USMNT: 5 Players who should test themselves in Europe

3. Jordan Morris

Jordan Morris burst onto the scene back in 2015 by scoring a goal against Mexico in his USMNT debut. At the time, Morris was a sophomore at Stanford and only 20 years old. The future looked bright. Flash forward a few years later and Morris hasn’t been the player we all expected. Some of this can be attributed to injuries, but even when healthy, Morris didn’t receive a lot of playing time during qualifying.

After his time at Stanford in 2016, Morris turned down an offer from Werder Bremen in Germany who play in the country’s top division. Morris opted to play for the Seattle Sounders, his hometown team.

Perhaps playing time was what Morris wanted. And who could fault him?

Dylan Hernandes of the LA Times said,

"“In a top-tier league such as the Bundesliga, few players are guaranteed spots in the lineup, or even on the bench. Rosters are stacked, turning almost every training session into a competition. The environment could strengthen a player’s mental fortitude, provided he can stand the pressure.”"

It appears the decision to bypass Europe has hurt Morris recently though. Bobby Wood of Hamburg in Germany has been getting the nod and of course Jozy Altidore, who has had some success in Europe.

Morris is only 23 years old so he has room to grow. However, there are emerging players to keep an eye on that could supplant Morris. 17-year-old Josh Sargent just signed with Werder Bremen and it will be interesting to see how he develops as a player. Sargent scored four goals and provided an assist at the most recent U-20 World Cup. The pressure is on Jmo Smooth!