Yanks Abroad Flavors of the Week 2018-19

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by TheFalseNine, Aug 3, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Morales was a player that passed around 60% completion. He had other attributes that relegation threatened teams like. That he had 90% completion in a recent game could mean he has taken a step forward with his game. He is not young anymore, but certainly younger than MB.
     
  2. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Ok, well that sounds useful. Again, though, how does that assist us in knowing how he'd perform in a USMNT game. Surely he could make the simple square/back passes that MB built his last 4 years on, and complete the same percentage.

    Our talent pool ain't big enough to be ignoring guys playing regularly in the B1 just because they have a stat or two that doesn't seem to help us (similarly, that they looked just ok in their last cap 3 years ago).
     
  3. soccerusa517

    soccerusa517 Member+

    Jun 23, 2009
    Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Morales isn't good enough either tbh. I liked Williams before his recent injury. Definitely could've used him. Morales is a below average player.
     
  4. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I'm not saying that Morales is not performing at a level that could put him as one of our top 23 players. He most likely is if his passing has improved. The only thing against him now is his age. He will be 32 when Qatar rolls around.

    Morales, Johnson, Williams, to me, seem to be European based players akin to Bedoya, Besler, Klesjtan and Feilhaber. Some were off and on starters, some were in and out, some were not called much at all for whatever reason. All are over 30 or going to be soon. Berhalter didn't call anyone in that age range for Cupcake except Bradley. Ironically, incompatibility with Bradley is probably the main reason that most of those guys have not had more caps or chances.

    Therefore, the argument against Morales is the same as against Bradley. Every minute we give Morales is a minute not going to a player with a higher ceiling. Even saying Morales should start over Bradley doesn't mean much because you are still putting an older player in the way of a younger player with more upside. I'd rather Adams, McKennie, even Mendez get those minutes now. 2022 and then 2026 are all that matters; not beating Chile.

    Johnson could get called to play LB because Robinson can't seem to get back on the field. Bello is not ready and doesn't look close. But even then, I'd be more interested in seeing Gloster given a shot. Gloster is on the fringe of a bottom Bund club and Morales is a usual starter on a bad Bund club. But they both could very well be starting in the 2.Bund next August and one is a 19 yo LB and one is a 29 yo CM.

    To me, Gloster's profile is much more in line with what GB is looking for than Morales.

    Oh, and playing WT/MB, while sticking Adams out wide and ignoring Dest is going to look criminal very soon.
     
    largegarlic and yurch10 repped this.
  5. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For whatever the reason DM is the spot there's no real rotation of prospects.

    Other positions there's fluidity in players getting looks. At DM it's the baldy and styrofoam Willie tandem.
     
    Patrick167 and yurch10 repped this.
  6. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    There's a bunch more on the way. I don't think its long before Chris Durkin of DCU is getting a call up. [there have been extensive euro rumors about him.] Brandon Servania of FCD, who had a really good CONCACAF U20 Championships, is now being trained as a #6. There are others.

    The good news is the pipeline of #8s doesn't seem like its slowing down. Some of those guys will develop into #6s as they mature.
     
  7. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    RalleeMonkey and edcrocker repped this.
  8. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If GB can look at a 27yo Lovitz he can look at 28yo Morales. Morales is also in addition to being a good defender who is tough in the tackle also strong technically and a good passer of the ball off the dribble which GB says is important.

    [​IMG]

    great long ball off the dribble: https://streamja.com/32AE
     
    RalleeMonkey repped this.
  9. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Did you mean to say Cameron, or someone else? Besler has played his entire professional career with SKC.
     
  10. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I meant that for the recent Cupcake, GB didn't call players in FabJo's age range except Bradley. Bedoya, Besler, etc. Now, with Euro players available, I doubt we will see Morales, Cameron, Ream, and other near and over 30 players.

    Johnson and Berhalter were teammates in Germany, I hadn't known that. He might be the one older call up to cover LB while Robinson is hurt.
     
    tomásbernal repped this.
  11. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Again, we shouldn't be playing Lovitz either, so that is not a reason to play Morales.

    Just because Lovitz did get called and played, that was just a reflection of a total lack of players in the pool at LB. Morales doesn't play LB. I'd rather just give the minutes to a younger player with upside. Duane Holmes looked pretty good today in a tough derby. Adams came on and played a DM role and changed the game. Schalke looks absolutely lost without McKennie. These are the players we should be giving minutes too.
     
  12. KALM

    KALM Member+

    Oct 6, 2006
    Boston/Providence
    I forgot all about that. It seems they started regularly together in the backline for multiple seasons.

    I wonder if there's anyone else realistically still in the USMNT picture for anything other than a testimonial game who played alongside Berhalter in actual games.
     
  13. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    WTF this is blowing my mind... maybe because when FJ was first getting called to the national team in 2011 at the young* age of 24, Berhalter was already starting his coaching career with the Galaxy...

