Aidan Morris

[footballfreak]

38 minutes ago, FreddyCanuck said:

That was absolutely a factor and I think he still deserved a few minutes at the end of the Morocco game at least, but I can see him being a bit slow in possession and off the ball at that level being a reason for him not coming on.

I don’t disagree, but when I look at the subs I don’t see whose spot he takes.

60’ - Cavallini for Larin 

60’ - Hutchinson for Kaye

60’ - Kone for Adekugbe 

65’ - Laryea for Osorio

76’ - Wotherspoon for Hoilett

Atiba is the likeliest candidate to sit in favour of Piette, and he very nearly scored the tying goal. Ultimately the allure of a first World Cup point was just too much to ignore.

Edited May 20, 2023 by footballfreak

[Jack1997]

Morris would easily become our 4th best midfielder and likely start games where you need a more defensive player instead of Osorio. Anybody who think Kaye or Hutchinson are on this guys level is crazy Piette and Choinere are quality but not as good as Morris.

[devioustrevor]

Piette is now more a guy to bring on in the last 20 minutes to be a destroyer in midfield to hold onto a lead.  

 

Piette is a MFing bulldog that would run through a brick wall to win a game, but I think we have enough positive talent in midfield that Sammy is a role player going forward.

[VinceA]

We can all surmise why or why not playing Piette at the WC would have worked or not worked.

Ultimately though whatever we did do got us 3-0'd at the big dance, so there's that fun fact.

Personally? Herdman should have played a midfield trio when it was painfully obvious Eustaquio and Hutch weren't fit and perhaps at some point Piette could have seen the pitch.

[costarg]

21 hours ago, footballfreak said:

I would argue it had more to do with the unfortunate game/tournament states we found ourselves in. Piette is the perfect player to kill a game and help secure a result, but not well suited for a game that needs a goal.

Game 1: The team was set up well, but didn’t take advantage of the chances created. Piette was never going to start, but would have come on had we not been trailing.

Game 2: There’s some argument to be had for starting him here, but we were in a position where we realistically needed to win to progress. If we had gotten to half/60 mins up 1-0, Piette comes on, but it never got to that point. Even when it went 3-1 there was no choice but to go for it offensively. By 4-1 it was the 94th minute and we had used all our subs.

Game  3: Morocco is a counterattacking team. Piette is not going to help break them down. You can make an argument for starting him here based on how much he’s given to the program over the years, but as pure tactical decision adding him doesn’t do much to blunt Morocco’s wing play. The 2-1 goal probably sealed any chance of Piette seeing the field. Hutchinson/Kone was the right sub for the moment and almost gave us the tying goal.

It really, really sucks that Piette didn’t see the field. He deserved to. But I don’t know that I would have done it any differently than Herdman did under the circumstances. Sometimes it’s no one’s fault.

You can't have 11 players that suit "needing a goal", it's about the balance.  Having a defensive specialist in there helps the offensive specialists focus on their game and get results.  Every Pirlo needs a Gattuso.

[trc2014]

 

some good info on the Morris situation here.

[VinceA]

58 minutes ago, trc2014 said:

 

some good info on the Morris situation here.

The interesting part is the fact people in his circle would rather see him suit for Canada. I'm assuming that's his father and maybe his family as a whole, vs his representation where playing for the US is more high profile.

[trc2014]

12 minutes ago, VinceA said:

The interesting part is the fact people in his circle would rather see him suit for Canada. I'm assuming that's his father and maybe his family as a whole, vs his representation where playing for the US is more high profile.

I think it’s his agent telling him to take the guaranteed WC appearance vs. the potential to not even make the roster.

[footballfreak]

1 hour ago, costarg said:

You can't have 11 players that suit "needing a goal", it's about the balance.  Having a defensive specialist in there helps the offensive specialists focus on their game and get results.  Every Pirlo needs a Gattuso.

I generally agree with the point you’re making about balance, but I don’t think it really applies in the case of Piette/Canada.

Firstly, Piette is not Gattuso. Gattuso was a very capable passer who had the ability to contribute to the attack when necessary. Piette is much more limited.

Second, we don’t really have offensive specialists in our central midfield group. We have a spectrum from less technical to more technical, but even the likes of Junior and Osorio are capable defenders. It’s not as though we’re playing with a trequarista when Piette isn’t on the field.

