It’s no surprise that Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi is at the top of the MLS Golden Boot race as the league’s top scorer.
But upstart Red Bulls star forward Lewis Morgan is just two goals short of the global icon.
Morgan, who was the team’s top scorer in 2022, knows a thing or two about finding the back of the net, but his elevation as one of MLS’ top scorers is surprising given the injuries he sustained last season. is.
Through the first 10 games of 2024, Morgan has seven goals and two assists, ranking him in the league behind Messi (9 goals), Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango (8 goals) and DC United’s Christian Benteke (8 goals). This was the highest number.
And the Scottish footballer’s scoring ability is astounding, with his 56th-minute goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps last weekend earning them a 1-1 draw and extending the third-placed Red Bulls’ unbeaten run to six.
“For me, I’m someone who normally has very high ambitions for myself,” Morgan told the Post after a recent practice. “But what comes in is [this season]Especially at the beginning of the season, I just wanted to stay fit and play and contribute, but it was just a matter of how it would go. When you’re out for a long time, there’s always the unknown of how the adjustment will go. … Last year was definitely more than what I expected for myself because of such a big injury. ”
Morgan was referring to a nagging hip injury he sustained at the end of the 2022 season (which ultimately turned out to be a torn psoas muscle), which caused him to lose his place in MLS. This plagued him until 2023, when he was limited to just six games against the Reds. Regular season and League Cup matches.
Morgan, 27, has avoided major injuries during his 10-year football career, which also included spells at Scottish side Celtic FC and England’s lower-tier Sunderland, but his woes last season meant he was unable to do so and was labeled a “cheater”. “I felt like that,” he said. contribute to his team.
It is no exaggeration to say that this feeling has disappeared this season.
“Lewis is doing that, he’s doing it in practice and in preseason,” Red Bulls defender Sean Niels said. “I think you’ll see results on the field on game day. … It’s a big plus to have him back. He’s scored these goals in a few games, maybe one last year, This year, it’s 3 points.”
Morgan is making good progress in his recovery from September hip surgery (the focus of a team-produced documentary released this week), but admitted he has had to battle the fear of reinjury.
“There was probably a little bit of hesitation the first time I got back on the grass,” Morgan said.
“By the time we go to the game, we’re going to check everything. Probably the last thing is real 100 percent game contact and once we get some of those, we’ll check everything so that we’re ready.” You’ll realize what you know, and then it’ll disappear from your mind. You won’t have any hesitation about going on the pitch.”
The Red Bulls are back on the road to face Inter Miami on Saturday after decimating a Messi-less roster at Red Bull Arena in March with a 4-0 victory punctuated by a hat trick from Morgan. .
However, Messi is expected to be on the pitch in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as the Red Bulls (4 wins, 1 loss, 5 draws) catch up with Eastern Conference leaders Inter Miami (6 wins, 2 losses, 3 draws) and claim back-to-back championships. Here are some of the successes they had in March as they strived to:
“So I missed a lot of those opportunities last year. [to contribute]but so far this year I feel like I’ve been able to overcome my injury issues and I’m contributing now and doing what I’m supposed to do,” Morgan said.
