Negotiations to make Jordan Morris the most expensive rookie in MLS history may be happening, but the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team forward will be heading to Germany to train this weekend.
According to Sports Illustrated, Morris will travel to Germany and train with Bundesliga side Werder Bremen after he attends the MAC Hermann Trophy award presentation on Friday. He will reportedly also join the U.S. Men’s National Team camp on Jan. 20.
(UPDATED: Werder went on to confirm Morris’ training stint, with general manager Thomas Eichin stating that, “It’s a good opportunity to meet a player closer to us. Nothing more, nothing less.”)
A report on Monday revealed that Morris had opted to turn pro, forgoing his senior season with Stanford, and that he was in advanced negotiations to sign a Homegrown deal with the Seattle Sounders.
U.S. forward Aron Johannsson, who is recovering from a surgery he had in October, currently plies his trade with Werder Bremen.
Morris is one of three finalists in the running for the Hermann award, which is the highest individual intercollegiate award. Creighton forward Fabian Herbers and recent New York Red Bulls Homegrown signing Brandon Allen will compete with Morris for this year’s award.
What do you think of this development? Where should Morris decide to go if he’s offered a deal by Werder Bremen?
Share your thoughts below.
uh… if WB is asking him to play there… and the coach is telling him that he will be the starting forward the second half this year… then how is this a decision? I mean, lets leave aside our (commenters) desire for a top flight national team… how does a 21 year old, who is obviously ridiculously talented, but admittedly raw, not gamble on himself and shoot for the stars? Screw the national team… that should be the last thing on his mind. 1. Family (are they on board) 2. Opportunity (no better chance for fame and glory than Europe). 3. belief in self (does he think he can do it). 4. dollars (who is paying more). 5. will I lose out on national team minutes because of this?
peace out.
According to wikipedia, Jordan’s coach would be Viktor Skrypnyk. I’m not familiar with him but whoever he is, he’s no Sigi Schmid. There is no one that develops top draft picks like he does. And I hear he’s working on some new drills the Sounders will be using during spring training camp. Morris would be a fool not to go.
i really hope that is sarcasm. Otherwise you see nothing wrong with slamming somebody’s ability even though you know nothing about them? Not slamming Sigi, but not going to rate him above a guy I know nothing about. 19- 23 is critical for footballers.They need to find the right environment where they can grow/develop, are entrusted to take risks and play (that means be at least be a regular sub) at the highest level of play.
If he goes to Werder Bremen his coach will be some guy named Viktor Skrypnyk. I haven’t heard of him but one thing’s for sure, he’s no Sigi Schmid. No one is better at developing top draft picks. I even hear he’s worked on some new drills for spring training. Morris better be there if he wants to perfect his game.
Talking money.. if Morris were offered a contract by WB, how would it compare to what the Sounders are offering.. What is a ballpark guess here?
I don’t know the specifics, but I remember reading a couple years back an interview with Junior Flores’ dad, in which he said MLS teams were beating down the door, but none could come close to what Dortmund was offering for their reserve squad. Now, that was a couple years back, and Flores wasn’t getting any ‘home grown’ advantages because he never played for an MLS academy team (played for McLean Soccer through his stint with US U-17s and then signed the delayed contract with Dortmund), but still think it might be pretty telling. My guess is the MLS teams were offering something under $150k for starters and Dortmund probably near seven figures in U.S. dollars.
In other news, local German basketball talent Jan Muller gets a tryout with the Dallas Mavericks. He opts instead to play for the Bonn Telekom Baskets.
In other news, Eurosnob troll “John” posted the same unfunny comment on multiple SBI articles today.
Maybe Bob Bradley can get Le Harve into the French first division and then provide an opportunity for players like Morris. Wouldn’t that be nice.
That’d be excellant. Ligue 1 is a bit lower in quality to the Bundesliga, but like Germany, it does a good job of blending the physical, technical, and tactical aspects of the game. American’s just underrate it because of the dominance of PSG, but its actually pretty equal league in parity. The fact that Lille, OM, OL, and Bordeaux (traditionally strong teams) are mid-to lower table right now makes it pretty interesting.
