Frankie's name is mentioned as one of the vets for Bruce to drop in the buildup to 2006. Although his exclusion doesn't seem as dramatic as Reyna, Keller or Friedel, I think it's very likely Hedjuk will still be in the mix come 2006. 1. He's risen to the occasion and had surprisingly good performances in both WC 1998 & 2002. 2. This year's performance was remarkable considering he was playing a new position and he had spent the last 4 years on the bench with his club. 3. His coaches (including Arena) commend him for his positive attitude (even when he's not playing) and his popularity with the other players. 4. He is fast and he hustles. That sounds like a player I would definitely consider taking to WC 2006. Late in the games, he could add a spark off the bench and he won't be whining about his lack of playing time. Any thoughts?
As one of Frankie's best assets is his speed, I think it would largely depend on whether he loses a step as he ages. Not that he's that old....... Also, Frankie was necessary in 2002 because a signifigant number of the rest of our defenders Berhlater, Agoos, Illamosa were slow. You have to wonder wether a "speed" guy is going to be a necessary addition in 2006 when some of those older, slower players are replaced by Suarez, Barret, Garcia, Califf, Cherundolo, Gooch, Yi, Gibbs, Gbandi, etc, etc......
Frankie 2006 == Cobi 2002. Use his speed to get to the corners and waste time. Use him as a punching bag.
Frankie I think he will just have turned 32 or maybe still be 31 come WC 2006, Not too old .He is still in the picture IMHO.
Frankie will be 31, one month shy of 32, at Germany 2006. He has made a living largely on his athleticism. As this will most likely be reduced at that age, I think his odds of making the team are remote. However, Frankie has also survived on pure guts and fire in the belly, which gets better with age. Don't write him off totally.
My comparison would be to Italy's Angelo Di Livio. Although Frankie is less technical, he is the same kind of hardworking flank player with a never-say-die attitude. He could very well be around by then.
If Frankie's speed doesn't drop off too dramatically, I have a feeling that he may well show up on that tream. I'm assuming that Pope will still be around, although age will have something to say about that, too. Pope would be the only defender with WC experience in the picture, unless Frankie is there too. It may be a little weird to think about Surfer Dude as a veteran leader, but that would be his role. He has a tendency to step up and play big on the big stage. He also isn't afraid to professionally put an opposing striker on the ground from time to time, which is something that the young guys need to see done correctly. Unless Arena plans to take a team with only one experienced defender, look to Frankie to filll a spot.
I think Frankie should play as little as possible between now and the 2006 pre-World Cup camp, thus sparing him the ravages of professional soccer. I mean, it worked last time, right?
Definitely. No one has ever defended so well only to boot the crap out of the ball to the other end of the field without even considering a pass with such effectiveness from the right flank position. I wonder why Bruce didn't have faith in him to do otherwise in the first three games (he was obviously under different orders than Sanneh: "bother the crap out of that right wing, and if you do get the ball, boot the crap out of it to the other end of the field"), yet he was perfectly comfortable putting him in an OFFENSIVE position against Germany. Weird.
: ) Ah, but in a battle of coaches wits, the element of surprise is so much more valuable than...sane player slection. Mein Gott! It iz Fphranckie Hejduk komming at us frahm zie REICHT VING !!
Well, even if you think Bruce's tactics were stupid, the fact that Frankie executed them well and that Bruce will most likely still be the coach in 2006 seems to support the idea that Frankie has a very good shot of being there in 2006, doesn't it?
Not a bad idea. Having a less than serious (a surfer dude no less) assistant coach might help team camaraderie. Of course, Richie Williams is probably a more likely choice for Bruce.
Nope. We are growing over a point where players have NO skill can contribute. For an outside defender, you need to have speed and skill. Can cover the flank, can defend, and can attack. Even better, can score. Barret right now, Gbandi (in the theory) on the left, Klein, Cherundolo and Onyewu on the right, all better than Frankie.
A-1 reality check --> insert Alex_1 opinion.. He won't be dropped right now. The US needs to find out who of it's young defensive crop can step up and command a defense and run the flank. Do not be surprised if there are a number of young players taken to the Confederation's cup in 2003 with this in mind... Also, his being included in 2006.... it is far far far too early to tell. Injury to him or other players may play a factor. Also, you have to think that the US opposition in group stage would play a part in the strategy used in the manager, and the use of the player. So I would take it one match at a time, see how he does in Switzerland (which of course is not the Bundisliga) and see what happens in qualifying before thinking about a World Cup.
he wasn't very good at all, but he was better than the alternative. The USA has really improved a lot but the fact that Frankie was still in the mix shows we still have a way to go. He is basically a very poor player but filled a need. I hope by 2006 Hejduk will be a distant memory in the USA side.