Morales needs to get back in Hertha's team first, which might not happen before the end of the season. He's had a terrible run of games the past few weeks and has been dropped from the regular 18 rotation. With 5 defensive midfielders in: Jones Beckerman Edu Bradley Williams It would seem that Morales would be a stretch to include. I'd rather have a different option off the bench such as Kljestan, Torres or Zusi.
Lichaj should be on the bench for any meaningful game. He can play right back or left back and he's the only attacking full back we have to back up the three man rotation of Johnson, Chandler and Cherundolo. ALthough I suppose the aforementioned Parkhurst could be an option.
I came close to including Lichaj in the list of callups in my opening post, but in the end felt he needed a run of first-team games before I could justify his inclusion. If he gets called up I would have him take the place (including playing time) of Spector.
If that is the case then Herta really did themself (from a showcase sales value) and the USU23 a disservice by not releasing him. I know playing RB he gave up 2 penalties on fouls on Ribery in his last match against Bayern but he looked great against Mexico and was singled out by both Porter and later JK after that match. Torres is already a lock for the next callup and I doubt based on JK's high value on ball winners in the midfield that Kljestan or Zusi would be called ahead of Morales.
Hertha have never really cared much for the US youth teams. In the past they've often simply refused call ups for their players even in the youngest age groups. Unless they have to release players they usually don't. I think Morales has long term potential to be a good player for us, but playing well in one match against U-23 players is not the same as playing competitively against seasoned pros. Antigua I don't know about but Guatemala would likely trash a Mexican U-23 team simply based on the age and experience difference. Behind Danny Williams, Morales was likely the clear #2 at defensive mid for the US U-23 team and would have been a huge help. But now it's a big step up. I don't think he's ready for it yet.
To be clear I'm talking strictly about part of the 30 member callup. I don't forsee him or Adu or Mix making the final 22 at this point. I see Morales as maybe 3 to 6 months in development behind D Williams at this point. He has played in 7 BL matches this season at DM, RB and IIRC LB.
After getting predictions of new faces at camp wrong so many times under Klinsmann, I hesitate to project any new player except Stuart Holden. And even with Holden, well, the obvious CM to drop is Kyle Beckerman but he is Klinsi's #1 so I have no idea who Klinsmann would drop. So if Lichaj gets playing time, does he make the squad. Who knows?
Danny Williams for now is a firmly entrenched member of the starting lineup of a mid table B-1 team. Now granted he wasn't until recently, but Morales is for now on the outs of a relegation bound miserable Hertha squad. Will he make the leap next year in B-2 as a firm 11 selection? I don't know, but he will have to even consider breaking the current 6 and 8 pool. I have no problem incorporating him into camps as a clear prospective player. As a prospect he is probably the #6 in that group of players I listed. As an immediate right now player though, he might be behind MLS veterans if emergency called. To put it succinctly, he needs to make that jump to Danny Williams land to be a real contender.
Kljestan is a starting 11 for the best team in Belgium. Zusi is a bit more prospective but he is also a firm starter for KC and playing well. Although the real issue with those names is they provide something different. Hertha aren't a good enough team where we can say, it's okay that's he's on the bench.
I'd add one more priority, and that's tactically working out a Dempsey/Donovan pairing, possibly moving them around a bit to see how they best work whether we're playing Klinsi's skinny diamond or 4231 or whatever.
Like I said, I like Morales as a prospect. He's a good player and I hope he recovers from the recent disaster that Hertha has become this year. If he's being called as a prospective player, I don't mind that. Of course I'd also like to see Diskerud get a similar chance. But he needs to establish himself with Gent this spring, just like Morales before they are anything more than hope.
My feeling is that Mix, Gatt, Morales, and Gyau all need a bit more seasoning in Europe before they're ready for the national team.
Mix's problem is that he's a central midfielder. There is a long line of people playing that position. Gatt is close because he offers something different. His speed is just not matched by anyone else in the player pool. He very much likes to attack players on the dribble and can be lethal on a counter attack.
We also have only a couple real outside wingers and only two that are really natural ones. Donovan Johnson Shea Rogers
I would add Chandler to this list. He was a wide midfielder coming up the youth ranks and this season Nuremberg has moved him back out there. I watched his last match. He is a pretty good attacking player. A good crosser, with both feet.
I think the -------------------Jozy ------Dono-------Demps-------Chandler Johnson-----------------------------Cherundolo pyramid is a lock. W/ Bradley/Jones pretty much locked in the middle. And probably Boca/Goodson behind them. I'd really like to see Gatt get a call in. At this point there is nothing to indicate that he's inferior to Shea. Beasley, even more so. Would like to see how Mix fits in. To me, he's the most natural back up in the Dempsey role that we have. Would be great of Adu could make it as a super sub. And, Herc has to get a look at this point.
I agree 100%. Chandler is a better LB then Johnson is. Johnson is a better attacker then Chandler is. Why would you play both players out of position? When Donovan plays, he'll be on the right wing, there's no way that Chandler starts over Donovan on the right side. So more then likely Chandler will be the LB and Johnson the LW during qualifying. What we saw during Italy was an emergency situation with the lack of fullbacks. Johnson is one of our trickiest offensive guys. He needs to be playing closer to goal, not farther back.
Well, you have to evaluate your options in terms of getting the MAXIMUM effectiveness out of ALL your players. You lose much more from Chandler playing left back then you do from Johnson there. Chandler is significantly more effective on the right. Johnson on the other hand is a natural left-footed player who plays LB with his club regularly. Chandler is neither. Plus if you play with two holding midfielders (Jones/Bradley), Johnson will still be able to make runs forward without the risk of leaving them too exposed in the back.
not really, chandler hasn't even played on the wing under klinsmann, and while it may seem logical that he would try him there, it also would've been logical for him to stop using danny williams as a RW but that hasn't happen yet TBH either fabian johnson or chandler at wing along with donovan, with the other being LB and im happy.
I guess we have a different definition of what lock means. Assuming Donovan and Chandler are healthy, they are locks to be in the lineup. They are not locks to play in positions they've never played in before for the team.