Despite Monday’s report out of Germany claiming U.S. Men’s National Team forward Jordan Morris would imminently be joining Werder Bremen, the plans for the former Stanford Cardinal have changed.
According to Werder Bremen’s official website, Morris will not sign with the Bundesliga side and has claimed that his future is in America.
“The player has made it clear after intensive discussions that he currently sees his future in America,” said Bremen general manager Thomas Eichin. “This decision, we respect, of course. We are in a situation where we need players who identify with Werder and the way here completely and can fully focus on the task.”
Eichin goes on to say that while Morris has decided to not sign now, the Bundesliga side will remain in touch with him and consider a future offer.
The 21-year old attacker has been offered a record Homegrown contract by the Seattle Sounders in MLS.
What do you think of this development? Is MLS the right fit for Morris?
Share your thoughts below.
More money? Werder
Better level of play? Werder
Better coaching and systems? Werder
Better atmosphere and history? Werder
Better grass? Werder
Hey, at least he’ll live close to his family though. We don’t want players on the USNT that want to live far from home. Soccer isn’t all that important.
More money? Werder (if he makes the 1st team, but probably the deciding factor)
Better level of play? Werder (if he plays for the 1st team which was probably not on the table)
Better coaching and systems? Werder (if he makes the 1st team)
Better atmosphere and history? Werder (atmosphere, seriously? a Werder team in the 2div Bund next year? History I will give you)
Better grass? Werder
If you assume he was being offered a 1st team contract, he would get more money to sit on the bench.
If you assume he was being offered JV(2nd team or u23), it would be less money at a lower playing level
Morris might be on the bench in Seattle. He has to compete with Dempsey, Martins, and Valdez.
Spending a half season or even a season on the bench for a Bundesliga team is not the end of the world. He would be training with elite players and coaches (simply on a different level than the Sounders). After that, he would probably go on loan to a 2. Bundesliga team, which is probably a better place to develop than an MLS team (Gyau and Wood are better than any MLS attackers I’ve seen in recent years, excluding Dempsey of course). He will at least learn the German style of play. A year later he would be ready for the Bundesliga. Worst possible scenario is Werder gets rid of him and he goes to another Bundesliga team. Either way he’d already be in Europe and would be very close to playing in one of the elite leagues.
Now he is stuck in the MLS (who won’t let go of him without a huge transfer fee) until at least after Russia 2018. By that point he’ll be 24, at which point attackers don’t have much developing left to do.
I will enjoy seeing him develop under Deuce’s hotheaded tutelage as his team regularly gets their asses handed to them by the Timbers.
I think its a bad move because he is 23.
I think college seniors should not be allowed to sign homegrown contracts. They belong in the draft.
He’s 21.
he is a college senior and 21 yrs old.
I am not sure that playing (or likely waiting on the bench hoping to play) for a team that has a very good chance of relegation, or a coaching change or both is a better choice than playing in MLS for one of the better teams with a stable coaching situation. Predicting the future is such tricky business!
Assuming MLS’ offer was greater than Bremen’s..disappointed because Bremen looked like a great opportunity and I didn’t think Jordan would be one to make a decision based on money over everything else. Or Jordan just wants to stay home..
Even if they put him on the U23 team or kept him around on their bundesliga2 team next year I would say that would be a greater short term career advancement than starting on Seattle. But the other direction is not bad.
Glad that MLS is investing our USMNT players, now I hope they get serious about replicating or providing a better footballing environment here compared to the established alternative in uefa. If not they need to acknowledge that they are holding our nation’s team back in the short term for the benefit of their business and their belief that this will benefit the nation in the long term..
Ives called it in his SBI Q&A session a few days ago.
I remembered that, too: “My tea leaves tell me the proposition is much better than 50/50 that he [Morris] signs with Seattle. I’m sure I’ll be writing about the topic soon, but I’d just say I don’t see it being as close as a coin flip.”
True, he did say that but this site also reported Morris to Bremen as basically a done deal yesterday.
Ives did not say that, though.
