AMSTERDAM – Ingolstadt midfield ace Alfredo Morales says his fast start to the season with the early 2.Bundesliga leaders has increased the confidence he brings when called to US national team camp.
Just back in Germany from a pair of USMNT sub shifts, the 24-year-old is getting ready for Sunday's league visit from fellow surprise package Heidenheim. After closing last season strong to finish away from the relegation fray in 10th place, Ingolstadt have opened the new term by going unbeaten in the first 10 matches with only six goals against.
The fact that Ingolstadt is the town where the monster is fictionally created in the book "Frankenstein" has suddenly become appropriate. According to Morales, the club were zapped to life by nothing more than a collective desire to play better soccer – but that hasn't made their recent rampage through the league any less shocking to the fans, pundits and even themselves.
"It is surprising," Morales told MLSsoccer.com of Ingolstadt's 14-game unbeaten run and current first-place position. "No one in the club talked about getting promoted, we just wanted to improve our style of play. Every game, we just put in hard work."
The Berlin-born US international says the squad started focusing more on the ride than their station, and this outlook is a big part of what has taken them to the league penthouse so quickly. Now strictly stationed in defensive midfield after occasional spells in the back line, Morales is enjoying the ride as much as anyone.
In addition to helping to protect the back, Morales is finding plenty of occasions to jump into attack with impact. After notching just two helpers in his first 28 league matches with Ingolstadt, he has rung up two goals and three assists during the team's 14-game bulletproof run.
"First of all, I try to win the ball, to fight for the ball," said Morales, making his priorities clear. "But I love to go forward and play offensively. It depends on how we play and we are playing well, so everybody has self-confidence.
"We really don't care who is on the other team, we just want to control the game and stay compact. We know we have the quality to go on counterattacks and press, like Jurgen Klinsmann is trying to do with the national team. Everyone is just trying to do his part and it's going well."
Things are so sunny in Ingolstadt that Morales has been in camp and earned friendly action for all three US games of the new World Cup cycle. As with his new club outlook, he is not looking to get anywhere in particular when he joins the national team. He only wants to improve and contribute.
"I just want to show everybody that I can play, that I work hard," said Morales. "It's different to show the coaches, right in front of them.
"Yeah, okay, maybe they watch some games. But it's totally different when they watch you train everyday for 10 days instead of watching two games [on TV]."
Morales arrives at every camp eager to learn from both the coaching staff and the veterans. And as part of Klinsmann's youth revolution, he is not alone.
"When you train and play with players like Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey, for example, you look at what they do," he explained. "For me, especially with Jermaine, because he's a defensive midfielder. You see how they solve situations in the game.
"This younger generation, we are just very hungry to get better. Everybody wants to be with the national team. I want to be there again next camp in November."
