This is ARIS! The Continuing Quest of Freddy Adu.

He still hasn't been formally introduced as a signing.

 

If things had evolved differently in yesterday's game, Adu would have certainly played.

First of all, the pitch was awful, smth that prevents talented, technical players from unfolding their talent. It was more of a body-to-body battle match, with necessitated plhysical game and strength; in the past, I had "warned" you about this kind of soccer in the greek league. Yesterday's game was a perfect representative example.

Don't worry that he didn't play. Sunday's game will be a better and much more suitable environment for Adu to really make the difference: open spaces, quick pace, technical teams.

 

Hope you see your chance and take it Freddy.

But it is pretty amazing how the same thing keeps happening to this kid. It would be no news at all that he didn't play (because it seems clear it wasn't the best situation for him to get his first appearance), had he not spent the last two years in exactly this situation.

 

A lot of Devo, pot, and port in your post. What the hell were you up to this weekend?

Whip it. Whip it, good!

 

So now the fans are involved in the conspiracy too?

 

The fans of football were so incensed that Freddy was about to play.........that they needed to stop it any way they could.

Weren't Aris once relegated due a point deduction they got for a pitch invasion? When was that? 2005?

 

Οfficial introduction of Freddy Adu is on Thursday.

 

Yes, it was on 2005.

We played against Iraklis in our home ground and 100 fans invaded the pitch to celebrate a goal we scored. Another 100 entered it to push them away back on the stands, but the ref decided to call off the game, despite the fact that the stands were emptied afterwards.

Iraklis' players pretended that they were hurt by the fans (although no video proved that they were actually hit) and that was never forgotten by us. They could have understood the critical situation we were in and at least get out again and play the rest of the game.

Since then, Aris' fans have changed; A LOT! We were punished with a relegation and 9 home games without fans (the harsest punishment ever in greek soccer) and that made us realise our mistake and never repeat it. That's why in 4 years no violent or harmful behaviour has been noticed.

Anyway, that's old news and perhaps it's not the right place to discuss it (maybe in the Aris' thread).Yesterday's events were the most extreme pictures Aris' fans have been involved in, in the last 5 years.

And if you lived here, you would understand why they occured and who's to blame for. The only thing that you should know is that the PAS fan club's representative spoke today at our official radio station and actually apologized for the fact that 1-2 stupid fans of PAS provoked ours by attempting to steal a banner. Here, even thinking of smth like that is considered blasphemy; the banners are the holiest symbols of a fan and they will be protected by all means.

Perhaps, it's complicated to understand, but it's true all the way.

 

This is exactly why he didn't play... Anyone watching the game would've realized that those were not favorable conditions for Adu to come into... He'll get his chance to prove himself...

 

sums it up nicely

 

This is Phil Ball's story on Sergio Canales, an 18-year-old rising star at Racing Santander.

Just food for thought; you may or may not draw some parallels to Adu.

 

The "lights up the league" part is what sets them apart. I do not see a parallel.

 

What sets them apart is what sets development in Spain and the US apart.

Sergio Canales has been developed by this same pro club since he was ten. Now he's gradually getting more minutes at their top level at 18.

 

Parallel does not = copy

 

Latest news are that Adu might start against Panathinaikos. He's doing well in training and Cuper wants to take advantage of his speed/dribble on the left flank.

 

Nice! Could it be? Adu finally getting full confidence behind him from his coach since the first one that brought him to Benfica and gave him his first minutes in the Champions League?????

 

BS will explode if he stars and plays well. I always want YA to do well and I have been pulling for Adu for a long time so lets hope this is for real.

 

It would be nice for Freddy to get a start, considering he's started only 1 league game in his 2.5 years in European football. Not even his 1st two Benfica coaches gave him starts in anything other than cup games.

 

¡tranquilo! Don't count your chickens before they hatch!

 

what pretty eggs, that will be chicken #1, that will be chicken #2, this fella looks like chicken #3...

 

Quote:
Cynics might say that this is a part of the new myth, that Canales has proved nothing yet, and that the spectacular nature of his goals masks the fact that his general play still leaves plenty to be desired.

Quote:
Canales made his debut last season, having been Spain's best player in their U-17 European Championship win, promise that earned him six games last season. This season, he had only managed two appearances under ex-manager Juan Carlos Mandía but new man Miguel Angel Portugal always seemed keener on giving him more time on stage. It's the eternal paradox of youth - blood them too early and they burn their wings on the sun, but blood them too cautiously and they never get the continuity to really understand what is required - week in, week out - at this level.
Quote:
Canales is a 'media punta', the player who links the midfield to the forwards, and the most difficult position in football, according to Arsène Wenger. He should know, because he is blessed enough to have Cesc Fabregas, but it remains true that this position cannot be really be learned. If you can't do it, you can't do it.


You can pretty much replace Canales with Adu, Spain with US and you have the arguements that are made on these boards over and over. There's even a blurb about being the link between midfield and forwards. I think parallel is accurate.

 

I think it goes without saying that if he stars then he played well.

Seriously, I hope he plays (starts would be bonus) - it'll be good to see where he's at although I imagine he's going to be rusty. Plenty of time to work on that and show BB you deserve to be at the WC.