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USMNT: Alfredo Morales deserves another chance

By Daniel Garza

DUESSELDORF, GERMANY - AUGUST 24 : Alfredo Morales of Fortuna Duesseldorf looks on during the Bundesliga match between Fortuna Duesseldorf and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Merkur Spiel-Arena on August 24, 2019 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
DUESSELDORF, GERMANY - AUGUST 24 : Alfredo Morales of Fortuna Duesseldorf looks on during the Bundesliga match between Fortuna Duesseldorf and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Merkur Spiel-Arena on August 24, 2019 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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Fortuna Düsseldorf player Alfredo Morales is getting an opportunity to play for the USMNT again as Gregg Berhalter added him to the roster for the upcoming friendlies. And given his recent performances, he deserves it.

It has been quite a while since Alfredo Morales represented the United States on an international level. The 29-year-old Fortuna Düsseldorf player last featured for the United States Men’s National Team in 2016.

Since then, he has not been on the radar of the U.S. coaching staffs that have come and gone over the last three years. However, that is now changing as Gregg Berhalter is giving Morales a look in the upcoming friendlies for the USMNT.

Morales has been a consistent player for Düsseldorf in the Bundesliga and it is certainly no surprise to see him back on the USMNT roster based on what he has done. Last season, he was a key part of the newly promoted club’s success in staying in the top flight of German football. Already this season he has played in Düsseldorf’s opening two matches which included a goal against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday two.

Fellow USMNT player Zack Steffen has joined Düsseldorf which will allow Morales to be on the radar of Berhalter and the U.S. coaching staff on a more frequent basis. This might be a key reason why Morales could get additional call-ups to the national team in the future.

Playing in the midfield, Morales has had to go up against some of the top offensive players in the world during his time in the Bundesliga. He’s no stranger to seeing high-quality players and having to compete for 90 minutes against top-level players.

This is one thing Berhalter will have to like about his resume. Morales brings a veteran presence and experience at going against highly talented clubs. The USMNT often finds themselves in the underdog position and Morales was accustomed to this all season last year as Düsseldorf was one of the surprisingly successful underdog clubs in the Bundesliga.

In the upcoming friendlies, Morales should get some playing time coming off of the bench for Berhalter. This should be a player the manager will not want to avoid playing as Morales seems to have real potential to getting back into the USMNT on a regular basis.

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He is one of the select few USMNT players to continuously get playing time in one of the top leagues in the world. Having Morales in the lineup seems like a no-brainer but he now needs to show what he can do on the international stage. One has to think his destiny with the team is in his own hands heading into the two friendlies.

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