Ask anyone about the primary job of a No. 9 and the vast majority will likely respond “score goals.”
They’re not wrong. The best No. 9s in the world are invariably their team’s best scorers, or at the very least one of them.
Of course, that’s not their only job. A No. 9 will also help lead the line in other ways, whether that means keeping centerbacks honest, holding up play or setting up teammates.
There are also general exceptions to this rule, especially when it comes to so-called “false-9s” who will drop a bit deeper and do a bit more pure playmaking. That generally requires two wingers to do the work of stretching defenses.
At his best, Jordan Morris ticks a lot of boxes as more of a traditional No. 9. He might not score at the rate you want, but he scores enough and does enough of the other stuff to make the tradeoff feel worthwhile.
Over the last few games, we’ve been reminded just how important Morris is to the Sounders’ whole offensive system.
It’s not that Jesús Ferreira has been particularly bad doing his interpretation of a false-9, it’s more that the Sounders don’t really seem to know how to play with someone who does that. Maybe with time, they’ll eventually learn how to utilize him more effectively. That time is not now.
It’s not just that the Sounders were shut out in Ferreira’s first two starts at the No. 9, it was that they weren’t even all that dangerous.
Through the first half of Saturday’s game, it was much of the same. The Sounders weren’t being played off the pitch by any stretch, but they weren’t exactly making life difficult for the San Jose Earthquakes, either.
So Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer made a halftime change. Despite playing reasonably well, João Paulo was pulled off the field and replaced by Danny Musovski. Cristian Roldan and Ferreira both slid back a line to make room.
The impact was almost immediate. Within a couple of minutes, Musovski’s run through the middle of the park helped open space that Paul Rothrock ran into on the break. He then made himself available for a pass in front of goal, only for Rothrock to shoot it just wide.
From that point forward, the Earthquakes seemed to be playing on their heels.
Ferreira looked far more comfortable while occupying the right half-spaces, Albert Rusnák was able to work in the center of the park more fluidly and just about everyone clicked just a little bit better.
I’m sure a lot of you are going to accuse me of burying the lede a bit here. I’m obviously quite aware that this does not fully encapsulate Musovski’s performance. He did have three very good scoring chances and didn’t come particularly close to scoring on any of them. He finished with 1.5 xG on four shots. To put that total into perspective, only 42 players have more xG all season and only two of them have managed that without scoring at least once.
Despite those struggles, I was not surprised when Schmetzer said this: “I’m leaning toward giving Danny another chance against San Diego. He played well – he didn’t get on the scoresheet but he gave us a lift.”
I’ve seen more than a few people take issue with Schmetzer’s assertion that Musovski “played well" given the chances he missed. In a world where Morris is ready to start against San Diego, I don’t think Musovski is in serious consideration for starting.
But given Ferreira’s struggles — he’s now managed just one shot in more than 200 minutes while playing as a 9 — I think Schmetzer simply has to grade on a curve. I also think it’s okay to recognize that in one half with Musovski at the 9, the Sounders collectively had more xG (2.46) than they had in their previous five halves combined (2.16).
It’s not the ideal solution, but the ideal solution isn’t currently available.
