Crew midfielder Aidan Morris called in to U.S. men's national team for January camp
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Crew midfielder Aidan Morris has received his first call-up to the United States men's national team.
Morris, who projects to be an everyday starter for the Crew this season at the No. 8 midfielder spot after Artur was traded to Houston in the offseason, will join the USMNT for camp in southern California. The U.S. is set to play friendlies against Serbia on Jan. 25 and Colombia on Jan. 28.
As this camp falls outside a FIFA international window and is just over a month after the conclusion of the World Cup, the roster primarily consists of MLS players and will be led by interim manager Anthony Hudson as the U.S. Soccer Federation continues its investigation into Gregg Berhalter after 31-year-old allegations of domestic violence were raised by the family of USMNT forward Gio Reyna. Participating in a January camp is generally considered just the first step toward a USMNT career, but it's an important step for Morris nonetheless.
"It’s a dream come true," Morris told The Dispatch. "It means a lot. But I don’t think it means as much to me until I step on the field and make my debut."
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When Morris got the call just over a week ago that he was being invited to the camp, his initial excitement immediately shifted into resetting his focus.
"I was pumped. I called my parents and they were excited," Morris said. "But I looked myself in the mirror and I said, ‘You haven’t done anything yet. You have to go there and get the job done and win your spot over, make a difference.’ "
Morris has made five appearances for the USMNT at the youth national level, playing three games for the U-18 team and two at the U-20 level. He joined the U-20 team for training after the MLS season in October as the U-20 squad trained alongside senior USMNT players from MLS who were in the mix for the World Cup roster. Morris is also in contention to join the U.S. team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which is a U-23 tournament.
If Morris plays against either Serbia or Colombia, a squad that will include Crew striker Cucho Hernandez, he will be the first active Crew player to play for the USMNT since Gyasi Zardes played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July 2021.
"I want to obviously showcase myself, showcase the type of player I am," Morris said. "Learn and grow and play high quality soccer. I think that’s the biggest thing when you go to represent your country, you play against other nations where they have their best guys as well.
"I’m excited to win. I’m excited to compete. I’m excited to grow and get better. I’m excited to show the country what I’m about."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew midfielder Aidan Morris called in to USMNT
