Hertha won 3-2 looks like both Morales and Brooks went the full 90 http://www.herthabsc.de/de/teams/testspiel-norwich/page/869--45--.html
Do you think they can win promotion and get back to the Bundesliga? I think they will have a shot for sure.
Yeah I'd call them a favorite for now. I'd also not be surprised if they go up and then right back down again.
I'm guessing it is something about Morales' defensive skills that is keeping him back because his long pass is nice. As good as anything we have on the USMNT (out of the FB position), don't you think?
Morales is a better defensive midfielder than he is a fullback. He has played a little more RB than DM for Hertha because of the club's need. However, he had a couple of games at RB where he was beaten like a rented mule and after that, he basically spent the rest of the season with the reserves. I don't think it's at all likely that he will ever be a factor with the USMNT at right back.
I was thinking of the Bayern game and the Stuttgart game, which were two of the three matches of the season in which Morales played at least full half. In both cases, he received a "6" from Kicker, the lowest possible grade. Tough competition, but it's hard to get a "6" and it's not the way a young player ingratiates himself to the senior team coaching staff. I'd like to see Alfredo get more opportunities at DM, where he'll be in a better position to succeed.
I would really like to see Hertha play him at DM but it looks like they are going to make him play at RB.
Alfredo Morales entered the game at the 75th minute and played 15min in a 0-2 preseaon friendly defeat to Juventus.
Agreed. And long term he might be a better CB than DM. Surprised Peru hasn't made a stronger bid for him, as their biggest needs are deep lying CMs and young CBs. Many of their key prospects like Ballon, Duarte, and even Zambrano are not panning out.
I think Peru did all they can to get Alfredo late last year, at some point I thought he was going to pick Peru for sure. At the end of the day he probably thought that choosing the US would give him the biggest chance possible to make it to the WC in 2014.
There was an interview on YA posted last year where one of our German-American guys (Danny Williams?) said Morales seemed to be leaning towards Peru, but the German-based guys convinced him to play with them on the US team. I wish I could find that interview now. It was interesting quote.
The Peru papers speculated that Markarian didn't rate him. Peru is somewhat a long shot but South America will have an extra slot at WC2014, and Sergio has done a nice job to make the NT relevant again(3rd in last years copa), although they lag in qualifying thus far. I could still see them making a play for him if he continues to play more with Hertha.
There are a few videos in Youtube about Peru's coach talking about Alfredo and after he was called in by the US last November he was on this video saying that he respects Alfredo's decision. Also a lot of Peruvian's went into his Facebook and called him a traitor and they were cursing at him in Spanish.
So, looks like Morales has been sent back down to the U23 team. That is not great news. He hasn't made the bench in either game this season and played with the U23s this weekend: http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/...bsc-ii-1509_1-fc-lokomotive-leipzig-8195.html
Coach Luhukay brought one of his favorite players. Luhukay is famous for collecting "his" players, he signed 7 of his former players from other clubs for Augsburg; and he took Marcel Ndjeng with him to Berlin. Ndjeng already played under Luhukay at Cologne, Paderborn, Gladbach and Augburg. He's rather a winger, but Luhukay thinks he could play as an attacking RB for a dominant BL2 team. It's tough to break into a team when you're competing with Luhukay's favorite player.
They should loan him out to a middle to high 3. Liga team. He has been beyond the 4th divsion for at least 1.5 years.
I don't think a loan is a realistic option. He's already 22, and in the last year of his contract. They either keep him as a cheap #22-25 in case of emergency, or they offload him. Doesn't look like they're really interested in him anymore. Many young players already left Berlin before, because they didn't have the feeling that Hertha is the right place to get a chance and break through.
