I think that this is true simply because pretty much any U.S. international could get called up again due to good MLS play. Freddy is definitely a longshot, and I rate him at about #29 or #30 of the 23 players going to the WC, but if he shines greatly for DC in preseason, even that could warrant a callup in the leadup to the WC, and then who knows. Right now, I doubt Arena intends on taking Freddy, but at least the kid has his first camp and cap out of the way.
I must have missed the part where FFF says "This is exactly how it is." He neither claims it is a fact or any inside knowledge. His statement is simply his opinion on the situation, the same way you express yours. Back on topic, Freddy's not going to the WC unless someone gets injured, and even then I think it's an outside shot. He got some great experience at the training camps and has the support of Nowak and Arena, which can only help his confidence at this point. DCs lineup makes it tough for Freddy to find a starting spot, but I feel that if he proves himself in DCs training sessions, he stands a good chance of finding himself in a starting role. Short of coming out of the gate absolutely on fire, his play isn't going to affect his WC chances all that much. I just don't seem him coming out and dominating at the level he'd need to to even be considered again by Arena.
seriously? Eddie Johnson was laughing it up just as much as Freddy, and he didn't get sent home. And even though Freddy was technically sitting on the bench, he wasn't on the game roster, he was just a spectator down there. It wasn't like he needed to stay mentally prepared for the game or anything. man, you guys will jump on anything.
Obviously Peter Nowak doesn't know anything about the situation. There's no wy he talked directly to Arena. The people in this thread are way more in tune with what's really going on
Well, Brazil and Barca do: Ronaldinho/Kaka and Ronaldinho/Deco. As you assert, both are indeed unstoppable.
This smacks of PR. This seems like Nowak just talking up one of his own players, but does come off a bit as dangling the carrot, the virtually unattainable carrot. I don't agree that this will scar Freddy in anyway. It's almost a (slightly misguided) attempt by Nowak to further motivate Freddy. You don't talk to Arena, he talks to you.
I'd be surprised to see DC go back to 3-5-2 with wingbacks again this year sans Dema. more likely 3-2-3-2 with Olsen/Carroll in the defensive gap. Fred will have a real shot at a regular place in this setup
Maybe it is PR. But people who were at practice said that freddy was playing well. And video clips show him playing well. Certainly not playing poorly enough to be the only player sent hom for non injury reasons. Considering Arena already set a precedent for this with Convey, I don't see why it's hard to accept.Nowak sounded matter of fact enough. Seeing as Nowak knows ALOT more about the situation than any of us. I think it's immature to assume he's wrong or lying just because we disagree with what he's talking about.
I'm starting to wonder about the edits to the quote. The (DC United) one looks fine, but the (to the World Cup) seems out of context. Does anyone know what he actually said? If what he said was go "there", then I would argue he was talking about the USMNT camp. He's talking about Adu wanting to "play there again", which means the camp, since he hasn't been to a WC yet. That also ties in with the last two sentences, and makes a lot more sense.
Could be, but it wasn't in response to a question specifically about Freddy. I think his MNT chances are quite slim, but that said, he may still have advanced a lot this offseason. His comments suggest to me he expects Fred to be able to take a greater role this season.
There is something to this but I think it boils down to a couple of very tough questions. Brazil won 2 World Cups where they did this (Ronaldo 1994 & Kaka 2002). It could be argued that Brazil had a ticket to burn, a luxury few teams can afford. Does Freddy bring a little more to the table in terms of talent relative to the US pool than Ronaldo or Kaka brought to Brazil relative to the rest of the Brazil pool? I phrase it this way because it is more likely that Freddy will see the field if he gets a spot than it was for Ronaldo or Kaka. The follow-up is: Is the experience for 2010 worth trading a (very) little bit on the 2006 roster? The only answers that really matter are (obviously) Bruce's. I'm talking myself into answering the 2 questions with a "yes & yes." But I do believe that reasonable people can disagree. But what seems clear to me is that if Nowak can't find a way to get Moreno, Gomez and Freddy on the field at the same time, he is very limited in his tactical abilities.
