With a scoreless match growing more heated every minute, Veljko Paunovic had no qualms sending on rookie Alex Morrell for his MLS debut in the 84th minute of the Chicago Fire's 0-0 draw at Yankee Stadium Sunday night.
Morrell, selected in the second round (No. 22 overall) of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft and officially signed on March 11, came on in place of Gilberto to provide fresh legs as the Men In Red sought to secure a road result.
“It was an awesome experience, especially in an environment like this," Morrell said after the match. "For them to give me the opportunity and trust in me enough to put me in the game is something special. I’ll take that and always remember that. We pulled out a good 0-0 tie so we felt good about it.”
Following a standout career at the University of North Florida -- where he led the Ospreys to their first NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior in 2015 -- the speedy Morrell caught the attention of Fire leadership during the MLS Combine and has continued to show well for himself in training. Morrell joined defenders Brandon Vincent (No. 4) and Jonathan Campbell (No. 12) as 2016 SuperDraft selections to have featured thus far this season for the Men In Red; Homegrown signing Joey Calistri also has made three appearances in his rookie MLS campaign.
Though he didn't see much of the ball in his six minutes of action, Morrell -- who grew up not far from the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa -- can move forward having displaced the weight of his professional debut.
“It’s a really cool environment to be put into the game," Morrell said. "With that many fans and just to be in Yankee Stadium was pretty special, I definitely thought about that.”
