They both look like medium-to-longshots at this point. Though anything is possible, Rongen hasn't called in McLaughlin in more than a year; Morales did just get a look with the team, but the defense is nevertheless crowded with players who appear to be ahead of him.
I thought Morales was a defender, but it seems the U.S. lists him as a midfielder. Guess I had that wrong. Yes, McLaughlin is a forward. In any case, the midfield is crowded too (and just got more crowded with the addition of Diskerud) and McLaughlin still hasn't been looked since the U20s went to Portugal in April 2008. But ultimately, I don't know what's in Rongen's mind. Anything's possible.
Let's hear the rumblings. Personally if Germany has to call in a guy on the U20 team for a relegation bound club, they're in more trouble than I thought.
U20 is a team that only has friendly games in 2010, so it's not unusual that players are called up who aren't yet playing in the Bundesliga. This team however is quite extreme, because every U20 player who already plays in the Bundesliga (Contento/Bayern, Gündogan/Nuremberg, Yalcin/Cologne, Jung/Frankfurt, Vukcevic/Hoffenheim etc etc) and is normally nominated didn't get a callup this time. The new coach wants to test other players, I guess.
Curious to see how this one goes. Does Germany get the answer that the U.S. typically gets with dual nationals? "I'd rather concentrate on my club commitments at the moment." Or does he jump at the chance. And should it tell him anything that he isn't being called with what would be the expected first team players?
The game is broadcast live on German sports television and there are usually lots of club scouts there, so it _is_ a chance in case he wants to present himself. But if his heart is with the US, I don't see any reason why he should suddenly play for a German U20 team which only plays in friendlies and where those play that aren't good enough for the U21.
Hertha is a bit of a sinking ship at the moment, so maybe he just wants to put himself in the shop window. It's not a binding cap either way.
Morales is a 90 and as such is too old for the current US U20 team. The only US YNT he is age-eligible for is the U23 team and we haven't had a camp for that group yet and likely won't till we get closer to 2012. But because UEFA has tournaments that are on a differnet calendar than FIFA's - U21, U19 - they can offer tournaments to similarly-aged kid that we can't this year. I wouldn't worry about this too much till he is called into a camp for a qualifer. And even then, since YNT games don't cap-tie dual citizens, he can always change his mind later if things don't work out with Germany.
I don't think this means much at all. It's not like we didn't give him a chance to make our U-20 team. Actually, DMN, how many camps was Morales called in(I know you have a count somewhere...)?
Let's also remember that European countries don't care that much about U-20s. They regard the European U-21 championship (which is really more like a U-23 tourney) much more highly. Morales has been playing regularly in the back line of Hertha's U-23 team but he hasn't gotten any first team time yet. Morales' thought process is probably "why not?" After all, we didn't take him to the U20 WC and he was born in Germany after all. Of course, the simple odds say that Morales is very unlikely ever to be good enough to play for Germany. He'll enter US "talent range" long before he enters the picture for Germany, if he continues to improve. I wouldn't worry about it.
Especially since it doesn't cap-tie him. If he was my kid, I'd tell him to do it..............and I'm 100% USMNT. Why not? Put yourself in the shop window.............
Morales is not on the team list anymore, as well as the other player who has played for another nation before. They have either realised that they invited players who play for another national team or the players don't want to.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RBgvTsyj0s"]YouTube- Alfredo Morales´s goal against Turkiyem Sport from Berlin (May 2010).wmv[/ame] http://www.herthabsc.de/index.php?id=413&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=7009&cHash=09bf40602f
Time will tell though ???? From 32 (U-23) games Alfredo has played 24 with 2 more to go, and many of them He has played very succesfully. According to many sources: this season He has improved a lot as an all arounder (MF,FB) and the chances to play in the 1st. team next season look good. We just have to wait and see if He decide to stay by HERTHA BSC ??????
I am pretty sure that if He is invited He will consider the offer, He said before that it will a honor to represent the USA ????