2020 vs. 2023: What has changed for Aidan Morris since last Columbus Crew MLS Cup Final
A lot of things have changed since the last time the Crew stepped onto the field for an MLS Cup Final in 2020.
The state of the sport is different and so is the state of the locker room in Columbus. Along with a new coach, there are only two players remaining on the Crew roster who have rings from the 2020 MLS Cup team, Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris.
This season, both midfielders have been key contributors who have started a majority of the matches for Columbus. Three years ago, that wasn't the case for Morris. While Nagbe was regularly in the lineup, the 19-year-old Morris had only two starts under his belt through the regular season.
In a season that was already shortened due to the pandemic, the Crew was affected by COVID-19 once more when two players, including Nagbe, tested positive before the championship match. Asked to step up in his teammate's place, Morris learned that he would be in the Crew's starting 11 for the MLS Cup Final the day prior to the game.
Morris, who became the youngest player to ever start in an MLS Cup Final, would end up playing a big part in the Crew's 3-0 victory over Seattle for their second MLS Cup in franchise history. Looking back on it, he remembers how prepared the 2020 team was going into that game.
"Head space, tactics, everything was spot on," Morris said. "We were so connected in terms of what we wanted to do and our game plan every single game. We were so confident with who we were in our relationships on and off the field."
Heading toward a championship game a few years later, Morris gets that same vibe from the 2023 team. Only this time, Morris isn't a last-minute starter, he is one of the more experienced players on the roster who has grown under the leadership of Wilfried Nancy.
Columbus Crew's Aidan Morris 'was running too much'
Following the 2020 season, Morris' career hit a roadblock when he tore an ACL, putting him on the sideline the next year. After splitting time as a starter in 2022, Morris went into the 2023 season with an intense mindset.
Also going into the 2023 season with a new coach, Morris feels that while working with Nancy he's been pushed out of his comfort zone and given a new role in the team's unique style of play.
"Darlington and I get the ball all the time and in the middle of the chaos, having to be a cooling source for the team and a common source to control the rhythm and the tempo," Morris said. "That's not always easy when the game is going 1,000 miles per hour."
Slowing things down has been a focus for Nancy when it comes to Morris, and it's not just on the field. Throughout the season, Nancy had noticed that the midfielder is so demanding of himself that he never takes a moment to enjoy his success.
Nancy, who wants his players to enjoy the moment, never hesitated to pull Morris aside after a game to tell him what he needs to do better, even if Morris thought he played a great game. Nancy saw it was his job to help Morris find the balance between work and enjoyment, but while also helping Morris improve his game.
Mixing the two priorities has resulted in Nancy seeing Morris grow as both a player and person.
"For me, this is the kind of case I like as a coach," Nancy said. "Yes, the winning part is fun, but to help, if I can, add some stuff to help the player get better, I'm happy."
Knowing that Morris has improved both mentally and physically throughout the year, all Nancy needs from him is to keep playing the way he does in the MLS Cup Final against LAFC on Saturday.
"The way he is now is because he was able to get better in a few details," Nancy said. "This is the way he plays. So that's why for me, I don't have expectations from Aidan for the next game. He has to be himself."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew's Aidan Morris has changed since last MLS Cup Final
