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Jordan Morris or Chris Wondolowski? That's the decision United States national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann says he faced when putting together the Nats' 23-man roster for Copa America Centenario. Unsurprisingly, it sparked a heated debate on Monday's ExtraTime Radio (listen above at 27:13).
Now it's time for Simon Borg, Arielle Castillo, Ben Couch, Nick Rosano and David Gass to make their case. Wondo or Morris? ...
Did Klinsmann get it right with Wondo? Should Morris be there this summer? Give your take and discuss in the comment section!
BORG: Wondo in form, but Morris the future
You would probably have expected the same coach who gave appearances to Jordan Morris the college kid and took Julian Green — Julian Green!!!! — to a World Cup over US legend Landon Donovan to take Morris over Chris Wondolowski.
Is Wondolowski more deserving of a spot in this specific moment based on form? Yes. But now we decide to go on merit? Wondolowski is going to be 35 and a half by the time the 2018 World Cup rolls around. The 21-year-old Morris would obviously have had plenty more to gain.
CASTILLO: Experience trumps, but where is new blood?
If it truly comes down to Wondo vs. JMoSmooth, in a huge tournament where experience matters, Wondo’s probably the better choice. He’s obviously (much) older, but his current run of form with the Quakes shows he’s indeed “hungry for goals,” as Klinsmann put it. But Morris’ omission from the roster also illustrates an overall problem with the entire squad. It’s missing the next generation of players who need experience in a big tournament, and that’s an equally big problem.
COUCH: Morris may benefit by staying home
Nobody thought Morris would be a starter – Jurgen went all-in on vets based off that preliminary 40 – but Jozy going down sure made it seem a high-energy, up-and-down sub could find some late magic in the final third. Not to mention the young Sounders star would stand to gain some of that big-stage experience Klinsmann is always touting.
Then again, maybe a month of being "the man" for the Sounders is best for Jordan Morris’ eventual impact on the international side. If the goals keep coming at CenturyLink in 2016 and beyond, it’ll be the right call. We shall see.
ROSANO: Jurgen made the right choice
I wouldn’t have been upset to see Morris on the roster, but Klinsmann made the right choice here. If we’re looking at what the players on the roster can do, Bobby Wood can fulfill many of the same duties as Morris with his strength, speed, finishing and ability to play out wide and boasts more experience. And that’s without getting into the fact that Gyasi Zardes is also listed as a forward.
It’s also easy to look at Morris as the fresh choice vs. Wondo as a re-tread, but for a major tournament, consider Klinsmann’s desire for a lead-by-example forward with 31 caps and 10 goals for the USMNT and a sterling record in MLS. You should be able to see why he made the choice, especially with Jozy Altidore now sidelined.
GASS: Morris gives you more in present, future
This is a debate between a known quantity (Wondo) and what remains an international unknown (Morris). We know what Wondolowski can do with the US. Yes, he can score goals in CONCACAF (nine of 10 have come against Guatemala, Cuba, Belize and a Korean B-team), but we all remember Brazil. Wondo is an amazing locker-room presence, athlete and MLS finisher, but I’d rather have the guy who can change games and put pressure on CONMEBOL's best off the bench. Against the best teams in the world, give me Morris’ strength, speed and youth. Those are attributes you could see at World Cups in 2018, 2022 and maybe even 2026.
