Hedjuk belongs on team in Germany.

Hejduk was already on a team in Germany, it didn't work out too great.

Frankie is probably a good guy to have on the team, but we'll have to wait and see where things stand a year from now.

 

i have no problem with Frankie being on the team. I love his spirit and tenacity and he's not as bad as most people say.

That said .... I won't be heartbroken if somebody beats him out. I just don't see that happening. Which is more of a comment on the rest of our pool as opposed to Frankie.

But I like Frankie.

 

I hope to see Hedjuk there. He may not be the best player at that position but nobody seems to work harder. He is always busting his ass when others are dogging it.

Plus every teams needs a player who is going to get in the other teams face and Hedjuk is always there. A while back when he shoved Adu(I like Adu), how many players are going to get up in the the golden boy in any sports face let alone a 15 year old kid. Not only did he get in his face but his push him away too, I want that attitude on the team.

 

I like the Frankie that doesn't have to make a pass that exceeds 10 yards of distance. What's the point of all that grit and determination when the very next act is to pass to an opposing player so you have to do the guts and grit thing all over again. Seriously...is it too much to ask a national team player to be able to make a pass to a teammate with some sort of consistency?

I'm at the point where I'm sort of expecting a bit of skill to match the 'go-getter' attitude. Maybe I'm just a dreamer.

 

left side - he has always been a right side defender!

my 21 yr ole kid plays left defender better than any nat team plyr

 

HeyDude will play the role Cobi had in WC 2002. Not someone you depend on playing, but a good choice off the bench if needed...if he ends up starting the group games, then we know Bruce failed at finding a replacement...

 

Hejduk will have an important role in Germany no matter what the negative opinion here is. Arena likes him and there's nothing the posters can do about that. I'd rather have Hejduk and all his faults then Mathis any time. His attitude is great, he never gives up, and so what if he can't deliver a perfect cross every time. Even if he is a right defender, Arena had him on the left side in the world cup and c'mon, I think he's doing a great job on the left side. And who is do we have?

On a side note, his card last night was complete BS. He was tripped going into the box, but when we have CONCACAF refs who don't know sh!t (esp. ones from Mexico), we get calls like that.

 

I have stated this before, I am not in love with his talent, but between his hustle and versatility (he has played at least 4 different positions for the Nat team in the last 6 years) and yes, leadership (he has worn the armband a couple times as well), he will absolutely be going.

We have seen in basketball what happens when you put together a straight "all-star" team as opposed to building a complete roster.

Frankie is soccer's equivilant to baseball's utility player.

 

Attitude and determination are long underrated on these boards. Anyone else who plays in Hedjuk's position is going to make a bad cross once in a while too (nobody's perfect), if they don't get back after it like Hejduk would then it's a better opportunity for the other team.
I don't care that the guy's only move is a crossover, and that he can only do it if he has 5 yards of free space. He's a gamer.

 

Who said anything about a "perfect cross"? A pass to a teammate out of the back who is 10+ yards away. That's what I'd like to see Frankie do with some consistency...yet, as often as not...right to the other team. It's blatant turnovers like this that quite a few teams from Europe and a couple from South America punish in no uncertain terms...teams we are likely to face in the WC.

There needs to be a day where we (Americans) stop being so enamored with the player that can run a cheetah into the ground, can hop, skip, and jump end line to end line 80 times, and can also dunk a basketball for good measure, all without breaking a sweat...yet somehow can't connect the dots.

Frankie has his qualities, but his turning the ball over trying to make a simple pass in the defensive end is going to be exploited by a talented team.

 

I would say that they are equally overrated. I love to see our guys dig down deep, show no vulnerability to intimidation, and have at the other team as much as the next guy (areas which some of our more talented players have at times come up short). I've been on many threads questioning the grit and determination of a certain player to remain nameless because these qualities are crucial...no doubt about it.

It still would be nice to know that your hard charger out there, after he wins the ball, can kick the ball from A to B, no?

 

Frankie definately lacks skill but he can be a very useful player in the right spot. He is actually a good guy to bring on in the second half while protecting a lead just because of his wheels. He can cover for other tired players mistakes and I think that is the role we will see him in. Also, it never hurts to have speed like that on the roster particularly when the US faces a forward with outstanding pace like that guy on Panama. Frankie was very useful when we played in Panama against that guy because he was the only back on the team with the pace to neutralize that guy.

 

Jose Burciaga Sr., we agree with you.

Of course, I think your son is older than 21.

 

Thank you, this is the best point made all day. Couldn't have said it any better myself. Of course people who like Hedjuk don't understand what you're talking about since they have no concept of what makes a good soccer player or why being in top physical condition doesn't qualify you automatically for a roster spot on the USMNT.

 

Does anyone think Marvell Wynne is the next potential Hejduk? Great athlete but not so great skill. He seemed to have many of the same issues with crossing and passing Hejduk has. Granted he's still very young and could improve greatly but he seemed to be lacking on the skill side of things.

 

I agree that Frankie will be reprising the Cobi role next summer. His speed and tenacity will come in handy late in the game while protecting a lead, and those are things that you can't coach.
Every once in a while you need a player who knows how to cause trouble and be a pest. Though you don't want that player starting.

How good would Mathis be now if he had the work ethic of Heyduk? Mathis had alot of skill but let it waste. Frankie has used his work ethic to overcome his lack of some skills.

 

Time for a little vignette.

This story is titled, "If you don't trust me, some ex-college playing stiff, then certainly you'd listen to Clive's opinion." I swear on Clive Charles' grave that this story is true.

A couple years ago, a good buddy of mine was down at the Dallas Cup watching a bunch of the premier youth teams. Who should come sit down next him in the bleachers? None other than Clive Charles. My buddy, being the sick soccer nut that most of us are, took advantage of the opportunity to strike up conversation with Clive.

I'll skip the parts about not starting Landon at the Olympics, who boffed who in '98, etc. etc.

When it came time to talk about Frankie, here's what he had to say (insert limey accent here)--"he's quite an athlete, but, well, he's just not, umm, what's the word, ah right, a soccer player."

Nuff said.