I'm just wondering, when was the last time the USMNT scored a direct free kick? When I think of this team, an image of a direct FK being scored just doesn't come into my mind. Or better yet, how many FKs have been scored since Wynalda's wonder goal in 94? Like anywhere, WCQs, Gold Cup, friendlies, etc.
We had a similar discussion back in April and the consensus was Donovan, Convey, Mapp and Lewis are the best (Dolo to a lesser exent). No one could remember the last goal from a direct free kick. http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=510174
Freddy Adu is pretty good at them. He almost had one in the U-20 against Brazil. It would be nice to have one. Look what it does for England with Beckham. With our lack of scoring ability it would be a great way to get a goal. People our almost afraid of fouling around the box because of Becks. Lets just hurry up and cap Brooklyn and Romeo
I think Mathis had one in World Cup qualifying two cycles ago ('02 WCQ) against Honduras. I remember it being late and bailing us out.
Adu, Mapp, Beasley, and Feilhaber need to start splitting time on these kicks. Landon is horrible as are his corners.
Landon doesn't cut it, he does a pretty good job on corner's but we need to find a free kick specialist, I think Adu could be it, or possibly Feilhaber.
As Mapp will have a hard time finding the field at all I'm not sure he's even a candidate. Beasley has proven that he serves a nice dead ball and Feilhaber has nice touch but neither seem that dangerous when it comes to trying to put the ball in the back of the net from a free kick. Adu on the other hand has been dangerous in those situations, not to mention that he seems to take every deadball for Benfica when he's on the field. That's a decent endorsement right there. In addition to not taking great free kicks, Donovan should also be excluded because he can be very dangerous lingering at the top of the box waiting for a lucky bounce or bad clearence to fall to him.
The scary thing is: I think Agoos vs Costa Rica in 2002 was the last time we scored a direct free kick, and Mathis vs Honduras in 2001 was the previous one. I think it's a function of our mentality on set pieces: we always seem to be looking to set up a header on goal rather than shoot directly. Actually, one thing I'd love to see is a comparison of national teams, in terms of what percentage of their direct free kicks near the box are shots and what percentage are crosses. Again, seems to me like we just don't shoot the ball. Have any of our youth national teams had dangerous dead ball shooters? The only one I can recall is Kyle Nakazawa on the U-17s last time around, but as long as he's playing college ball I don't see him getting anywhere near the national time any time soon.
In the past week, Freddy Adu scores 2 in one game in the Olympic qualifiers, and Eddie Lewis scores one against Poland in a friendly (ending the 6 year drought).
The answer is ..... LANDON DONOVAN He did it against Cuba in the 2005 Gold Cup I believe. I saw it on the recap of his goals on Ussoccer.com! He is getting better with his dead balls thanks to Becks.
His cross to Jimmy Conrad last year against Mexico? I'm not saying he is World Class, but with Becks training with him every day, he is going to get better at it. Some people forget he is still 25, going on 26 in May.
He's a decent rightfooted option from in close and he has the natural ability to become much better but he'll never have true power. Freddy, Jozy, and Dempsey are going to be huge for the team because of their abilities to draw fouls around the box. With Freddy and Landon on the field at the same time teams are going to have to be very "hands off" around the box. Then add in Gooch, Boca, Dempsey, Bradley, Jozy and Edu on the set pieces from distance and you have the recipe for a team that has a good shot in a tight game against a top team. With the way the last World Cup was officiated set pieces could be our ticket to advancement.
Based on recent goals, up close pair up Freddy Adu (right foot) and Eddie Lewis (left foot). -assuming Eddie is on the field.
Agreed Adu and Lewis for direct FK. Steve Cherundolo strikes well from distance to complete the trifecta there. He can actually knuckle it on occasion.
Some people these days. I didn't say LD should be our Free Kick Taker. The question was, before Lewis, had we kicked a FK that went in on net recently? I said yes, and it was by Donovan against Cuba.