Is Germany better at developing players? Without a freaking doubt! But…. the vast majority of the development process that makes Europe superior to the US happens long before 20 years of age. The mere fact that it does is what makes it so much more effective! That ship has sailed- this is a different decision for Morris. … he is at the age where it is critical to be getting lots of time in competitive matches. So as is often the case- the question is more complex than simply “Europe v US”. It has everything to do with context- the situation/coach/patience/style of play/roster depth/opportunity in each situation. A superior league doesn’t always make the better choice……. we’ve ALL seen that backfire in big way. None of us is informed to REALLY know all the ins and outs. Seems he and his family and agent are taking every measure to make an informed choice. In the end, hard work and talent and a bit of luck will be needed.
And boom…You get it and explained it a hell of a lot better than I ever could.
Yeah and how many youth prodigies have gone into the MLS to find their careers stall due to coaches who only care about winning next week and have little incentive to develop them? Players with actual technical skill who never adjust to the rough and tumble route one style of MLS?
Players still develop in their 20’s. Jordan is 21, that is a make or break age for a player. He needs to be trying to break into a top European league at this point. Waiting until 23 or 24 is too old for an attacking player. There are hardly any that play in low-tier leagues at that age and end up becoming quality players.
In Europe he will play with better teammates. His coaches will be much better. He will play in a style of play that is conducive to youth development, one that regularly produces quality (and even world class) players. Yes, there are players who don’t make it in Europe, but that is the case for any league. The difference is the top European leagues have the best track record of developing players. Yes, it is true that some have come out of the MLS and have turned into good players. But that is in spite of that system, not because of it. The sooner he goes to Europe, the better his odds are of becoming a good player. Of course he needs to play, but spending some time on the bench trying to break into a good team isn’t always a bad thing, and he can always go on loan to the 2. Bundesliga.
You pretty much ignored my entire post.
Almost all the 1st division and most 2nd divisions in Europe are better than MLS. Most teams in Europe develop players better than MLS teams. MLS just isn’t there yet in terms of competition and talent. MLS does however offer players a environment to get lots of playing time, but it seems like the marquee homegrown players hit a wall after a couple years in the league (Trapp, Gil, Kitchen, Hamid, etc). I don’t think MLS is good for Morris because he already has the tools you need to succeed in the league (speed, physicality, good understanding of the game). He needs to be playing somewhere where he is forced to develop a better tactical understanding, and technical ability.
My only concern is how much playing time will he get at WB, and how will this impact his development? For example…
Here’s a non-american… Martin Odegaard. The kid is a real talent, and arguably more of a talent than Morris (he is). He went from regular playing time (as a “pro”) in an inferior league, to not playing with Real Madrid in La Liga. He’s been with RM’s B team this year and has scored ONE goal in 27 games. Is there anyone who thinks his move helped him?
Here’s an american… Julian Green. Sure he’s being developed at Bayern, but he hasn’t seen the pitch in like 2 years for anyone other than the reserves. He couldn’t get off the bench with Hamburg last season, and if you watched any of the U23 games he looks lost and without confidence. I don’t think anyone expects him to make a USMNT roster for competitive games at this point, and its pretty obvious he isn’t “developing”
JK wants players “competing at the highest level” but if you don’t play with your club team then you aren’t getting called up.
I think Morris needs to play in a better league than MLS in order to develop the technical part of his game. Hopefully a 2.bundesliga team watches his training sessions and offers him a contract because I don’t see anyone being able to make the jump from amateur college athlete to top flight german football without hurting his development in someway. Since Morris is already 21 so he needs to move on if he wants to maximize his potential and help the USMNT.
“Almost all the 1st division and most 2nd divisions in Europe are better than MLS.” Huh? If you’re talking about the the top 10 or so leagues in Europe, and maybe the second divisions of the top 4-5 leagues, then sure. But the Swiss second division, for example, is not better than MLS. Sure, we all want MLS to improve but the standard now is not nearly as low as you’re suggesting.