—

I’ve struggled to think of a situation in those three games that screamed for a destroyer 6, and I just don’t see it. Not as a starter. Not as a sub.

Maybe there is an outside case to be made for him starting the Croatia game, but even then I would rather have seen us in a 5-3-2/3-5-2 with Staq or Atiba as the deepest laying man in the trio.

The biggest case against a Piette start is it would be a major departure from how the team played all through qualifying. He started exactly once in the Ocho - the 0-0 draw in Jamaica. He was fine, but not worth restructuring the whole starting lineup to accommodate him.

To give you an idea of how rigid Piette’s role is: he went through the entire Ocho without being on the field for a single one of Canada’s 23 goals. He’s just not a guy you play at the international level when you want things to happen offensively.

Anyways, sorry for the thread derail. That’s the last I’ll say about it.

[CanadaFan123]

2 hours ago, trc2014 said:

I think it’s his agent telling him to take the guaranteed WC appearance vs. the potential to not even make the roster.

It probably stretches beyond that even. With Canada he’s probably guaranteed 2-3 World cups. With our current core (still growing too) and the expanded format we’re pretty well a lock. 

[phresh]

5 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

It probably stretches beyond that even. With Canada he’s probably guaranteed 2-3 World cups. With our current core (still growing too) and the expanded format we’re pretty well a lock. 

This is a wild take. Think you may be underestimating the amount of roster turnover in national teams

[footballfreak]

21 minutes ago, phresh said:

This is a wild take. Think you may be underestimating the amount of roster turnover in national teams

Not that wild. He’ll be 24 in 2026, and 28 in 2030. His floor appears to be as one of the better 6s in MLS. Even with the rosiest development projections, it’s hard to envisage enough talent coming through the pipeline to bump someone of that calibre out of the squad entirely. 
 

“2-3 guaranteed World Cups” is perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but it’s not an unreasonable expectation from Morris’s perspective.

 

[FreddyCanuck]

4 hours ago, footballfreak said:

Not that wild. He’ll be 24 in 2026, and 28 in 2030. His floor appears to be as one of the better 6s in MLS. Even with the rosiest development projections, it’s hard to envisage enough talent coming through the pipeline to bump someone of that calibre out of the squad entirely. 
 

“2-3 guaranteed World Cups” is perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but it’s not an unreasonable expectation from Morris’s perspective.

 

Players like Morris usually make up the spine of a national team over the course of multiple cycles. At 21 and with this trajectory, he can be a key player for the next two cycles. 

[phresh]

4 hours ago, footballfreak said:

Not that wild. He’ll be 24 in 2026, and 28 in 2030. His floor appears to be as one of the better 6s in MLS. Even with the rosiest development projections, it’s hard to envisage enough talent coming through the pipeline to bump someone of that calibre out of the squad entirely. 
 

“2-3 guaranteed World Cups” is perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but it’s not an unreasonable expectation from Morris’s perspective.

 

Yea, I think wild was an over exaggeration 

[Dominic94]

I know he plays in Columbus and maybe isn’t watched much but like idea he won’t be around for 2-3 cycles would mean we produce some 3-4 Eustaquio’s in that time. Morris is a top midfielder in MLS at 21… he will get a euro move and does have a high ceiling. The kid is like a year younger than Kone and has more pro experience. It not only possible the he ends up better than Kone, but it is possible he’s better now. 

This would be such a huge get and it would really solidify the midfield for the foreseeable future.

all due respect to Kaye and Piette, but the would be 4-5 right now in the middle.

[gigi riva]

I am not going to worry about this guy until he decides on who He wants to represent . 

[An Observer]

8 hours ago, VinceA said:

The interesting part is the fact people in his circle would rather see him suit for Canada. I'm assuming that's his father and maybe his family as a whole, vs his representation where playing for the US is more high profile.

Maybe his Dad is named Ivan?

[Shway]

22 minutes ago, gigi riva said:

I am not going to worry about this guy until he decides on who He wants to represent . 

This. Tired of the hoopla.

[TGAA_Star]

18 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

It probably stretches beyond that even. With Canada he’s probably guaranteed 2-3 World cups. With our current core (still growing too) and the expanded format we’re pretty well a lock. 

