Nowak-Assistant?

[thespian89]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/20/AR2006122001372.html
Goff says Nowak to leave DC United to become Assistant to Bradley.

[JCUnited]

This just seems odd to me. Why exit a job as the coach of the best club in the history of the USA to be an assistant for an interim coach?

There just has to be something going down behind the scenes. I'm also hoping that Soehn is as good as so many say he is. It's been too long since we last won an MLS Cup or US Open Cup (and that Supporter's Shield doesn't impress me considering we pretty much stunk after July 22nd).

[baldog]

ajv;jaw;grjb;aioatg

[baldog]

i don't know why because this is totally against my way of thinking... but something just feels really good about having two of our top mls coaches, specifically that it's bradley and nowak, leading our national team. does any one else have that feeling going on.

[Cannons]

This just seems odd to me. Why exit a job as the coach of the best club in the history of the USA to be an assistant for an interim coach?

Those days are long gone. Maybe he wants to make sure Freddy never gets to the full team? ;)

[m vann]

I doubt this assistantship just popped up, so I wonder what the purpose of trading Adu was, if he wasn't even going to play in Nowak's system? Then on the other hand, if Payne had any idea Nowak was leaving he wouldn't have allowed the trade. I wonder if Nowak just walked in there today and said see-ya. This could evolve into an interesting story!

[BuffloSoldier]

To steal a joke that was IM'ed to me, Freddy's on the first flight to Accra and the Ghanian national team...

[bofahey]

I doubt this assistantship just popped up, so I wonder what the purpose of trading Adu was, if he wasn't even going to play in Nowak's system? Then on the other hand, if Payne had any idea Nowak was leaving he wouldn't have allowed the trade. I wonder if Nowak just walked in there today and said see-ya. This could evolve into an interesting story!
I think this change was set a while ago -- likely before the Adu trade was made.

An article Monday by Steve Davis on MLSnet said the following:

TRADING PLACES: With FC Dallas deciding on its new man, Morrow, the MLS coaching carousel seemed settled for a while. But the stunning l'affaire Klinsmann scattered the puzzle pieces anew. The trickle-down may have started right after Sunil Gulati's news conference last Friday to discuss Klinsmann's untimely withdrawal from the process.

Later that evening, FC Dallas general manager Michael Hitchcock got an e-mail from Tom Soehn's agent, informing the Texas club that Soehn wished to pull his name from consideration. Was a potential spot at Chivas more attractive? Or does Soehn know something about D.C. United?

Hitchcock said it wasn't a matter of Soehn "withdrawing" his name after being told that FC Dallas was going another direction, which happens often.

This makes it pretty clear that Soehn knew Nowak was leaving before the Adu trade took place.

Whether Kevin Payne knew... that's debatable. But I'd be surprised if he didn't.

[Knave]

To steal a joke that was IM'ed to me, Freddy's on the first flight to Accra and the Ghanian national team...

That was my first thought too.

[thespian89]

Now we know why Freddy wasn't called into camp.;)

[Nutmeg]

That was my first thought too.
Mine as well. Wow - this might not be such a great thing.

[appoo]

Eskandarian, Gros, Namoff, Caroll.

No Quaranta, who was pretty ********in good over the last 3rd of the season when he got traded to LA.

Mystery solved.

[BudWiser]

This is GREAT news folks!

I've personally met Nowak and there is no one I've ever met who's more solidly focused on soccer fundamentals, effort, skill, tactics, and training than this guy.

Consider ourselves lucky to have him!!

[Winoman]

Mine as well. Wow - this might not be such a great thing.

I think that's hogwash. Freddy's busy with the U-20s. If Freddy shows well with them, and I think that he will, he'll be called up to the MNT later.

[Autogolazo]

This seems to cement Bradley more firmly in place.

It's hard to believe that Nowak would give up the DC head spot for something this risky unless the money was really good and the contract guaranteed.

In 6 months, he could be assistant to the U-23 coach.

But I don't think so--I think this is definitive proof that there won't be any foreign coach. It was all a ruse. Which pisses me off--we badly need new eyes on youth development and better in-game decision making, and neither Bradley nor Nowak are capable of this.

Crap.

[Nutmeg]

I think that's hogwash. Freddy's busy with the U-20s. If Freddy shows well with them, and I think that he will, he'll be called up to the MNT later.

So you don't think there's some personal history that will need to be overcome between Nowak and Adu? Look, I don't think this will make Adu jump for Ghana. But I don't think Nowak's presence will make Adu's transition to the MNT - if he proves himself ready - an easy one, either.

[alocksley]

Freddy, stop kicking yourself.... Freddy, cut it out...

[John L]

So you don't think there's some personal history that will need to be overcome between Nowak and Adu? Look, I don't think this will make Adu jump for Ghana. But I don't think Nowak's presence will make Adu's transition to the MNT - if he proves himself ready - an easy one, either.

{sigh} - No coach worth anything would replace the Most Valuable Player in the League on the best regular season team in the league for an un-proven, petulant, pouting, non-productive teenager - PERIOD

and oh yeah - a black player, Jamil Walker, heard what Nowak said about Ellinger's thug and didn't think it was racist - just very accurate

[phills]

personally i do not think this is good news. He style is non creative. No wonder so many dc united players were called in..

[Nutmeg]

{sigh} - No coach worth anything would replace the Most Valuable Player in the League on the best regular season team in the league for an un-proven, petulant, pouting, non-productive teenager - PERIOD

Your portrayal of Freddy is just garbage. You should be banned from DCU boards for a very long time, and maybe start watching the kid play to see if he isn't a pretty special talent. I didn't criticize Nowak for not replacing Gomez with Adu, but I do believe his handling of the situation could have been better. It could potentially make for an awkward encounter if/when Freddy makes the jump to the MNT.