33 is when I've noticed even great midfielders slipping at FCD. Only fitness freaks (Daniel Hernandez) have been able to play a few years past that. Speed players often fade even before that unless they can re-tool their games. Big and tall players like center forwards and center defenders can last longer as strength doesn't fade as quickly as speed and endurance.
As arena said (when he was a good international coach), the World Cup is a young man’s game and FCD/MLS isn’t at that level. A growing consensus is that Morales is past his peak and we need to look for young alternatives and he just turned 30. bradley is older and currently a much worse CM.
If Robinson goes to the EPL and decides to hold out for England then 3G should be on the chopping block.
We can wish that Berhalter wasn't the coach but he's not getting fired unless we underperform in the early stages of qualifying. Therefore, we just have to hope that he improves dramatically and moves away from the three key issues that have been disastrous. Building the entire team around Trapp / Bradley / Yueill even though the first two aren't USMNT caliber and the last isn't a difference maker (if he even clears the USMNT caliber bar) Putting most of our actual difference makers in positions that magnify their weaknesses and mitigates their strengths. I'd note @KALM's great analysis of what type of system our difference makers play in (hint: it ain't Berhalter's). Keeping to an unofficial 67% MLS roster construction and forcing non-MLS players to rotate through one third of the spots (actually less as most of those are taken by our best players). it is not too late to make changes that can lead us to winning the Hex. I have serious reservations about Gregg but we are where we are.
Taking stock of things now that the Euro seasons are almost done and the first round of the MLS tournament is almost done... Locked in starters (6): --Pulisic: self-explanatory --Morris: continues to be in very good form. Doyle mentioned (prior to the 3rd Seattle game in the tournament) that Morris has 18 goals and 16 assists in his last 36 games for club and country. That's fantastic production for a winger. I'm open to the idea of moving him to forward, but there aren't any other wingers who are as good right now, so it's just shuffling the problem around (though maybe that changes if Weah and/or Llanez come out of the gate strong in the fall). --Adams: self-explanatory --McKennie: self-explanatory --Brooks: I know there are legitimate worries about his mobility and defensive lapses, but given the other options and his passing ability, he's locked in at CB for me. --Dest: self-explanatory Probable starters (2): --Steffen: I think he's clearly our most talented GK, but he's been injured for half a year and is reportedly going to Man City to sit on the bench. It's not horrible to be the backup at City, but there is some opening here for challengers to his position. --A. Robinson: I haven't watched him at all in the Championship, and he's been a mixed bag with the USMNT, so I'm a bit hesitant to make him a starter. A couple months ago, I was in favor of starting Dest at LB and one of Cannon or Yedlin at RB. However, Cannon (through no fault of his own) hasn't played in four months and might not play again this year if he doesn't get a Euro move, and Yedlin is seemingly out of favor at Newcastle. So, now I think I'd put Dest at RB and roll the dice with Robinson at LB. Positions with no clear answer(3): FW: In theory, I still think a fit Altidore is the best forward we have, but a fit Altidore might only exist in theory at this point and can't be counted on as a regular starting option. I do think that Sargent looked a bit better after the re-start, but still wasn't very productive and wasn't effective in his one start in a real game against a likely WCQ opponent. Zardes looks sharp in the MLS tournament and has proven to be effective against non-Mexico CONCACAF teams, but we know he has a pretty low ceiling. I'm hoping Sargent takes another step forward in the fall and claims the role. AM: A couple months ago, I was advocating for Lletget. The Galaxy, though, are a dumpster fire, and while I don't think he's the main issue, he's not making things better either. Pomykal didn't get a chance to make his case, and Aaronson's resume is still pretty thin. I love Reyna's long-term potential, but I didn't think he looked that great when given a couple starts at the end of the season. Like with Sargent, I'm hoping Reyna takes another step forward in the fall and puts this beyond doubt. RCB: I had a slight preference for Miazga here, but it seems like he's been benched after his red card and subsequent suspension, and his club future is again up in the air when this season ends. I like M. Robinson and Long as faster complements to Brooks, but like LAG, Atlanta and RBNY look pretty bad right now, and while those guys aren't the main problems, it's tough to look good in those situations. I guess my hope here is that Richards gets a good loan move and can get some serious minutes in the Bundesliga in the fall.
Long is now the veteran on the NYRB back line and you would think the leader. The team had big problems versus Columbus in that the back line was too timid and not staying in contact with the midfield. Not something talked about a lot, but very important. Add in that Long has made bad decisions and ball watched, and I don't know how you start him anymore on the USMNT. EPB might be the most in form, if not CCV. Here is what I think of the strikers: https://chasingacup.com/the-differences-are-striking/
So, in order to beat out a player who is average at best in MLS, Reyna has to do what for BVB? Why does Reyna have to "look great" at a higher level to deserve to start over a plebeian (and aging) alternative? To me this is very different from Sargent vs. Jozy and Zardes (which I agree with).
Good analysis. I guess I'm an outlier, I just don't get excited about Morris. He's a great teammate and he works his butt off but I expect more quality than I've seen from Morris from an auto-starter. Cosses fingers hoping Weah stays healthy because he's 10x the potential of Morris in my eyes. I will also admit to thinking Lichaj should be in the starting or potentially starting group. Guy plays with attitude and leads in the backline which we sorely need.
Morris just keeps on producing.... both for the USMNT and his club. What he did the other night only makes him more solidified as a starter in my eyes. Speed/Strength combo is legit and his ability to cross from the left-side is leaps and bounds better than it used to be. Weah may have a lot of talent but the guy literally never plays. MLS level has really grown in my eyes over the past season... I think it is relatively on par with the English Championship (ECL) now... Perhaps a few better teams in the ECL but top to bottom... pretty close. I am also thinking this LAFC Team might have a chance to be promoted to the EPL if they played in the ECL.
