Keller Arena Adu

[Maximum Optimal]

"In this sort of situation, you have to think of the team first," Keller said. "You wish you were involved. You wish you were treated a different way. You wish people were honest with you. But the first thing first is to support your teammates."

Keller wouldn't say who hadn't been honest with him. When told of Keller's comments, Arena dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"I'm not going to deal with that," the coach said.

Anyone care to contrast and compare?

[Ringo]

sure.
Keller is a grown, 30+ year old man.
Adu is a 16 year old kid.

[lurking]

"In this sort of situation, you have to think of the team first," Keller said. "You wish you were involved. You wish you were treated a different way. You wish people were honest with you. But the first thing first is to support your teammates."

It becomes very, very, very, very tempting to look ahead and, as a matter of fact, I'm doing that right now," he said. "I always have to make the best decision for myself first, and I'm just looking into things right now. . .

Both are upset, both didnt like the situation, but one realized that it was his job to support the team. Adu is thinking only about himself.

[DGNB]

Both are upset, both didnt like the situation, but one realized that it was his job to support the team. Adu is thinking only about himself.

Did Freddy ever say I don't support my teammates? Honestly, i think Bruce handled the Keller sitaution much better. he didn't feel the need to make a public example out of Keller to prove himself. I am sure he handled it internally as it should have been handled.

[HartwickFan]

"In this sort of situation, you have to think of the team first," Keller said. "You wish you were involved. You wish you were treated a different way. You wish people were honest with you. But the first thing first is to support your teammates."

Keller wouldn't say who hadn't been honest with him. When told of Keller's comments, Arena dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"I'm not going to deal with that," the coach said.

Anyone care to contrast and compare?

When did Keller say this, and what is he complaining about? I assume it is his lack of playing time in the '02 WC?

[dsp87260]

When did Keller say this, and what is he complaining about? I assume it is his lack of playing time in the '02 WC?

That would be correct....I think it was during the '02 World Cup.

The ABC/ESPN networks were doing lots of stories on the Goalkeeping controversy during the whole first round of the World Cup. (Even commenting during the later rounds on whether or not Kasey would get a chance to play)

Kasey toughed it out during the tournament and then supposedly had a long talk with Arena afterward to get everything straight.

[Exit16W]

I think Adu's bighead comes from the media and us making him out to be more then he really is. A 16 year old KID who is very talented but who now thinks he deserves the sun, moon and the stars by all the talk and large contract we just fed this attitude. We built this monster with making him a success before he even step on the pitch. I am not sure of his agents name but I am sure he had something to do with those comments. In the end any news whether it be bad or good is always a good thing for the MLS and soccer in the US. Look at Terrell Owens and the Philly Eagles people are watching them hoping something more.

[pwip]

As a DC fan, I would be pissed but I am not. I am USMNT fan and I am see him as a prospect for that team. It's a move that will get Adu under the DC system. There is no doubt the expectation are so out of whack but when you are the highest paid player in the league you feel obligated to live up ot that burden. When you play well and get bench the next game and the next, I would be tremendously fustrated. Adu is in no-win situation. You want him to earn his spurs but when you are the feature marketing tool for the MLS, the pressure is tremendous. Adu is on the wrong team and he needs to set the wheel in motion to have that happen. It is a very unpopular path he is tsking but I think he needs to take it. I see him as 16 year old. As a 16 year old, he needs to play. A team has to take the good with the bad. But, he needs to go through that learning curve. There are a lot of good players on DC and deserve to start over Adu at this juncture but beside Santino, I would take Adu over anyone else because he has more tools for the WC stage.

[InnocentBystander]

Both are upset, both didnt like the situation, but one realized that it was his job to support the team. Adu is thinking only about himself.

I don't agree - at least not completely. It's all talk - from Keller and Adu. Sure, Keller said the right things about what's best for the team, blah, blah, blah, but notice what he said right before that: "You wish people were honest with you." He's calling someone a liar. That's worse than anything Freddy said. It's like Keller said - "I'm going to be a good team player, I'm not going to complain" - and then he complains.

But it's all talk. What matters to me is that both players want to play. With all the hype, expectations, and pressure dumped on Adu, isn't it a good thing that he wants to play so badly?

[mickhayafe]

"In this sort of situation, you have to think of the team first," Keller said. "You wish you were involved. You wish you were treated a different way. You wish people were honest with you. But the first thing first is to support your teammates."

this is why keller is the man, he understands that it's not all about him, and he gives the team his all (which is alot), but realizes it's not about him it's about the team.