Not only is Werder Bremen in a relegation battle, but their second team is in a relegation battle in Bundesliga THREE. If Bremen said “we’ll pay you more than Seattle, but we’re sending you to our 2nd tier team down in 3. Liga,” Jordan would be wise to leave.
I wonder how much the reported offer amount from Seattle impacted his negotiations with Bremen. They knew they didn’t have to offer too much above that offer. I wonder if that offer wasn’t public if this would have turned out differently.
If I were Jordan Morris I would think twice about signing with Seattle. Seattle’s field is turf. It is hard on the knees. Also, the MLS schedule is very hard on a person who has to watch health issues. I hope he does well, and I am rooting for him wherever he plays.
Well, at least his father is the Sounders team physician. so he should get close medical attention.
Isn’t Seattle supposed to be getting new turf this season? Am I wrong about that?
I think if he plays for Seattle and has rookie of the year type year it will only open up more doors for him and Seattle then might sell him and make some money.
Playing in Bundesliga or Playing in MLS.
Being trained by Viktor Skrypnyk or being trained by Sigi Schmid
Developing around the likes of Clemens Fritz , Levin Öztunali , Florian Grillitsch, Philipp Bargfrede, Claudio Pizarro and Anthony Ujah or developing around the likes of Dempsey, Obafemi Martins, Osvaldo Alonso, and Erik Friberg .
Testing your abilities week in week out against Jérome Boateng, Juan Bernat, Mats Hummels or Sokratis Papastathopoulos, or tesing your abilities against Matt Hedges, Matt Besler, Matt Miazga and Clarence Goodson.
I guess Morris knows something we all don’t
When it comes to his development, I think the biggest difference is who he plays against, not who he practices with. The vast majority of MLS DP money has gone for attackers. While MLS is getting better in the front, I think they still have a long way to go in the quality of defending.
Let him stay in MLS for the year. Tear it up and sign with a bigger club next offseason.
There’s no guarantee an offer would be there. Take for instance Cyle Larin. In his rookie year at the age of 20 and scoring 17 goals has led to little to no interest from any European club from everything I can find online.
I don’t see Morris scoring more than 17 goals his rookie year, so, if Jordan signs with MLS he might as well plan on seeing out his contract. MLS hasn’t exactly displayed an excitement to sell young American products when the first offers come along. They normally drag their feet for a couple years before pulling the trigger.
The MLS will ask at least 10 million for someone they view as such a big asset. This was a massive coup for them and they’re not letting him go. He’ll be in the MLS at least until 2018, and by that point, he’ll be too old to develop much more (attacking players don’t make big leaps after 24).
If MLS can pay 6 mil to Altidore Then they can pay Jordan (the future of the league) lots of money to sign. If he can scores 10 goals right out of the gate than he gets more. If he can be the next LD, Garber will give him anything he wants! This league desperately needs a US success story. Jordan Maoris can make lots of money in this league.
I don’t have a problem with this move, as long as he keeps developing and goes to Europe within a few years and is ready. Fresh out of college, and needing to grow into the professional game. Taking steps is an important way to develop. And very importantly, it’s not about joining MLS or going to Europe. It’s about what is best for the PLAYER. I think it’s clear he will play at Seattle, and he will be learning from the likes of Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, two players who have played well at a top level. Morris needs to play, and Seattle will provide him with that opportunity. Seattle is also a very solid team.
That said, it’s no knock on MLS that going to Europe will make you a better player. MLS is NOT a bad league, but is by no means a top league in the world. It is a regular, solid domestic league, nothing special. In fact, any league outside of the top 4 or 5 cannot adequately compete with the top leagues, especially in terms of overall development and stimulation if you can find regular playing time. Again, that is not a knock on MLS. There’s a reason why top players in South American teams, for example, go to Europe. At the same time, it’s not a requirement to go to Europe right away. Every situation is different. For example, Shea should have stayed in MLS to continue developing (which Klinsmann encouraged), whereas Miazga is absolutely ready for Europe.
In an article the other day a young Irish youth international at Orlando City who came from the Norwich team rated MLS as being around the lower levels of the EPL or upper levels of the Championship. To that I would add that their best 11 is around that level. While it is getting better, team depth is still an issue with many MLS teams because of the low salary cap.
