With Ruidiaz away on ID, he stayed at Left Wing and Bruin played the #9. If Morris was really only playing LW because they spent money on a striker, you would expect him to play there when that high moneyed player was missing. He has not. If he is not a better #9 than Will Bruin, then Bruin should be in your 11 for Qatar. That is the evidence. Anything else is mind reading of Schmetzer and Lagerway. To me, when you buy a striker, it is because you don't have an option there already.
Where has Gregg said on record that he views him as a left wing? He's played the VAST majority of minutes under Berhalter as a RW. He obviously has no issue playing him at RW. Your original point is that he wouldn't play him at Striker because he views him as a LW ... but if he views him at LW and has played like 80%+ of minutes at RW, it sure seems like Berhalter is open to him playing positions that he doesn't consider his primary.
Actually, what you describe is what Zardes is undeniably the best at doing in the pool currently. If the role is to occupy CBs, create space, stretch the defense, and finish around the 6 yd box with your feet, that is Zardes. Zardes is a better and more willing defender. If that is the way Gregg wants to play, Zardes would be the first option.
Dude, you're going down terrible shock jock logic again. I have no idea if Morris is ideally best at LW, RW or striker. Or what Schmetzer thinks. But I do know that when someone is temporarily out, you generally don't move around star players to backfill their position temporarily when they are absolutely on a roll where they are. Personally, I think he's better on the wing in most systems, but he would be capable at quite a few things at striker. The idea that Morris can't play at striker is silly. The idea that Berhalter would never consider it doesn't make a ton of sense, either. The guy has clearly wanted to try and keep some consistency for players by position, and absolutely has clear requirements by position, but Pulisic has moved spots, Dest has played both sides, McKennie has played across the midfield, Adams was a RB and now seems CM. Berhalter may not like his skillset versus the other options at striker. Or perhaps he views RW weaker without Morris. But no one's so rigid as "he plays LW for Club therefore we can't play him there."
Morris has switched to playing cf at times, even since his move to the wing after his return from injury. But Will Bruin is a better cf than their backup wings are at their jobs. They're already force-fitting Roldan as a starter cuz of how weak their wings are. Zardes is making great weaving runs right now to manipulate the back line, but he's a considerably worse player than Morris at int'l level.
We're not at that point yet. As high as I am on him, it may be too early for Clark. He'd also have to beat out Ledezma, who I think breaks thru at PSV this season. And you need some degree of experience. What I trotted out may already be the youngest, greenest team in modern WC history. You have to work w/ what you got. There was a generation gap & academy revolution. But Lletget, Long, Zardes; these are reasonable complements.
His most recent appearance on the official US Soccer Podcast. I think he played him there and, now a year later, has decided he is a LW only. Gregg is much more conservative with this stuff than even fans are. For example, he never has put Lima at LB. Has almost always preferred a left footed LB who plays the position for his club.
Whatever. If he is such a good striker, why did Bruin start there? If he is, "so good at LW", that you don't want to move him from there....that is literally my point. Morris is best at LW. Berhalter said as much. He is not playing CF in Qatar.
Zardes is worse in what way? Certainly not scoring. If the job is to move off the ball and finish in the box, when has he failed to do that? Asking Zardes to play as a possession hub was dumb and a huge waste of a lot of 2019. But Morris couldn't do it either. I think Pulisic will be unavailable a lot over the next 10 years, plenty of opportunities for the backup LW. I do think the team will have to play different. Maybe Dest plays LB when Morris is in and RB when Pulisic is in. I'm not sure Berhalter is correct about Morris at RW either. Especially in front of Dest. That actually seems ideal to me.
About the only thing Zardes is better at is run savvy. He's an equal ball striker & aerially. Worse speed, passing/combining, touch, & ability to beat people 1 v. 1 w/ the ball. Zardes has only scored a couple more goals than Morris the last couple years, in spite of playing striker. Morris is practically lapping him in goals+assists for club & country. And Morris has been clutch, coming thru in crunch time for both, & winning everywhere. The last GC, w/out him being fully recovered from the knee injury, is about the only comp he didn't win. Had a more pivotal role in the previous GC win. I believe Gyasi was available for the end of WCQ but was deemed not good enough. I doubt the US gets DQ'ed if Morris is available. He's won much more in MLS. Better striker & winger.
This is the shock jock logic. If you are playing someone at LW all year for two years, and you intend to play him at LW in the playoffs, you don't move him to CF for a couple games absence of your CF. Or perhaps, Will Bruin at CF is better than your backup LW. I don't think Morris is a better CF than LW, personally, but I don't think not moving around the entire lineup is some smoking gun evidence of it. [/quote] The first statement does not require the second statement. Not everyone gets to play in their best position.
Morris played CF in his rookie season and did quite well. He won Rookie of the Year. I don't get the brain wave against playing him at CF with the National Team. It's futbol not the NFL: players can move positions. And he's more of a natural striker than he is a natural wide midfielder.
Yeah, I don't necessarily think he's best at CF, and I'm not sure he's our best CF, but he's played well at CF before, he has skillsets that fit CF, and it seems kind of weird that so many people are so opposed to even a trial there.
All I can say is that Bruin has no wheels but some CF skills. Not over the top or anything but he knows where to be, etc. If you put Morris there, and I think he'd grow into that spot really well if it was tabbed for him, you lose his wheels and work ethic on the edge. Coaches dilemma.
Agree, Seattle don't have another consistent threat on the wing. Jones is a speed guy. Roldan is a shuttler.
I would try him there. It depends on how many games and what importance before WCQ'ing. We might not have a all Pool camp until next June. It could be by then, there are better winger options at that spot than Morris. I think it more likely we see Morris at RW than at CF.
Regardless, does Berhalter play him there? Has he ever put a player who was predominantly a winger at CF? Has he put a midfielder at fullback? He moves McKennie around a lot, in central midfield. He has moved Pulisic around a bit, but never at CF. I get the sense that Gregg is very conservative with this stuff and if he has you pegged as a LW, to the point he says it in public, you are a LW.
Given the quality coming through at fullback, Dest in midfield would make more sense. Berhalter wanted to play Adams at rightback. He played Dest at leftback. He played Pulisic in central midfield. He played Tim Ream at left back. Morris actually had won Rookie of the Year for a season in which he played striker.
yeah, I think you try it and see what happens then you try with a cf like Zardes. But Berhalter likes his rangy CF types (Kamara, Kamara, Zardes) so we should expect to see Morris at left forward. Dest makes it interesting if we think of him as providing that width on the right with Lima as back up. Add Gio and Pulisic and we've got our 5 attackers.
I hope you're wrong about his inability to adjust and adapt to his talent but I suspect you're more right than wrong..because only the coaches roster selections and formations could possibly screw up this remarkable collection of young talent for a US squad.
Even though, you know, he's mostly played him as a RW. Do you think that Berhalter plays Morris at RW going forward?
After watching Jaes Cajuste play in his first Champions game I'm going to have to take it back. The kid is too raw, he reminds me of a bigger version of Gediom Zelamen. For the USA you want a more active 6, a bulldog of a player. Jaes, controls the ball well, has some moves but doesn't like to get in the opponent's face, he rather plays containment defense. If we want someone with those qualities then Parks would be a better player. If we want someone to be in an opponent's face when defending then Cappis is a better option for a backup 6.