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The Major League Rugby season reaches its midpoint next week and USA coach Gary Gold will be whittling down his options for selection in the team to play against Chile. Victory is a must with the uncertainty of the Repechage best avoided at all cost.
With limited preparation time available – likely one match against the French Barbarians – it’s unlikely the selectors will be making any drastic changes from their last assembly in the fall. If there is one area that might see some new names, however, it’s the outside backs.
Wing, in particular, has remained unsettled since the retirement of Blaine Scully. Gold has the opportunity to look outside the box here, and below are three such options who could be considered ‘wildcards’ given they are all Argentines. In fact two have represented Los Pumas on the World Sevens Series and only the new Union Transfer regulation allows them to be considered.
THOMAS MORANI
Raised in Buenos Aires, Morani was born in Miami and has already expressed his interest in playing for the Eagles. The 26-year-old has settled into the outside center role for San Diego after bouncing around from Houston to DC to start his MLR career.
Morani might be the most skilled center available to the Eagles, and among the quickest. He has the ability to also cover wing and fullback. At 5’9″ (1.75m) the main knock against him is a lack of size in comparison to other options, but Morani punches above his weight in his ability to both break tackles and put much larger opponents on the ground.
Of the three players named here Morani seems the least likely to be picked and unlikely to be considered for a starting role. His versatility does make him an interesting candidate for the No23 shirt, but a more reasonable expectation would be to see him in a Falcons shirt before being looked at for higher honors.
MATÍAS FREYRE
Born in Kansas City but like Morani raised in Buenos Aires, Freyre also shares the similarity of signing for Houston initially and now finding success with San Diego. Having last represented the Pumas Sevens side in 2018, the 27-year-old has observed the three-year stand-down requirement and is now eligible to change his allegiance to the USA.
Injuries disrupted Freyre’s stay with the SaberCats though he performed well when fit. Primarily a fullback, he has most recently been employed on the wing for the Legion and is finding success. Over the past couple years he has added ballast to his 6’1″ (1.85m) frame and while Freyre doesn’t have blinding speed, he is a creative attacker and an excellent left-footed kicker.
That footballing ability is uncommon among Eagles candidates on the wing while Freyre has also exhibited strong defensive qualities. He would also allow the USA to pick and out-and-out finisher on the opposite wing given his ability to slide back as a secondary fullback. Freyre merits strong consideration given his unique attributes.
AXEL MÜLLER
Arguably the most interesting of the three, Müller was a star for the Pumas Sevens side through the 2016 Olympics. He then moved to France with Toulon, and after one season with Oyonnax made the move to Brive in 2018 where the 28-year-old has been a first choice player since. He remains uncapped at test level, however, with the Argentine Union effectively blocking Müller’s selection due to his decision to snub the Jaguares for a bigger payday abroad.
In terms of high level experience and finishing ability, the Eagles do not currently have a player of Müller’s class. The question is one of eligibility. Under the Union Transfer regulation, players must demonstrate a ‘close and credible link’ to their country of choice though as written it only allows that through birthright. Müller was born in Argentina but spent over a decade of his youth in Arizona and carries a US passport.
Having already declared his interest in making the switch and with Gary Gold seemingly also keen on picking him, Müller’s inclusion now appears to at the hands of World Rugby administrators. If they deem his qualifications acceptable it would require an amendment to the new regulation. Los Cóndores could yet be facing South American talent come July.