“Within a few years?”
Tell me, how many players stay in a second-tier league until 24 or 25 and end up becoming good players (not including keepers or defenders)? Players like Dempsey are extreme exceptions.
Other middleweight countries have world class players, but they always are in one of the top five European leagues by a very young age (or Argentina or Brazil).
Klinsmann must have spit out his morning coffee when he read about this. His most promising young striker turns down a chance to play in Germany in favor of a better opportunity to punish his knees and legs while playing billiard-table soccer in Cascadia.
I don’t think he did anything of the sort. JK has stated many times that for Morris, playing time is crucial. Whether that’s in MLS, Bundesliga, or wherever. Morris needs to be playing.
JK and Herzog simply think Morris is already at a Bundesliga level, and that he can get comparable playing time there.
That would be an exception to the “challenge yourself at the highest level” principle, wouldn’t it? If he’s ready for the Bundesliga, isn’t it a mistake to choose MLS — in their eyes, that is?
Except he’s already challenging himself by leaving Stanford to go professional. He’s taking his next step up. Now if Morris becomes an MLS-lifer and goes on to be rookie of the year, top-scorer, or whatever, then JK will be ripping his hair out.
When JK heard of Shea’s move to Stoke, he was against it, saying he wasn’t ready for EPL and that he wished Shea would have talked to him first; when Stuttgart were scouting Wood, he advised Wood against the jump up to first division (and bottom dwellers), instead pointing him to another 2.BL club. He appreciated Altidore trying EPL again, and understood that it might be too high for him. He loved Bradley for trying to make a strong Roma squad, pushing for a Serie A title and knockout stage CL; and when Bradley couldn’t cut it against the likes of De Rossi, Pjanic, and Strootman, JK understood the need to take step back. But a step back would’ve been Europa League, or a CL squad like PSV, not the 3-steps back of FC Toronto, who needed to spend like Real Madrid to finally make a playoff, and that’s what upset JK.
Again, everyone likes to paint JK with these broad strokes (he doesn’t help himself either) about general comments made by him. Yes, he wants his players challenging themselves, but realistic challenges that will be beneficial toward their own development and careers, which would translate to USMNT. What he doesn’t want is more Dempsey-types, staying at mid/lower level clubs/leagues; calling a 4th place top-scorer finish and a chip-over-Buffon-goal highlight as career-defining successes. Hell, the guy was a star in Confed ’09, played in a Europa League final in ’10, and followed it with an extremely successful WC’10. Why did he wait another 2 years before seeking a transfer to a club with more ambition? Why did he wait for JK to call him out saying “he hasn’t accomplished s*!t”?
as to dempsey… there were no offers.
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/fulham/58091/clint-dempsey-set-for-10m-liverpool-move.html
http://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/news/dempsey-transfer-rumours-denied.aspx
There were discussions during in December 2010-January 2011 winter transfer period between Fulham and at least Liverpool and Wolfsburg over acquiring Dempsey. Usually these discussions don’t lead anywhere if the transfer fee isn’t above the market value (i.e the clubs financial best interests), or if the player has indicated he isn’t interested in leaving (the player is happy).
Simply put, Dempsey was content at Fulham, a mid-table club, being somewhere around the top 10 scorer of EPL, and making the occasional European competition. He needed someone to reignite the fire in him. Its no coincidence that since JK called Dempsey out, he made that 4th place Footballer of the Year; demanded a transfer to a club like Tottenham where he held his own with the likes of Bale; and led the USMNT in the #10 role through its most successful period ever.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/clint-dempsey
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/fulham/58091/clint-dempsey-set-for-10m-liverpool-move.html
http://metro.co.uk/2010/07/05/clint-dempsey-touted-for-ac-milan-transfer-as-fulham-exodus-fears-grow-435879/
http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2010/12/10/2254250/fulhams-clint-dempsey-is-attracting-interest-but-not-from
Now obviously, those were all rumors, but the interest was very much there. Liverpool and Wolfsburg even opened discussions with Fulham. Before the discussions could progress, Dempsey made it very clear to Fulham he wasn’t interested in leaving.