Here is Peter Nowak's quotes in their (apparent) entirety from Diceson. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=300468 Peter Nowak - Did the off-season seem long or short to you? ”The off-season was long, but it was our own fault. We had some very bad feelings about that. We all know, starting with me, that we screwed up and we’ve got to make things better. I’m sure that the team is ready for day one because this is where the championship starts.” “From this starting point I’m very happy (with what I saw) out there. They worked very hard in the off-season. We have five guys attending the National Team camp, so they are very fit. I talked to them at the combine, and I’ve been on the phone with the National Team coach, Bruce Arena, and he’s very happy with them. Freddy made a lot of progress, and was very good at camp. He’s going to stay with us because we felt, together with Coach Arena, that he needs to be with us during the pre-season to make sure that we square all the angles before the season starts.” - Overall, is being with the National Team a good thing for Freddy? Is it a good thing for DC United to have him out there? “It is always a good thing to have five guys on the National Team. It’s almost one-half of a team. It’s great experience for Freddy. He made his first cap for the National Team. It’s great for Bobby (Boswell) and the guys like Brian Carroll and Bennie (Olsen) to get them feeling how it will be for World Cup preparation. Santino (Quaranta) is still a young kid. Anytime, for any of these guys, any time with the National Team and Coach Arena is very valuable, and I’m sure they are going to learn their lessons.” - You said, ‘you screwed up’. What did you learn as a coach last year? “The time you have in the off-season you always think about the thing that need to be better. But, like I said, that is now the past.” “I know looking in the mirror what I’m supposed to do better and what kind of mistakes I made. It doesn’t matter if you’re a second year coach, or that you’ve had fifty years of experience, you’re still going to make mistakes. How fast you’re going to learn from those mistakes. That (is) what my players need from me to make them better.” “We lost six games at home last year we shouldn’t have lost, the year before we lost just two. And basically, we lost four games away, which we couldn’t win the game in 2004. There was something wrong. We learned our lesson. We won in LA, we won in Chicago, and we won a lot of games away (in 2005). We didn’t lose to San Jose, we didn’t lose to New York, we won in Dallas – a difficult place. So for me, looking at losing six games at home means that I didn’t do a good enough job to prepare them. Or it was us together thinking, ‘We’re playing at home, the fans are going to be behind us, and everything is going to be fine’. We have to change this. As I said, we’re going to learn from our mistakes. And I said to my players and the team yesterday when we had a meeting that I really don’t appreciate the fact when going into games thinking we’re going to win anyways because we have a great set-up, we have a great environment, and we have a great team. This needs to change.” “We’re going back to basics. There are three positions that are going to be guaranteed – mine, Tommy Soehn, and Mark Simpson’s. Everything is open for everybody.” - How are you thinking of changing your mentality to the game tactically? “We have a couple of new players, new blood. You always consider the new players and who will be best at the moment for the team. Nothing is set and everything is flexible.” “I think we have a team that can present different lineups and different formations. It just what kind of formation will give you success? A few guys asked in the first meeting in 2004 ‘What kind of system will we play’ and I said, ‘A winning system’. Whoever is out there the job must be done. There is always ten players and one goalie.” “Maybe I’m repeating myself, but, starting with me, the job must be done. At some point (it comes down to) the guys playing out there. I can help them from the bench, direct them from the bench. But, we need to be on the same page. It doesn’t matter what (formation) it is going to be – a 4-4-2, a 3-4-3 – whatever you decide to do, the job must be done.” “We have the tools the tools to mix it up with the whole system, but you can’t just jump because one system didn’t work (thinking), ‘Oh, this system didn’t work. Let’s try doing that. Oh, two weeks later that system doesn’t work!’ You have to be consistent with what you are thinking and with what kind players you have. And you have to manage this thing if you’re playing away or at home.” - Without many changes in personnel is it a matter of just improving and getting the results? “If you see the games that mentioned before, losing six games at home and four away, and with those four away you have two PKs in Chicago, a bad call in Columbus, a red card and late goal in New England, so if you’re going to go from those four you’re going to get three points, and you don’t lose at home, and you have six more points, (then) you’ve got sixty-four points. That means you’ve got the Supporter’s Shield because I think San Jose got sixty-three. That’s what we have to improve. That’s what we’re looking for.” “Maybe I was upset, or too upset after the last playoff game, because it wasn’t fair to say (or) judge that about this team. We all know we’re a good team and what we need to do.” - Last year you faced early games in the CONCACAF Club Cup. It almost ‘forced’ you to bring in new discovery players. This year you don’t have that problem. Are you planning on bringing in a player to cover what you see as a weakness, or will you take time to look at the current players? “We evaluate every single week what we need and what the team needs. As I said, we needed some fresh blood and we brought in a couple of good players. We had a pretty good draft – the players we wanted from the beginning – so we are fortunate with that. We’re going to evaluate them. We know that we’re going to have injuries.” “Going back to 2005 and the CONCACAF, we started the season pretty early. If we had the opportunity like the European teams (have) every single year, and you’re going to be one of the top four teams in the league, you have the opportunity to playing in the Champions’ League or UEFA Cup. You know the number of games you’re going to play every single year. In 2004, we lost in the first round (Open Cup) in Richmond. So, basically we played thirty games, plus four in the playoffs, which is thirty-four games. In 2005, when I think there was more than fifty. So you don’t have a routine. You don’t the players (because) you