You are right Slow, but lets be fair he wasn’t talking about Switzerland when he made that statement. I think we all know he meant England, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Certainly some of the top divisions in other countries as well, but you are right not the second divisions.
I have thought for a long time that the Dutch league would be a good place for him. It’s an offensive minded league land has a number of good players from around the world. It has proven to be a nursery for many good strikers–Suarez and Bony recently, Van Nestleroy Huntelaar earlier, to name a few. The pay is probably good, the competition keen, and if one does well, it is easy to move to England or Germany. Although it was good for Philadelphia, it was bad for the development of US players in Europe when Earnie Stewart left Alkmaar. I had hoped he would offer a contract to Morris and/or Zardes.
Problem with the Dutch league is for every Suarez/Van Nistelrooy/Hentelaar etc., there are about a dozen Altidores; guys who lit up the league, but failed to make the jump higher. Its a great place to nurture attack-minded players, but it can also give the false sense of talent.
Agreed, Gary. The Dutch and the German leagues are the two most offensive in Europe (most goals per game). They are the perfect place to develop as a striker because you get tons of practice (chances). Of course this means there will be plenty of mediocre strikers that score a lot of goals (especially in Holland) but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a great environment developmentally. And Mac, where would you have them play? A bottom-feeder EPL team where they might get one chance all game? An MLS team?
Soccerfan- Don’t get me wrong. I love the Eredivisie, and think its a great place to go to get the repetition in, develop killer instincts, etc. But the weak defenses are something you have to consider. Great place for some of our young attackers in Germany to consider going on loan to (couch…Green…cough).
Also, I want our young players, especially attackers, to stay as far away from the EPL as possible. There’s too much money involved in that league, hence too much pressure to succeed, and minimal room for error. One mistake can be costly (ex. Howard at Man United). Also, I don’t like the prioritization of playing conservative tactics, especially at the mid to lower table.
Slow, I think you can aim much higher. Forget about Swiss 2nd division! Is Swiss first division better than MLS? Greece (top to bottom)? Czech Republic? The only 2 second divisions that are better and arguably a little better than MLS, respectively, are England and Germany. There is no way Serie B is better with 300k maximum salary. I think that top-to-bottom MLS is getting close to Holland/Portugal and with the addition of $600k-800k players per team this year (assuming teams take advantage), we may just about get there in 1-2 years.
Of course, there will still be people like Rob who will say that ANY European league is MUCH better than MLS
Yeah, you are totally right.
Green started and played 62 minutes in the final Champions League group stage game, it was with a lot of back up guys but the starting 11 included guys are named Franc Ribery, Xabi Alonso, and Robert Lewandowski so still notable. Look at Bayern’s roster they don’t play many guys under 25 because they don’t have to.
And Odegaard is 17, I don’t think anyone really thought he’d be talking a spot from Ronaldo, Modric, Bale, James Rodriquez, or Toni Kroos. The Sequnda Division isn’t like playing Sounders II in the USL.
He does need to go somewhere he can play, Seattle would seem the best choice for that. He would only be able to play from Bremen II until he’s 23 as there is an age cap. Not sure if Bremen could sign him and loan him to Seattle, I’m sure MLS has some sort of mysterious secret yet not yet written rule that could allow.
All this talk of development has merit, but I’d rather see him get some actual playing time. The last thing we/he needs is to make the jump to Europe and ride the bench.
Just go where you’ll get playing time to start/showcase your career. That should be the objective.
He can ride the bench for a season as he transitions into the professional setting, and if it means he’s learning a better brand of soccer. But at his age, no more than that.
What kind of training, and how you apply it in a match, matters. Is he being trained to be another Vardy (very one-dimensional striker, capable of only playing counter-attack) or Lewandowski/Suarez (two of the most balanced striker in the world, capable of playing under different styles and systems)? I’d rather see him sit on the bench for a bit in Seattle, if he’s learning to play the latter, than to sign with Werder Bremen and become the former.