Simply put, Dempsey was content being at a mid-table club, being somewhere around the top-10 on the scoring sheet, and occasionally playing Europa League.
When JK demanded more and reignited Dempsey’s fire, it led to his 4th place in Footballer of Year polls (I stand corrected from my OP; this achievement came after JK’s comment); a move to a Tottenham-level club (and held his own playing alongside the likes of Modric and Bale); captained and led the USMNT attack from the #10 role during its most successful period ever (2012-2013).
Coincidence?
Sounders were offering 200k+. I would guess Bremen didn’t match.
Also, this is a negotiation. It isn’t necessarily over, just your latest offer is over.
Dave, and something tells me that he has (or will) worked something into his contract with Seattle that permits an easier exit if bigger teams come calling.
Werder offered more money than the Sounders.
He didn’t want to leave Stanford, either. Soccer just isn’t a priority of his (money isn’t, I guess, either…although maybe he’s already thinking about his post-soccer career).
lol you guys act like his trial was with Barca or something. He’s going to start every game and get better in MLS, rather than fighting for minutes on a relegation-bound german team. Can’t wait to see him play in-person and make OUR league better.
“Relegation bound” team? sounds familiar. I would hate for Morris to suffer the same media/fan shaming that the other U.S. Striker endured while on are legation bound team…
First I would like to start by saying, I’m fine with him signing with MLS. Its a personal choice, and if he feels that is whats best for him, than ok.
But, the difference is Morris will be STARTING his professional career for a relegation team. Which means, he won’t be going from success to failure (a la Altidore).
Also, relegation won’t be the worst thing in the world for Morris. There are worse leagues to be playing your first whole professional season than the 2.Bundesliga. My guess is there was a clause in the offer that would see Morris’ salary be lowered in the event of relegation, which may have turned him off.
There is a big difference between the EPL and Bundesliga. Relegation-bound Bundesliga teams actually attack. Morris could easily go to the 2. Bundesliga on loan and then be in the Bundesliga a year later, with plenty of time to prepare for the WC.
Good business decision. Having your professional rights held by a team facing relegation isn’t a good way to begin a pro career if other decent options are available. Getting minutes and facing the pace of a pro game should be his focus for now. As was the case with Yedlin, the Sounders won’t stand in the way of a Euro move in a few years.
And the comment about the danger to his knees on the turf are ignorant. There are reasons to dislike the turf, but the Sounders have not had a high incidence of knee injuries on that surface.
Sounders won’t stand in the way when Morris is good and ready, but MLS will. MLS used Yedlin’s successful WC for a high-profile move to Tottenham, despite the club being a level too high for Yedlin, without a clear path to the first-team. It was a pure marketing ploy.
MLS will never allow Morris to progress like Luis Suarez, Nacional-> FC Gronigen-> Ajax-> Liverpool. They’ll hold out for the Ajax or even Liverpool offer; or refuse to sell and probably make an excuse about how it’d be better for Morris’ development to stay and compete for a title-contender, than to a middling-club, with no US-exposure.
You know for a fact that SSFC practice on turf every day? I doubt Dempsey, Obafemi, and Nelson Valdez practice on that stuff everyday. If they can’t train on that surface everyday, tell us why …
Yes, their primary practice facility is turf.
Nothing against the Seattle fan base, but if staying in MLS wish he would have gone to a team with REAL eff’ing grass. It’s a disgrace….that crap that Seattle fans put up with.
Yeah, so terrible. I guess that’s why only 45k+ show up every week.
You’ve made my point. Those 45k deserve better…as do the players. TFC fans didn’t put up with it…and the owners responded.
Seattle is an excellent team. Excellent fans. Excellent city. But don’t tell me the product on the field is not detrimentally affected by the turf. And don’t tell me the players and fans would much rather being playing on real grass…in the Emerald City.