[dark knight]

this is why keller is the man, he understands that it's not all about him, and he gives the team his all (which is alot), but realizes it's not about him it's about the team.

I disagree - Keller has gone public about dissatisfaction about not starting on more than one occasion and with more than one coach. I'm a Keller fan, and most likely his outsize ego is part of why he's good, but I'm not sure there is something more mature about the way he goes public.

[Maximum Optimal]

In some ways what Keller said was worse. Adu complained he was being treated unfairly, Keller implied he had been lied to. The big difference is the Bruce did not try to humiliate Keller by demanding that he get up before the team and apologize. He allowed emotions to simmer down, and patched things up with Keller after the WC. And yes, Keller made those comments right in the middle of the WC.

[rgli13]

As a DC fan, I would be pissed but I am not. I am USMNT fan and I am see him as a prospect for that team. It's a move that will get Adu under the DC system. There is no doubt the expectation are so out of whack but when you are the highest paid player in the league you feel obligated to live up ot that burden. When you play well and get bench the next game and the next, I would be tremendously fustrated. Adu is in no-win situation. You want him to earn his spurs but when you are the feature marketing tool for the MLS, the pressure is tremendous. Adu is on the wrong team and he needs to set the wheel in motion to have that happen. It is a very unpopular path he is tsking but I think he needs to take it. I see him as 16 year old. As a 16 year old, he needs to play. A team has to take the good with the bad. But, he needs to go through that learning curve. There are a lot of good players on DC and deserve to start over Adu at this juncture but beside Santino, I would take Adu over anyone else because he has more tools for the WC stage.

i agree completely. hes got to be on the field, but dc has (what they see as) better options. theres a conflict in agendas- and neither side is really wrong.

does anyone doubt if freddy were a full time starter he would have 10+ goals? is he a liability in other aspects of the game? maybe. how well rounded is herculez?

i can see dc's side of things- but i also am looking at freddy more as a nat. somethings gotta give.

[Adam Zebrowski]

in the grand scheme, what 16 year olds say, should be taken with a grain of salt....

adu's, displeasure is understandable, goff doing the interview is his job, adu's behavior the next week or so, will either make this a non-story or mean his days at dc united are over....

it's all a plot by alexi lalas to get the kid in new york...

still the bottom line is skill....

terrell owens is a jerk.....but has it...

freddy mitchell is a jerk.....doesn't have it, and is unemployed....

those with talent can say stupid things....and do some too

[russ]

And Adam makes my sig!

[StudentoftheGame]

Keller is good. Adu-du sucks.

[bltleo]

Keller is good. Adu-du sucks.

No, don´t say this. Both are good. Keller and Adu. They have only different style in communication with press. I think it is not important what they say to press. Much more important is how they play. Look at our german prince,
young player Podolski, our top forward we have, from 1. FC Cologne, player from National team. He is good forward, pleasure to watch how he can score goals. But it is better he does not open his mouth:) to press. He can not simply deal with press. But no one care of this in Germany. The most important he can PLAY. Soccer player should play soccer, they are not trained to talk to press. Many top german players gives terrible interviews. For example our goalkeeper Kahn openly critized our coach Klinsman because of his rotation principle between goalkeeper. What have told Keller, Adu and Arena?. I think it is very usual in soccer to have different opinion. We in Germany are used to hear such interviews. And remember our Poldi, Podolski!
He makes interview like Adu and no one critize him for this:).

Soccer players make a game on soccer field, not in newspapers, magazines and with interviews!!. Just my opinion.

And don´t say Adu is sucks. He is not!!!

Bltleo
GERMANy

[spot]

During the WC it was rumored that Keller and Friedel didn't speak or practice together. That doesn't reflect well on either of them. I have a hard time seeing how that's not disruptive to the team either. As Dark Knight and MaxOp pointed out, Keller's handling of the situation was hardly an example for young Frederick to follow.

[mickhayafe]

During the WC it was rumored that Keller and Friedel didn't speak or practice together. That doesn't reflect well on either of them. I have a hard time seeing how that's not disruptive to the team either. As Dark Knight and MaxOp pointed out, Keller's handling of the situation was hardly an example for young Frederick to follow.

what, do you want two goalies in the same goal? (tha would give the US a big advantage in WC'06) ;)

[superdave]

Both are upset, both didnt like the situation, but one realized that it was his job to support the team. Adu is thinking only about himself.
Right, but Keller sitting at the world cup wasn't affecting his career, only his happiness. If it was Keller with his club, he'd be wanting out, I guaran-damn-tee it.

Sorry, your comparison here doesn't work.