don’t have rosters like Chelsea or Arsenal. You have thirty-two players and they have to be ready to roll every single day. We learned this lesson. We know what needs to be done to make things better, but there are always going to be questions.” “Right now we have to concentrate. As I’ve said, when we go to Charleston I want to win all those games. I want to win the pre-season tournament in Charleston. And we’re going to start the (regular) season on a high note.” - So, right now you don’t have discovery players that you plan on bringing into the squad? “Not yet.” - Now that some time has passed, how did the Freddy Adu issue affect the team at the end of last year? “I’m not going to go back to that story, but I’ll give you an example - The Indianapolis Colts. I think they were 13-0 when Tony Dungee’s son died, and the team falls apart.” “I think every little distraction and every little thing that comes your way will make this team stronger now. It is still very difficult to turn things around. Some things stick in your head. That’s in the past.” “As I said, Freddy and I had a very good conversation in the off-season. We met, we talked a lot, and we’re on the same page.” “Considering the World Cup is coming, he’s going to want to play there again because he knows that it is going to help him be in the World Cup squad. If this team (DC United) plays good, and he’s a member of this team, and part of this team, then he’ll go (to the World Cup). The most important thing when I talked with Coach Arena, and he’s very supportive, he knows how manage this thing and talk to Freddy. I gave him my input in the whole situation and we both agreed the best is to keep him with our team and make him better. There are still six months before the World Cup starts. There are still going to be injuries and evaluations on what the World Cup squad needs.” “But, first things first, he needs to be here every single day. He needs to be mentally prepared every single day, like he was with the National Team because this is the same work. If you’re not prepared for practice in the National Team and just let it go one practice, a second practice, then you’re not going to make it. It is the same with this team. I’m glad we’re on the same page with Freddy and Coach Arena. I think this thing will make Freddy and our team better.” - What does Freddy have to improve on from last year? “I would have to say as his soccer coach I was amazed with his progress. I was very happy with how he prepared himself before games. Unfortunately, he got the injury when we played in Chicago and he was off for a couple of weeks. He was in a great rhythm. He was consistent every single day, every single week he was out there. You see him out there with Jaime Moreno and Bennie Olsen and you say, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable. He needs to start, or he needs to be there’, and all that stuff. I was very happy with his progress. As I said, the mental part we need to do better. But, I’m happy and very proud how he developed over the last two years.” - You played with Dema Kovalenko, you were friends, and you were his coach. With him leaving the team, what impact does that have? “Dema was with the team for three years and he brought some flavor to the team. This is what he decided to do. I told him when we played together that this is his career and his life and he has to decide what is best for him. If this is the road he chooses, then I don’t have a problem.” - Will you miss his presence more on or off the field? “We just had our first practice today. Along the way we will know. We decided to go this way, and it was also Dema’s decision to go on this road, so we have to judge the situation and fill the spot with a player that will do the same job, or even better. And we’re going to make sure the locker room is going to stay the same as before.” - Are there front-runners to fill that position? Moose? Quaranta? “We have two months in the pre-season and we’re going to choose during that time what is best for the team.”
Agreed Jegao. Bruce saw fit to use all but 1 field player last time around. If he's in that kind of situation again, I don't think it makes sense to bring someone in for experience. Brazil can do that, but I'm not sure how many other teams can.
???? I don't see the difference. Last year, Olsen and Carroll were twin DMs behind Gomez. How is what you're suggesting different? That the wings will do more attacking and less defending?
(slightly misguided) attempt to further motivate Freddy. Yup, that's what I think all this is. Also a bit of a turf war. MLS pays Freddy well. That doesn't give him license to have a poor attitude and demand things. MLS is the employer. They want Adu to work hard and improve as much as he can- he's in the best part of the learning curve. Arena seems to solidly support the League in this. After all, does anyone doubt he'll be of much greater value to the Nats in 2010 than this year?
pretty much. I bet the back 5 will be more static than last year. The DC attack needs another head anyway. That's how team teams took advantage of them last year. Jaime and Gomez alone can't carry the load against the top MLS team anymore.
I agree, he means back to USMNT camp. But what does this mean:He’s going to stay with us because we felt, together with Coach Arena, that he needs to be with us during the pre-season to make sure that we square all the angles before the season starts.”
Hard to attack the wings when you don't have a target forward. That was the offense's main problem last year.
Exactly. That's why I think Fred plays. More fluid attack coming through midfield with him than Gros/Dema provided requires only one high forward. Esky and Walker will compete for that, maybe this guy Filomeno.
It didn't seem to me that Freddy was acting inappropriate. He was laughing and joking with other players on the bench in a game that the USA is blowing out its opponent. And, he's not even eligible to enter the game. Just seemed to me that he was having a good time, as well the whole team should given the blowout. If he was acting inappropriate, his behavior was no different than that of EJ and Dempsey. If anything, I'm encouraged that Freddy seemed to be getting along so well with his teammates (although I hesitate to draw any conclusions from a few TV shots). BTW, I'm not even a particular fan of Freddy (although I've nothing against him and hope he succeeds beyond all of our wildest expectations).
I also think, considering that freddy probably new at that time that he was going back to D.C. soon, that it shows that this is due more to getting acquainted with D.C. than it is him leaving the camp for performance reasons.