The turf factor is hugely overrated. Also, they don’t have control of the field. They are a tenant in the Seahawks building. I guess your solution then is for them to spend hundreds of millions on a new stadium just to have grass? Doesn’t seem worth it.
Turf is not what it used to be… frankly, it probably doesn’t make much of a difference when the grass is perfect, and when the grass is crap… or is dirt… the new nike turf probably plays better… ACLs don’t get injured on it… now, he will be picking rubber pellets out of his ass for the next couple years… but turf is not horrid.
Soccer and golf are played on grass. You wouldn’t play tennis on concrete, would you?
I’m a Sounders fan and it’s a joke. We don’t need a stadium worth hundreds of millions. We just need to build stands for 40k around a grass field. Either that or remodel Safeco and share it with the Mariners.
So landon donovan was dubbed “landycakes” for choosing to play in mls over europe. What nickname will this moveearn morris?
Jordycakes?? Lol
To be fair, it is a very different MLS now than when LD stayed.
Air JordanScared Jordan?I used to be a stern critic of Klinsmann. Now I feel bad for the former Bundesliga great. It’s hard to coach those who are content with mediocrity.
Comment of the year right here.
Keep doing what you’re doing and you keep getting what you’re getting. If Europe is too hard for our best players don’t expect us to beat them in when it counts.
This should be so obvious that you needn’t say it. However, here you do need to say it. If US players can’t cut it in a top 5 European league, how can we ever beat a top European or South American team? We could pull off occasional upsets, but can’t consistently compete with teams filled with players who play in those leagues. It should be a no-brainer.
It’s not that it’s “too hard.” They just have another option that didn’t exist even ten years ago.
Slow,
It did exist 10 years ago, but the quality was a little worse. In ’02 and ’06 we had players playing and starting in the EPL, Eredivisie, Serie A (Keller), Bundesliga. I hate to say it, but you were right when you wrote several months back that Morris’s decision to return to Stanford to play soccer was an indication that he was not serious about pushing himself as a soccer player.
Right – and guys like Dempsey, Bradley, etc. would still be playing in Europe if they didn’t have the option of playing in MLS. MLS is much better than it was ten years ago and, remember, the DP rule didn’t exist back then so pretty much any European gig paid better. Now that’s not the case.
Slow,
You’re basically right on that issue. MLS has become an option for a certain players who would still have a viable option in a decent league in Europe. This is sorta related to by basic gripe with MLS. MLS’s initial focus should be to become the target league of the Americas (which is realistic) instead of being the best league in the world in 5 or 10 years (which is NOT realistic).
If the US does become the go to league in the Americas then no player would go to Europe except to a decent/good team in a top 5 league (for pay and quality/competition). Part of dong that: keep 2/3 DPs, raising the cap to $5 million for increased depth, which all but 5 teams spend above, using TAM for increased cap spending if it comes from sales of players acquired under 23 or qualified as homegrown because it gives incentive develop players other leagues want (give teams a greater percentage of the process if the player is homegrown), and give teams (not MLS) greater control of player movement.
I agree with the concept, certainly. That said…. Morris had ONE European offer that we know of. From a team on the verge of relegation. If he had multiple offers, I’d be a bit more suspicious of his motivation and such but…. it’s quite possible there’s more wrong w/ that option than we know. With his physical tools, put in a solid year in MLS and with the Nats and it is a fair bet there’ll be better offers to consider.
Slow:
the DP’s are much better, but your average MLS player isn’t that much better than the aver 10 years ago. It’s the same coaches, the same NCAA system. It’s not like the draft is producing better players than ten years ago (sure, it’s deeper, but the top picks aren’t any better).
Dempsey came to the MLS because he is in his 30’s. Bradley and Altidore came for the $$$ to the detriment of their soccer careers. Neither has recovered the form they had while playing in Europe.
It’s like choosing the D-League over the NBA. Who in their right mind who do such a thing when you have the opportunity to play in one of the top leagues of the sport?
