Jordan Morris and Aaron Kovar named to MLS Homegrown Game roster

Former United States forward Landon Donovan selected the roster that he’ll be coaching in the MLS Homegrown Game against the Mexico U-20 team on July 27 in San Jose. The Homegrown Game started in 2014, when Sounders forward Sean Okoli was selected for the eventual 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers U-23 squad. Interestingly, DeAndre Yedlin was never involved as he was on the full MLS All-Star team in both 2013 and 2014.

Two Seattle Sounders FC players were selected by Donovan in a live Facebook broadcast on Tuesday: forward Jordan Morris and midfielder Aaron Kovar. They’re the first Sounders to be selected for the game since Okoli’s inclusion in 2014.  Both players gave some brief thoughts after Tuesday’s training session about what it means to be included.

Jordan Morris:

It’s awesome, it’s an honor to be called into a team like that and it should be an exciting game. Great coach, obviously. Should be a lot of fun. [Landon Donovan] is someone I looked up to as a kid. He was a role model for me. When I was trying to make my decisions and everything, he reached out a couple of times and gave me some great advice, so it’s gonna be awesome to connect with him again and be able to play.

Aaron Kovar:

I know Landon’s coaching it, so that’ll be cool. Obviously one of the legends of American soccer. It’ll be nice to go down there with Jordan too. There’s definitely been success [for Seattle’s Homegrown Players] if you look at what Jordan’s already done and what DeAndre [Yedlin] did and has done, it’s definitely on the right trajectory.