Exactly with it being a 48 team World Cup from now on, Canada 🇨🇦 we are pretty much guaranteed to be at future World Cups going forward just like the USA 🇺🇸 and Mexico 🇲🇽 who have been mainstays at World Cups, we are guaranteed to be starting from 2026 and beyond. But with that in mind, Aidan Morris playing for Canada would be the better option than playing for that of the USA where he would not even be a guarantee to make their squad. With us, he is guaranteed.

[gator]

24 minutes ago, TGAA_Star said:

Exactly with it being a 48 team World Cup from now on, Canada 🇨🇦 we are pretty much guaranteed to be at future World Cups going forward just like the USA 🇺🇸 and Mexico 🇲🇽 who have been mainstays at World Cups, we are guaranteed to be starting from 2026 and beyond. But with that in mind, Aidan Morris playing for Canada would be the better option than playing for that of the USA where he would not even be a guarantee to make their squad. With us, he is guaranteed.

There is no guarantee and although the US probably has a bit more depth in mf than us it isn't drastic and we have players emerging, didn't we finish ahead of them in WC qualifying?

[frmr]

2 minutes ago, gator said:

There is no guarantee and although the US probably has a bit more depth in mf than us it isn't drastic and we have players emerging, didn't we finish ahead of them in WC qualifying?

I think the USMNT has a fair bit more depth at midfield than us, so Morris certainly has a better chance of seeing more playing time with us than them. How much more is debatable. Bolded sentence is completely irrelevant however.

[Floortom]

5 minutes ago, gator said:

There is no guarantee and although the US probably has a bit more depth in mf than us it isn't drastic and we have players emerging, didn't we finish ahead of them in WC qualifying?

"a bit more" is really understating it. There is a huge depth difference.  They have 4 guys in top 5 leagues (Adams, Musah, mckennie, De La torre). They also have two handful of guys playing at a similar level / quality as Morris.

We have 1 guys in top 5 leagues quality (Eustaquio isnt technically in top 5 league but is of that quality) with a handful - at most - of guys at a similar level (Kone, Oso,....)

 

[TGAA_Star]

25 minutes ago, Floortom said:

"a bit more" is really understating it. There is a huge depth difference.  They have 4 guys in top 5 leagues (Adams, Musah, mckennie, De La torre). They also have two handful of guys playing at a similar level / quality as Morris.

We have 1 guys in top 5 leagues quality (Eustaquio isnt technically in top 5 league but is of that quality) with a handful - at most - of guys at a similar level (Kone, Oso,....)

 

Exactly the point he would be better suited switching to Canada

[gator]

26 minutes ago, Floortom said:

"a bit more" is really understating it. There is a huge depth difference.  They have 4 guys in top 5 leagues (Adams, Musah, mckennie, De La torre). They also have two handful of guys playing at a similar level / quality as Morris.

We have 1 guys in top 5 leagues quality (Eustaquio isnt technically in top 5 league but is of that quality) with a handful - at most - of guys at a similar level (Kone, Oso,....)

 

How did we ever take 4 of 6 points against this formidable midfield?😀 I do agree they have more to choose from at the present time but I am confident our depth will strengthen with more opportunities for young players!

[Dominic94]

Two members of the Columbus Crew have come into focus for their links to Canada’s men’s national team.

First, midfielder Aidan Morris: the talented and athletic 21-year-old was a recent surprise inclusion in Canada’s preliminary roster for June’s Nations League Finals. Morris’s father is Canadian, making him eligible.

The Athletic understands from sources who were briefed on the matter but were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly that Morris was targeted by Canada as far back as their pre-World Cup friendly against Bahrain in November. They were close to getting him to commit to the program then, but passport issues hampered the process. Having played for United States youth teams, the American-born Morris then opted to make his senior international debut for the United States in a January friendly against Serbia.

This is a challenge Canada continually faces when recruiting dual nationals: other countries often have more developed youth national teams set-ups and training camps.

It remains to be seen where Morris lands, but Canada has made it clear it values him and his potential. The federation has presented him with an outlook of where he fits in the program long-term. There’s plenty of turnover expected in Canada’s midfield soon: Atiba Hutchinson will likely retire from international play this season and only Stephen Eustaquio, Ismael Kone and Jonthan Osorio have genuine claims on spots in the central midfield. Morris would be a boon to the program and could be able to start logging minutes in serious competition immediately.

– Joshua Kloke

 

some interesting tidbits here from the athletic and kloke.