Why didn’t Bremen just buy him and loan him back to SS for a year or until he’s ready? Now they
will have to pay more if they want to buy him in a few years. $500+k now or 2+ Million later…
No, it’s not like that. It may be slightly inaccurate, but for the most part if you were to put all D League and NBA player in one pool and rank them 1 though 1,000 by how good they are, the top half of them would be in the NBA (with perhaps a few exceptions). In other words, there is a clear hierarchy with no overlap. Clearly, Bundesliga is much better than MLS. However, do you really think that there are no MLS players who would be good enough for ANY team in Bundesliga? If so, you are way off! I think on Seattle alone you have 3-4 players who would be up to par in Bundesliga (not for Bayern or Borussia of course). So, your comparison is not very valid. The other way to look at it is that there are some players in the championship who choose that vs. an option in EPL (due to pay, playing time, etc., etc.).
OMG! MLS fans vs Eurosnobs. Cant wait until MLS is the greatest league in the world. oh wait, that’ll never happen…blah..blah..blah..Promotion/relegation…blah…blah..blah..
Landon Donovan had a fine career. Yedlin, Howard, Dempsey, Bradley, Altidore all started in MLS. Start here, move over or never move over, because maybe you like the quality of life where you’re going.. Just leave the kid alone, good on him, for doing what he wants to do
Except that 21 is not that young for an attacking player. He’s now locked into the MLS until Russia 2018, and by that point, he’ll be 24. How many world class players can you think of stayed in a second-tier league until the age of 24? (And don’t say Donovan, he developed in Germany.)
I said before the season when AJ transferred to Bremen that it was going to be a rough year for that club keeping the ball out of the back of their net and also producing goal scoring opportunities. If Morris had gone there and played there would be a lot of pressure on him to produce immediately-probably too steep a mental climb for him at this point. But let’s be clear-Mr. Larin set the the bar on what should be expected of a player as highly touted as this–I’d say for the hype anything less than 15 goals (provided he plays in 25 or more games) and Rookie of the Year consideration would be a disappointment–when you get paid the “highest HG contract” these expectations should be made.
Landon Donovan version 2.0. Shuns Germany for the comforts of his hometown.
If he plays 157 times for the USMNT and retires as its all-time leading scorer and best player then I would be perfectly happy with him being Landon Donvoan 2.0.
Exactly. Can’t believe people think that being compared to Donovan is a diss. If we happen to have 20 Donovan level players at various positions on the same USMNT team, we would be easily in consideration for a WC semi or more.
Yevgeniy, from the original statement it is ambiguous about being a compliment or a diss. Whatever the reader inflects is their doing…. Personally I initially saw it as a compliment…
While LD was probably the best US player ever, he wasn’t world class. He was good at a number of things, but his ball skills (like dribbling in tight spaces) were just average on the international level. He could have been better. He chose to settle for home and comfort (note he grew up in Southern California so he was rarely even very far from his hometown). For the US to progress we need WORLD CLASS players. They won’t be world class by playing only in MLS. Does anyone really doubt this? Neymar didn’t become world class until he moved to Barcelona. While he was in Brazil, there were always some doubts as to how well he would do in top competition and he became better by going to Barcelona.
It was both a compliment and a diss. He is an extraordinarily talented player, like Landon. But, he has turned down the opportunity to consistently challenge himself at the highest levels, like Landon.
I agree with many of the comments regarding Landon’s legacy within US Soccer. But, like Gary Page mentioned, we need players who desire to be world class and know the only true way to be world class is to challenge yourself at the highest level day-in and day-out.
Remember by the time LD was Morris’s age, he had already won the golden ball at the U-17 WC and been part of a world cup quarterfinalist so Morris still has a long way to go. We can nitpick about LD and his career choices but he’s the best player this country has ever produced by a lot and he was a very good player by any measure.
Let’s pump the brakes comparing him to the greatest American soccer player of all-time. Kid still has a lot of work ahead of him.
I think it is obvious that to compete you need world class players…but you have to balance that out with the hype we throw on these younger players wishing them to be something they are not or have not shown signs of being….Morris played at Stanford and won a collegiate national title which is a great accomplishment but in the greater soccer landscape doesn’t mean much. In this particular instance, a year in Seattle may be good for him…test yourself in a higher level with the added pressure of being “the guy” and see if he can handle it. Let the results of this test make the next debate.
