, Agudelo, Johannsson), but Jordan showed Jurgen Klinsmann something. It's speed; it's touch; it's aggression; and there's something more that the US coach sees.

Jordan isn't earning his calls because of talent and it isn't because of performance with his "club" team. Jordan was only a Hermann Trophy semifinalist (S2's Andy Craven was a finalist). Jordan earns the calls because of something intangible.

He's sparking a cult movement. One that Sounder at Heart willingly fuels. He has Type I diabetes, goes to Stanford, and he scored on Mexico, as an amateur.

Barely three weeks after his goal in San Antonio's Alamodome, Morris was approached by a UC Davis player after a spring match.

"Thank you," the player said. "You're representing all of us. Keep going, keep working hard."

Morris was a little stunned.

If Tunstall is right there's no reason to think that Jordan Morris isn't going to the Gold Cup. What else is he going to do? Taking summer classes, training with Sounders FC or playing for the Sounders U23 PDL team don't get you to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil or the 2018 World Cup (wherever it winds up being).

So Morris is probably going to be on the Gold Cup roster, because it is what is best for his career. He will play alongside MLS MVP candidates, play against the best that CONCACAF has to offer (Panama, Honduras, Haiti in Group Stage). At the end of 2015 he will have nearly as many minutes with the U23s and full National Team as he does at Stanford.

And that will be when Hanauer, Lagerwey & Company have to make their push for to sign the first ever Homegrown Player with games against Mexico, the Netherlands, UC Davis, the UW and Oregon State.