If he burned the USMNT defense enough to impress a German coach like Klinsmann and start for the National team while playing for a college team, he should be OK. Two American strikers training with each other, at a high level under coach viktor Skrypnyk in the Bundesliga and developing together could be a blessing in disguise for the USMNT.
A coach like Klinsmann? LMAO What kind of coach is that?
Regardless of JK’s coaching ability or lack thereof, are you seriously implying that one of the best strikers in the history of the game doesn’t have the ability to recognize a quality striker when he sees one?
I bet you also questioned why Klinsmann even called Morris up? or subbed him into the Mexico and Germany games? Come on, there’s plenty to criticize JK for, but give credit where credit is due.
If he get’s offered a contract then there’s no decision to be made. He’s behind in his development and we’ve all seen how much more beneficial Europe is compared with MLS. It’s up to him to decide if he wants to be a great player or just famous. My prediction is even if he’s offered one he’ll pick playing at home with his dad. Can’t blame him, he’s already famous and he’s getting big money before even proving he’s worth it. MLS is all about that.
Who says that Morris is behind in his development?? Where is there recent proof that Europe is more beneficial than MLS?? In the past that was absolutely the case but right now, as it stands, it’s highly debatable. Europe hasn’t exactly been kind to our players recently. I have no idea if Morris is behind the 8-ball or ahead of the curve in his development. We will see once he’s in a professional environment full-time. I don’t care if he plies his trade in MLS or abroad. I just want to see the kid play on a regular basis so we can fully assess his potential.
Morris is 20 and has never been a contracted “pro” player and all of the demands that comes with it – training, responsibility etc.. At this point in his career, given his talent (presumably) if he were a European (his competition at Bremen) he would be in his 3rd “pro” year.
3 years of training with pros, competing against pros both in training for a slot in the XI and weekly in competition.
He’s behind if we are comparing to the “gold standard”, essentially, the world. For a US player, he development level is standard for a US “pro”.
As you can see, for me, if you want to develop professionals, then college is a hinderance. The starting XI at Bremen is >>> than the starting XI at Stanford and Bundesliga >>>> Pac-12
Haven’t you seen him play? He’s still very raw
MMV- Rob’s statement is very hyperbolic, but come on… it’s pretty obvious that, generally, Europe is still far ahead of us in regards to player development. Sure, on a case by case basis, examples exist that MLS was a better environment.
As to whether or not Europe has been kind or not, lets be real. All of our most recent exports were EXTREMELY over-valued by us. Shea, at LW, was not an EPL caliber player, even at a Pulis-era Stoke team that over-prioritized physically impressive players over technical ones. Actually, our entire 2012 Olympic qualifying squad are not nearly talented as we thought they were. The only one to get a raw deal was Agudelo, and that had more to do with permit issues than getting the shaft by a manager.
As to Morris, he’s behind. There’s no denying it. At 21 years old, Morris has yet to play a professional game. To compare, Eden Hazard had 194 caps at 21 years old. Now I realize I am comparing him to an extraordinary talent, so how about a fellow USMNTer, John Brooks, who had about 60 first team caps and WC experience by 21.
Hell, Luis Gil got 140 caps by age 21. Whether or not you think he’s a bust or misused, you cannot deny that Luis Gil is quite possibly one of the most professionally experienced Americans ever, who is hitting his rough patch at a young age; instead of 25-28 like most Americans, when they should be hitting their prime.
“Europe”
lol, ok dude
the “big money” in MLS is going to be less than whatever he would have made at “Europe”
You seem to know Jordan Morris personally based off all the projections of personality, desires, etc., in that paragraph.
Please tell me how “we’ve all seen how much more beneficial Europe is compared with MLS”. Every time a roster of U20 or U17 team comes out, only 30-40% of players are from MLS and 50% are from Europe. And this has been the case for a very long time. However, if you look at the senior team, most of the players are always the ones who started their career in MLS – Dempsey, Howard, Bradley, Cameron, Altidore, Beckerman, Beasley, Besler, Yedlin, Zardes, Ream. There are very few, if any, of those who moved to Europe at 15 or 17.
