SAN ANTONIO—It was a complete team win but it’s not every day two different players in their early 20s score for the United States national team. 

So despite a sturdy effort by the backline, 90 minutes of dirty work from Gyasi Zardes, and one of the better midfield performances in recent memory, all eyes—and microphones, tape recorders, and cameras—after the U.S.’s 2-0 win over Mexico were on goal-scorers Jordan Morris and Juan Agudelo. 

Both players have prodigal talent and both took unusual paths to arrive at the Alamodome last night. 

Morris, a 20-year-old Stanford sophomore, famously turned down pro soccer to continue his education. But because of his pace, strength, and finishing ability he continues to earn call-ups to the U.S. senior team, something no other college player has done in two decades. 

Morris is also a stalwart for U.S. youth national teams, a role that Agudelo once played. Still just 22, the Colombian-American striker scored in his senior team debut at age 17 in 2010 and played for the U.S. 14 times as an 18-year-old in 2011. 



But because of injuries and an unsettled club situation, prior to last night he had only earned three caps in the three-and-a-half years since then. So his game-sealing goal wasn’t without its share of emotion. 

“I was really thankful,” said Agudelo, who looked skyward during his goal celebration. “It’s the same feeling I had when I scored my first (national team) goal in South Africa (in 2010).”

Agudelo said the goal meant a lot because of his journey but also because it helped the team secure a win against its archrival.

“It means a lot to me,” he said. “First of all, it meant a lot for this game because it [reduced] the stress on our defenders to maybe give up a goal to tie the game, now we have a bit of a cushion.”

Agudelo’s potential has never been in doubt, even if reaching it was sometimes a question mark. His teammates are hoping the run of good form he’s on with New England and yesterday’s goal will spark a return to meeting the expectations that come with his talent. 

“Juan, obviously, has had a little bit of a tough stretch but he’s a talented guy,” captain Michael Bradley said, shaking his head in awe as he referenced the talent. “This is a kid who has something a little bit different. So for both of those guys to get goals, we’re all happy to see that.”

While Agudelo’s reaction to scoring expressed the joy of completing an arduous trek, Morris’ was more the kind of euphoria of lottery winner.

“It was a dream come true,” he said. “I think I kind of blacked out.”

He does remember scoring, taking a deflected pass from strike partner Gyasi Zardes. “I made a diagonal run and then the ball just popped up.”

Morris’s situation is unique among modern American soccer in that he turned down a homegrown offer from the Seattle Sounders so he could return to Palo Alto for his junior season. And he is still "100 percent committed to that,” he said. “We’ll see where it goes after this year.”

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Morris has shown progress in each camp and with Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey unavailable, he played a hunch.

"You say, 'Why not give him a chance?' He trained very well. We see his improvement. When Jordan was doing his shooting before the game, he was pretty much missing everything. I told him, 'Just relax.’ And you saw as the game went on his nerves settled down,” Klinsmann said. "To see a boy like Morris score his first international goal, you jump for joy."

A healthy and productive Agudelo and an emerging Morris makes the U.S. forward core deeper, but the team still expects to rely on its horses going forward.

“We still miss Jozy, still miss Clint,” said Bradley. “I’m not gonna pretend we don’t. Those guys are very important parts of the team. On the field, off the field. And I’m looking forward to getting them back.”

Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.