Jordan Morris just finished winning the College Cup with Stanford and is a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the award given to the nation's top college soccer player.
He has reached the pinnacle of college soccer, leading many outside observers to predict that the 21-year-old is ready to leave the collegiate ranks and sign a professional contract. Count US national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann among them.
"He has to decide what is his next step. His next step obviously has to be becoming a professional," said Klinsmann. "It’s not an easy decision for him."
Morris spent a season with the Seattle Sounders Academy and is eligible to sign a Homegrown contract with his hometown club. Last month, Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey said that the Sounders have offered Morris the most lucrative Homegrown player deal in league history.
But Morris will also have to weigh offers from overseas, with ESPN's Taylor Twellman saying on a College Cup telecast over the weekend that the youngster has an offer from a Bundesliga club .
For Klinsmann, it's clear what the most important factor should be in his decision.
"From our standpoint, it’s very, very important that he chooses an environment where he gets to play," Klinsmann said in comments provided by US Soccer. "He needs to play in order to be in a good position to be a continuous part of the national team program, and also the Olympic team that will hopefully qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro at the end of March."
Morris has registered seven caps for USMNT so far in college, scoring one goal. Wherever he does end up, it's sure to draw interest from US fans, and most notably, the team's head coach.