I recently looked at the list of 29 Americans who played in EPL over the last 12 years. 23 of them started their career in MLS!!! All those great prospects that some of salivate over (because they are in Europe, Europe, Europe at 17) – Pelozi, Giau, Green, Gatt…. – most of them didn’t do anything as of yet.
Based on what I have seen so far, I am convinced that US-born players are better off to start their career in MLS, move to Europe when they are 25 or so and then come back when they are around 30 and still have a few good years left (that of course is optional). This just gives them best odds, obviously there are specific situations with different circumstances and results.
By far, a bigger percentage of American players in Europe make it to the National Team. Just about every German-American growing up in Germany is good enough to represent the US despite being an almost negligible percentage of the player pool.
You make it sound as if we’ve been wining world cups with the way we do things. Bradley, Howard, Dempsey ….started their careers in MLS and how far did that get us?
Rob,
“Just about every German-American growing up in Germany is good enough to represent the US despite being an almost negligible percentage of the player pool” is a VERY hyperbolic (and ignorant) statement. I speak as someone who lived in the Cologne area and knew someone who played for a time in the Nuremberg youth system for a bit (and is half American). While he was good, and have could made my college/ university team, he would not have been a star or anything special. You have to realize that a VERY small percentage of players become pros.
1. Rosters of youth national squads should never be analyzed to much, and actually hold very little water to the projection of future senior talent. Otherwise Mexico and Nigeria would be powerhouses.
2. You’re comparing entire careers of MLS-first players, many of whom are either retired or close to it (ignoring the fact that probably 27 of 29 started out in college, and thereby limiting their options to the safer MLS Draft or risk roaming Europe on trial), to the careers of players who are either starting out (Green), or had delays due to long-term injuries (Pelosi, Gyau, Gatt).
Hell, none of those outfield players (which I would imagine limits the list to about 24) you looked at achieved anything of note either; none of them won any trophies or competitions. In fact, if you expand the search (not sure why you narrowed it down to EPL only), the only Americans to win any major trophies in good leagues are John O’brien winning the Eredivisie and Jovan Kirovski technically winning the CL with BVB. Where’d they get there start? At Ajax and Man United.
3. Some solid talent you just named (Although younger Howard and Dempsey, and a pre-WC Bradley are the only ones with real quality), and yet not a single world-class or global-star that would play for a powerhouse club (except for in-prime Howard), or even a top-10 nation.
Its nothing to be ashamed off. MLS is playing catch up, and gaining quickly, to clubs that have had decades to perfect their method.
Ultimately, starting a career in Europe or South America vs MLS (not sure why people ignore this continents ability to create great players) is like going Stanford (to stay on the Morris topic) vs another public university; it doesn’t actually guarantee you more success, but it does more likely than not set you up better and provides a better foundation for that success.
Yeah, playing in Europe did wonder for Jozy and Freddy Adu
Didn’t Adu turn down an opportunity at AC Milan’s academy to play first-team soccer in MLS? Hmmm…maybe he should’ve left?
As for Jozy, let me turn the question around: How much worse would he be if his weaknesses weren’t exposed in Spain, Turkey, and England? Or if he wasn’t allowed to improve and work on said weaknesses in Holland?
I would say playing in the EPL for a crap team like Sunderland hurt Jozy’s confidence. His development (like touch) was hurt by not laying in a better environment at a younger age. When Jozy was playing with confidence at AZ, he looked good with interlinking play and scoring. He could have played at a higher level, not just EPL. I said it before France where you have more time and interlinking play would have been nice.
No down side here, the training and level of quality he’ll see will be beneficial. You have to think, if this goes well and JM is offered a contract, he will have a ridiculously tough decision to make and one that will change entire trajectory of his career. Good Luck son!!
Good to see that he’s on their radar!
I think it’s a good decision to train with them and see how he matches up. If it goes good and he thinks he can get mins why not sign.
Good for him to get a taste of Europe, see what the competition is like before deciding on MLS
Idk, this may be more than just training. Werder is really hurting in the ST department.