05-24-2016, 04:41 PM
Teejers1's theory has been cited by both Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports, presumably based on speculation by USSF insiders, so it shouldn't be discounted. Klinsmann (and his right hand man Herzog) pushed to set up Morris at Werder Bremen so it's reasonable to think they may have been disappointed that Morris turned down the opportunity.
That said, it's clear that Klinsmann likes Morris a lot and has done a lot to push him forward. It's virtually unprecedented for a college player to be called into the senior national team (Morris was the first this century), and Klinsmann has always spoken highly of him. Klinsmann fancies himself a master psychologist, so he may simply be trying to motivate Morris. I am a brobdingnagian Morris fan and feel that the team would be well served by an infusion of youth, but he was fighting for the last spot on the 23-man squad, and lost out to a player who objectively has performed better this year, so this is not akin to Donovan being left out of the world cup team, which I always assumed to be payback for Donovan having taken a sabbatical during world cup qualifiers.
That said, it's clear that Klinsmann likes Morris a lot and has done a lot to push him forward. It's virtually unprecedented for a college player to be called into the senior national team (Morris was the first this century), and Klinsmann has always spoken highly of him. Klinsmann fancies himself a master psychologist, so he may simply be trying to motivate Morris. I am a brobdingnagian Morris fan and feel that the team would be well served by an infusion of youth, but he was fighting for the last spot on the 23-man squad, and lost out to a player who objectively has performed better this year, so this is not akin to Donovan being left out of the world cup team, which I always assumed to be payback for Donovan having taken a sabbatical during world cup qualifiers.