Enjoy the turf.
RIP Morris’s Knees.
Neymar played in MLS
This reminds me of the similar path of a young Brazilian, I think his name was Neymar….
This could work in Morris’ favor
LOL Ridiculous. Neymar was in a league known for routinely producing world class talent. MLS? well…. not so much. If the trend holds Morris should be in the EPL helping his team fight relegation in a few years. The American Soccer Player Dream.
LOL Neymar?! They shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same paragraph.
Wow guys. I was jokingly comparing the decision to stay in domestic league until the player was ready to jump abroad. Relax. No one thinks Morris is Neymar… Lol
Also Neymar was 21 (i.e. Morris’s current age) when he moved to Barca. So…not a great comparison. The real problem is he wasted three years of key development time in NCAA soccer. If he’d been in MLS since he was 18 maybe he’d be ready for better club than Bremen today.
If he had been in MLS at 18, he would be on his 3rd team and closer to NASL/USL than Europe. VERY FEW teenage strikers in MLS get an extended run with their teams. Just doesn’t happen and for good reason.
Look at The Timber’s, “Jack Mac” … “He ranks second in MLS history in goals scored by the age 23 with 36” -Wikipedia. Actually the number is 38 goals according to MLS.com BUT here he is now on his 5th team in 6 years. He also has 6 helpers to go with his 38 goals. That averages out to 6 Goals and 1 assist a year but his career has had more bounce than an ounce.
I really hope this move works out for Jack as well as the impending move of Jordan but MLS is not kind to young strikers. He had better score and score often or it’s adios and declining value.
Morris is a better player than Jack. Frankly, if you think Morris can’t cut it in MLS then it’s a good thing he isn’t going to the Bundesliga and going up against Bayern Munich et al.
Wrong move. Should have stayed at Stanford.
The same people so excited about his decision to play in the MLS are the same people who complain about the lack of progress of the USMNT…..things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.
If Morris plays well and brings eyeballs to MLS and gets younger people to play soccer instead of football, then that’s probably better for the USMNT in the long run. That kind of settle, far reaching impact is probably beyond your comprehension. He can still go to Europe later as well. He’s 21
This is an old excuse, ata time when you couldn’t get any international soccer on TV without an expensive satellite package. Not true anymore. I can say the same thing about him playing in the Bundesliga. They’re on Fox Sports now, so kids can just as easily see him playing for WB as they can in Seattle.
21 is not that young for an attacking player.
Having Morris won’t make a big difference in MLS’ tiny TV viewership.
A successful USNT will grow the sport in this country more than anything, and that means having our players develop abroad.
Bremen are in a relegation battle and could well be in the 2.Bundesliga next season which would not be a step up from MLS. I don’t mind this move and I think he’ll move abroad in the not too distant future.
As long ass it’s not the EPL. Frankly, I hate seeing USMNT players going to EPL except defenders and goalkeepers.
Actually, it is a step from the MLS.
What MLS attacking players have looked as good as Wood or Gyau (excluding Dempsey, who spent years in Europe) recently?
And Werder probably won’t get relegated. If they do, Morris will likely be a part of them getting promoted. They’ve spent only one season in their 116 year history in the second division.
He certainly is closer to the Bundesliga in the 2. Bundesliga than in the MLS.
finally a usa star saying no to europe and embracing mls the chance to be a bona fide usa star and play in front of 40 k fans !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and reward an academy that helped produce him
That academy did not produce him. He spent 1 year (the year before Stanford) in the Seattle academy then 2 summers while he was at Stanford (and not playing for the USMNT). Seattle DID NOT develop Yedlin or Morris. They just scouted well and took 2 players that other systems developed. He spent more time playing and developing at Stanford than Seattle.
Lo siento Anthony Stanford did not,Eastside FC did.
http://www.eastsidefc.org/
Hey Jordan, you know how i can tell you are a douche?
How?
Pot meet kettle….. kettle pot.
