After suffering a hamstring strain in the Seattle Sounders’ recent playoff win, Jordan Morris will not join the U.S. Men’s National Team for two crucial World Cup qualifiers.
U.S. Soccer announced on Tuesday that Alan Gordon has replaced Jordan Morris in USMNT camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica. Gordon has earned two prior caps with the USMNT and is set to arrive on Columbus on Tuesday to join the team for camp.
Gordon recently started in Sunday’s playoff clash with the Colorado Rapids, one which saw the Galaxy elminated in penalty kicks thanks to the heroics of USMNT starter Tim Howard. Gordon finished the regular season with three goals in 22 appearances, just seven of which were starts.
With the change, the USMNT has four forwards listed on the current roster: Gordon, Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson and Bobby Wood.
The U.S. takes on Mexico on Friday night to open the Hexagonal phase of World Cup qualifying. Following the clash in Columbus, the team travels to Costa Rica for Tuesday’s match against Los Ticos.
Gordon? really? stupid choice
Like…if we can turn bookings off & have him go out there & injure a Mexico player…this makes sense.
Is Gordon good enough for this selection? No.
Somehow though he will make a play. Like Beto said, a functional group that gets the job done. That is Gordon to a “T”
first reaction: LOL
but ya – we are not building an all-star team here rather a functional group that gets a job done. even if he is just a member of the practice squad or the make things ugly at the end of the Costa Rica game role..
I am actually more pro-Gordon than many here because Gordon knows what his job is, and he does it. Keep in mind Klinsmann is going to a 4-3-3 that plays with a target man – must play with a target man, really – who needs to be an outlet with which the USMNT can relieve pressure, and if we ain’t got Jozy we got…well, bupkis right now. So I could actually see Gordon making the 23…and even seeing the field if Jozy tweaks another hammy, as is his wont. You wanna give creative types like Pulisic and Green room to rumble around underneath? Then stick Gordon in up top and let him do the dirty work, and free the kids up to juke and jive and do what they do. Heck, we’ve even seen Kevin Bacon…err, Johanssen get all footloose and fancy free (and Holy Crap am I dating myself) with the niftyness if he’s got some room on the ball, and again, having Big Shambling Hairy Thing running around up top banging on people does open up a lot of space. Heck, if Giovanni Dos Santos had his way, he’d be trying to draft Gordon for the Mexican team, because Gordo really does that much for Giovanni’s career.
Probably not my choice/approach, but it does make at least soooooome tactical sense.He is not a like for like spare part, but a late game in the box specialist. Set pieces, long balls and crosses…. type of player that gives Mexico fits. Hopefully we have no need to resort to that kind of tactic… that he cheers from the end of the bench.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sodSb_v4VyE
While I understand this argument…I HATE the idea of Gordon seeing the field. If late game heroics are needed from an aerial threat stick Gonzalez on the front line and fling in crosses….similar to how Gooch was used when he was in Italy.
Mullins, Grella and Aguedelo were all much more productive than Gordon.
Gordon fills a very specific role, though. And Klinsmann knows what he is getting. I get it.
On the bench on the bench my friend.
GOONIES NEVER DIE
There’s no way he can possibly make the gameday roster for either of these games, right?
Julian Green may not be listed as a forward, but that’s where he’s been playing when he plays for Bayern. So Gordon could actually be the fifth forward in camp.
Ugghhhh!