If Weah turns out 2X as good as Morris then I think everybody will be happy. But I think you are sorely in need of an eye examination if you think Weah has the potential to be 10X what Morris is. Ok I get you are just making a point but Morris is way more valuable that you are seeing. Way more.
Plus he's just that gritty workhorse that works in CONCACAF. We don't need to play Spain tiki-taka to beat local teams. We don't need the highest skill level. Even our B team has more skill than most of our opponents. We need his workrate, his speed, his power. The fact he hasn't really slowed down in 1.5 years is impressive. Would still like to see him move to Europe, but can't argue with his development in MLS over the last 2-3 years. Edit - and to go a step further, I don't even think that initial "Stay in MLS" decision he made, that many of us probably poo-pooed, can be questioned at this point. He's one of our top 5-7 players, and pretty much a guaranteed starter 3-4 years into his career. Sure, he might have even been better in the BL at this point, but i'm sure there's also a real good chance he could have stagnated/been stuck in the reserves/had to move back to MLS at some point too. Good for him.
I'm in hyperbole mode. Weah's upside is higher, that's all. He's got more skill on the ball now, than Morris. And can run too.
Weah doesn't have exceptional ball skills. He is fairly behind Morris and I doubt that his ceiling is higher period, nothing so far shows that.
The only thing I have seen so far that might give Weah a higher ceiling is his last name. Cause on the field he hasn't shown it. Yet anyway.
I think Morris has produced and you have to reward production. So yeah, right now, I'd start him. He's aggressive, has a nice combination of size and speed and makes things happen. Skill wise, he's still a bit one-footed although getting better. In my heart of hearts I do think that Weah will take his spot eventually if he ever gets a healthy run of form. Then again, one of them may well move to the 9. We're pretty weak there and Weah has played centrally quite a lot already.
Tim Weah. The man has torn a hamstring 3 times. The Morris comparisons are naff. Can Weah actually stay healthy? Does he want to be stuck on planes for 4-6 hours to fly to WCQers?
Disagree. Morris has gotten better in Concacaf. Weah plays up. And I haven't seen skill from Morris that matches Weah's highlites. I always know when I'm talking with an MLS fan btw. Morris has a solid workrate and I want him on the 23. But this in regards to autostarter. And I'm not there.
To be fair, Weah hasn't really played much at a level above MLS and he's now torn his hammie 3x. I'm hopeful but I have my doubts.
Weah has a pretty strong skillset, but the last I saw him play, he was still very inconsistent with it. He'll pull off some amazing things, but he also will fail to finish an open opportunity or will hit a poor pass, etc. I've seen him display amazing first touch and also knock it around. But he's not unskilled. And his upside is tremendous, given his combination of athleticism and the upper range of his skillset. That said, even when he was healthy, he wasn't consistently outplaying Morris. Morris has both improved and brings an edge and toughness that our squad lacks as well, and he's been one of our most consistent players. Weah is better in the build up, but Morris has gotten much better in the firm attack and in the box. I don't believe that anyone is an automatic starter, but Morris has earned more benefit of the doubt of anyone this side of Pulisic in terms of US performance. So while I don't think of him as "core" in the sense of Pulisic-McKennie-Adams-Dest given some of the weaknesses of his game, I also think he's firmly in a place where people should have to prove their are better to get his PT. If Weah comes in and has one marginally better camp, I'd make sure to play him, but I'd need to see more before supplanting Morris. And I had Weah in my first Best XI on this thread. (And of course, there's Reyna now to contend with as well). Either way, the attacking talent is exciting. Like Morris, Weah could also swing to striker, so there's an option there as well.
I watched every minute of Weah half-season with Celtic and he looked quite mediocre, a guy who didn't do anything but wait for the pass in the area. Celtic at that point was completely dominating the league, so all he had to do was push the ball in. He only started a few times because he did nothing to help the team as a whole, and the three goals he scored were against terrible defenses (well, it's Scotland, so truth is beyond Celtic and Rangers everything is weak, but these were 2 goals against St. Mirren, a relegation candidate that season, and St. Johnstone, a lower-half of the table club). So when he moved to Lille the fans were utterly unenthusiastic and called him "fiston" --meaning that he had been in PSG only because of his dad's investment in the big club. Fiston is a French composite word, from fils (son) and piston (someone given preferential treatment due to nepotism/friendship).
What "MLS fan" even means? I've, probably, seen way more non MLS games than you ever will. Post Weah highlights full of skills if you have any. Weah is a good finisher, strong and fast. That's it.
I agree with most of what you say. I just get stuck at autostarter for something so far off when I see players with more potential that are at least starting to show that they have it. Morris is ahead of Weah or any other wingers not named Pulisic as of July 2020. My belief is that he will get passed before the WC and if not I sure hope he keeps improving because he has made big strides in 2 years to my eyes. I'm no Morris hater and don't cringe at all when he plays for the US, but he still leaves me wanting more. For the record I do rate performances with the USMNT but not friendlies so much. Or against the lower level teams.
To me it's a soccer fan who rates the play in MLS higher than I do. Not a big deal. I watch a ton of MLS and all I can say it's not very pleasing to watch compared to bigger leagues. I watch to try and find up and coming American players so maybe that's why I'm not a fan. I'm not near any teams so I can't get attached either, there's that. In person games make it easy to become a fan.