Reading between the lines, the offer wasn’t good enough.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that is the case. No transfer fee, low cost, lots of young talent there, team on the fringe of relegation…. sure he and his reps had reward v risk well documented and needed assurances financially and for playing time to make the move. If Morris is as he appears- Europe will be there in 2 years and quite possibly a wider variety of offers/opportunities.
Werder offered him more money.
Maybe his decision was influenced by the fact that Werder recalled a young striker who was out on loan. Sounds like another head to beat out for playing time.
Hopefully the seattle deal is 3 years max….so he can get back to Europe sooner rather than later
“Werder Bremen: Jordan Morris signing a matter of ‘when, not if”
Lolz
Does not mean he won’t sign in the future. But yeah lol
Here’s the problem. “When” and “if” are the same words in German. They have no concept of finality.
When and if aren’t the same words in German… I live in Germany and know that as a fact.. Where did you learn German from? 🙂
Well, every player takes the path they think is best for them, but of all the young talent in America, why is this one eschewing a Bundesliga contract?
Super disappointing.
All the skills, but can’t be away from mom’s home cooking!
Unless he wasn’t garunteed playing time , going back to mls is a bad idea. I like mls I want it to be good, however you saw Christian pulisic get promoted to first team on Dortmund and fight through I’m sure he’s homesick too. At some point you need to challenge yourself outside your comfort zone. That’s what makes the best of the best
Pulisic’s dad is over there with him. He may even be coaching in Dortmund’s youth ranks.
Of course he wasn’t guaranteed playing time. Even if he was, Bremen is in a relegation battle. that they probably won’t win. Could have a new coach at any point in time and potential to be sent down. How do you guarantee any young player time in those circumstances? As much as I would like to see him starring the Bundesliga, I don’t think Bremen is the way to get that done.
I am going to stay on here all day just to read the whining!
Ignorance is bliss.
Ughhhhh, I guess choosing the MLS seems about right coming from a player that stayed too long in the armature ranks, he seems to be choosing the easiest path.
Armature: the rotating coil or coils of a dynamo or electric motor.
One of the more interesting auto-corrects I have seen.
Some people are just happy with mediocrity. He could still become the greatest American player ever.
LoL c’mon Rob. Yes… earning a Stanford degree and pro soccer career, national team appearances at 21 are sure signs of mediocrity. I wonder if you measure you own life with the same scrutiny you do others? There will likely be other opportunities for Morris as anyone who deals directly w/ the guy comes away impressed… whatever situation he steps in, he seems to succeed. All the details first hand- didn’t appear the right situation. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and wish him luck.
For those criticizing Morris for “accepting mediocrity”, what exactly were the terms of the deal offered by Werder???
“For those criticizing Morris for “accepting mediocrity”, what exactly were the terms of the deal offered by Werder???”
This is what I’m wondering, too. I’m really curious how the financial details compared (or if we’ll ever hear specifics).
I think their point isn’t about the $ but that he would develop better and faster in Germany vs. US. I understand where they are coming from. But I think there is no way of telling where is best for a player to develop. All depends on the individual. Look at Donovan. Struggle abroad (until Everton) and really developed here in MLS. Personally, I think if we as a country are going to make strides in the World Cup, I think the more US players abroad the better – as long as they are playing. Though I still think Dempsey and Bradley came home too early. But no one in Europe was ever going to pay them the 6 million per season that MLS is paying them. So you can’t blame them I guess…
Michael, if you think we are going to win a World Cup by sending all of our best talent to Europe, then you would be disregarding the fact that World Cup winners have strong domestic leagues, and that the way to succeed internationally is to have a strong domestic league, which is hard to do, if you are shipping your best players to Europe, for free no less!!!!
Wake the F up Michael!!!
Good for him, gotta do what is best for him and his family. Only he knows that. Maybe Werder Bremen helped him get a better deal with Seattle.
No way he’s getting paid like a DP.
why not?
American soccer player brushes off German club to play for his hometown side in Seattle
Seattle reinventing MLS
Oh yeah!
That made my Tuesday better, much, much better
+1
I know, right.
+1