    Fabian Johnson
    Years Team Apps (Gls)
    2006–2009
    1860 Munich 90 (4)

    Gregg Berhalter
    Years Team Apps (Gls)
    2006–2009
    1860 Munich 73 (8)

    *considered so at the time
     
    Patrick167 repped this.
  14. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am not following your point.

    On a typical 23 man roster playing a modern 4-3-3 we need 4 CMs. In a typical 36 man core pool we need 6 or 7 CMs. Adams and McKennie are clearly the top 2 CMs in the pool. Morales should be in contention for slots 3 to 7.

    Who are the CMs with higher upside than Morales right now.
     
    btlove, yurch10 and DHC1 repped this.
  15. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    btlove, largegarlic and Winoman repped this.
  16. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Mendez, Ledezma, Holmes, Djorde, Durkin, Canouse, Servania, Amaya, Pomykal, Parks, K. Acosta, Roldan, Delgado, Davies. Maybe I'm stretching with half of those, but that still leaves more than enough for slots 3 to 7. I haven't even considered guys at the U19 level who could be ready by 2022.
     
  17. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    None of these guys have shown the ability to play at the B1 level. C’mon.
     
    RalleeMonkey repped this.
  18. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    I was asked upside. Do you really think Morales (or Bradley) will be on the squad in 2022? Then what is the point of giving them any minutes? Morales is more of a fringe Bund player and Holmes is looking like a fringe EPL player.

    Strange that the same guys arguing against 30 yo Bradley want 28 yo Morales.
     
    tomásbernal repped this.
  19. gunnerfan7

    gunnerfan7 Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Jul 22, 2012
    Santa Cruz, California
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Did you just poach Alphonso Davies?

    Mendez, Ledezma, Durkin, Servania, Amaya, and Pomykal are all 19 and younger, which to me indicates talents that are "at the U19 level" who could be ready by 2022.

    It's important to keep in mind that most players aren't going to reach Bundesliga-starter-status, and for the younger players, there are plenty of YNT callups to test their mettle within the US system.

    I don't think Morales is very good, but I haven't seen anything out of the DM's you've listed to suggest that he's going to be worse than them within 2-ish years.
     
    DHC1 repped this.
  20. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    It's more about realizing some kind of depth is needed, and if we're assuming adams/McKennie are starters, I don't think it's likely their backups are going to be 18 year Olds who play w youth teams.

    And in my case, it's also more of a "I realize Bradley will be in the squad, why are we choosing a MF that can't stop a Panamanian club side vs a Bundesliga starter?"
     
    DHC1 repped this.
  21. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    2022? Ask yourself who were the US players in France in 2018? Lets focus on 2019, WCQ group in 2020, and Hex in 2021.

    Your view of upside higher than Morales seems to be any youth player whose name you have heard. Holmes (an AM) could not make it in the Championship getting loaned to L1 and even L2 before working his way back . He is nowhere near fringe EPL . Parks could not get on the field at Benfica and may not get on the field at NYCFC.

    At a similar age to the players you listed Morales had more upside including starts in BuLi, that any of the players you mentioned including Canouse who was struggling in BL2 before coming to DCU where he was a better performing CM than Trapp and Bradley. Morales absolutely bossed the midfield as a #6 v Mexico U23 in 2012 and Herta refusing to release him for Olympic qualifying is a main reason that the US did not qualify.
     
    DHC1 repped this.
  22. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Sean Davies

    Adams is our best DM. Playing Morales or Bradley and moving Tyler to RB is just dumb. Greg might do it but it is still a mistake.

    If Adams is the DM, then there is no need for any of these old players. If you guys want Adams at RB, fine, play Morales. But for what point? To beat Ecuador in a friendly? This kind of thinking leaves us with an old player pool that nobody can break when qualifying starts because then it is too important to trust new guys.

    Adams and McKennie got a combined zero minutes in the Hex.
     
    Pegasus repped this.
  23. onefineesq

    onefineesq Member+

    Sep 16, 2003
    Laurel, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In fairness, the actual World Cup is more than 3 1/2 years away. In World Cup athletic terms for a player of Morales' age, that's significantly different than 2ish years away.
     
  24. Patrick167

    Patrick167 Member+

    Dortmund
    United States
    May 4, 2017
    Holmes is playing better than Morales right now. Why you think what someone did in 2013 or 2016 had any relevance is strange. Your own logic would lead to us starting Bradley. He was great in Serie A when Morales was just av YNT player.

    Why you think playing for results now is preferable to paying for 2022 (of course qualifying is included, duh) is also kind of strange. Who cares if we beat Ecuador in the weeks?

    Are you really advocating bringing Bradley and Morales to the GC instead of cap tying Mendez and Ledezma? Should we bring Zusi and leave Dest at home?

    It is a new cycle. Time to turn the page on players born before 1992.
     
  25. gunnerfan7

    gunnerfan7 Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Jul 22, 2012
    Santa Cruz, California
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm thinking WCQ Hex, not WC. Gotta do that first. With the WC, depending on injuries and form, who knows? But Morales will help the team moreso now and in the next couple years than most of the guys listed.
     
    DHC1 repped this.

Share This Page