A lot of people draw just that distinction between "quick" and "fast." Freddy is definitely the first, the second not so much. He'll beat a defender like a Marvell Wynne on the dribble, and then Wynne will catch right back up to him in no time, because Marvell Wynne is fast.
We saw this in action several times a couple of years ago, as Freddy was determined to go against Wynne and struggled to figure out he needed to beat him at least twice to really beat him. Freddy's got decent speed, but his assets are balance and an explosive first step.
what? nobody posted the video for the 4th goal, the best goal of the game? here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QpAa5SSdw4 watch rui costa's magic on this one
i hope no one has this idea in their head. it is however, a bit unusuall for him since the beginging of the season. be interesting to learn if his form has dropped a bit or the new signings are eating away his minutes. if this trend continues over the next few weeks, it does not look good for Adu.
Despite the win, I still don't agree with Camacho's decisions. And the substitutions are too late, and rather stupid. The team as I see it: Goalkeeper: Moreira should be ahead of Hans-jörg Butt any day. He should have gone to Real Madrid's bench or wherever he wants to go. Just not good enough for our bench… Quim is the starter anyway, the best goalkeeper in the league this year by far (along with maybe Eduardo and Beto). Is deserving to start for the National Team for quite some time now. Specially when Ricardo keeps screwing things up, but we all know this won't happen... Right Back: Maxi's true position. He plays there for his country showing some great exhibitions. He doesn't cut it in the wing, he doesn't have the speed or the skill to be there. However his high work rate in offence and defense make him a useful player, able to do several positions during a game. Nélson, Nélson is a dilemma. Very quick and skillful player, has a head above his shoulders that he uses mostly to show his new haircut (not much going up there). He could be a great player, but I'm still not sure if he wants to. Great option for the attack (doing all the right wing) but not so great in defense against good opponents. I would try him in the right wing, since we don't have any player for that position. He has a good left foot by the way, that’s why he’s been doing left back also. Luis Filipe absolutely hated by the fans. It's not his fault that Camacho keeps putting him in the line up though. Probably won't be here next year (depends on Camacho) Centre Back: Luisão, Brazilian international, one of the team captains and a leader in defense. Has been having the worst season ever since he arrived five years ago. Slow, gives too much space to opponents, too many faults. I want the old Luisão back. Don't know if he'll be here next year or if he’ll be sold. David Luiz, now what a player he is going to be. (I think he is ambidextrous). Already the best Benfica centre back at only the age of 20. I love the guy, my favorite player in the team. Edcarlos, pretty average player. Sucked bad in this game. Bad spent money. I can see him as fourth option next year or leaving. Zoro, a couple of bad exhibitions in the pre-season friendlies sentenced his fate. I don't even know if he got to play officially for the club yet. Don't know much of him, other than his impressive physic and brute force. I heard he did great starting for Cote d'Ivoire in CAN this year, even getting to score. Uncertain future with the club. Left Back: Léo, at 32 years old he is the best left back in years for Benfica and even the league. Not that he is anything out of this world or anything, but just for the cheer difficulty of finding good players for this position. Not as good year as the last one but "in the land of the blind..." There's a mutual appreciation between the fans and the player, but the club doesn't seam to agree with him in the process of contract renovation, which I think is a clear mistake being made by the club... we won't find another one as good as him! He'll leave on a free at the end of the year... Sepsi, don't know this player. Was bought in the winter market, still not used by Camacho. (this would be a good game to see him...) Defensive Midfielder: Petit, Portuguese international, and Benfica sub-captain. Bad year for him. Severely hit by injuries, and has not been able to catch form. Katsouranis, not even near the player of last year. Another one in bad form. He is playing better (quite good actually) as a centre back than in the midfield. I would use him as centre back for the rest of the year. Binya, Can he beat the record of kilometers run in a single game? I grow tired just from watching him (he is like a younger, black version of Petit) Came from Algerian football, what a pleasant surprise. Strangely, played some games as right back for Cameroon. When he gets completely used to the league and european football (meaning: reducing aggressiveness, etc) I can see him doing great things. Right Winger: none Offensive Midfielder: Rui Costa, MAESTRO. Benfica is too dependent of his class. Will retire at end of the season. Nuno Assis, as been used as a right winger, although not his position. It's a useful quick player, but I don't see him doing anything that a ten years younger Adu couldn't do. Uncertain future at the club. Freddy Adu, impressive start with several goals scored in limited playing time. Not sure what happened but he should be getting Nuno Assis playing time. He is still pretty young though, we don't see many 18 years olds getting to play at this level (there isn't any in Sporting or Porto that I know of). Left Winger: Cristian Rodriguez, intensity from start to end, from the first to the last whistle. Not the most gifted of all attacking players, but he gives everything he has in every second of the game. I like this kind of hard working players that are able to do several positions. Unfortunately he is getting tired from successive games use and bad managing from Camacho. He needs a rest! Anyway, not sure if he'll stay here next year. His agent (owner of his pass) is asking for 7 million euros and Benfica is only going for the agreed 5 million. And I agree, although he is young (22 years) doesn't look like he is going to get much better. I would still rather have him then not, but not at any cost. There is interest from other teams, although I'm not sure if its real or just the agent talking. Di Maria, there is no question about his ability. Very skillful and speedy player. A true speedster I would say. The moment he learns how to play is the moment he'll be leaving for large sums of money. Striker: Cardozo, another one that is here to prove he can play in europe, and leave for large sums of money. This is the problem with modern football. We don't have the money to keep them and teams like Newcastle (WTF!?) with TV money from Asia has the money to buy him off of us. It's a disgrace. Unless we get ourselves our own Abramovich willing to splash the cash, we are condemned to build young teams to sell them later and repeat the process in a never ending cycle. This is what a Giant and Historic, once dominant force in Europe, like Benfica as turned into. And then we get here and read rants bundling up Benfica's name with the likes of Hereeven and Reading. No disrespect but, excuse me? What an insult! Well that needed to come off of me. Makukula, just arrived with a sum of 4 million euros. I think it was too expensive for his quality, but only what he will do in the club and National Team will do the verdict. Nuno Gomes, probably the most dividing figure in the club. The captain. Not particularly a leading figure, but he has the most years in this home. There are people who love him, and there are people who lost any hope in him. I wouldn't say they hate him, but make fun of his inability to score on given times and grow desperate. He gets injured frequently but didn't lose his touch and now plays more as a second striker distributing plays and assisting. He'll probably stay with us after ending his career. Mantorras, his career is sadly over at the end of his contract. Could have been big if it wasn't for a career ending injury. A fan favorite nonetheless, for the way he plays (now limping) and for the goals he manages to score even after his injury. What a big post that was…
great post dilmo!!! i agree with pretty much everything! this the worst season in years but we have some promising players but slb has very badly managed lately (buying many players for the same position, no true right wing, simão sold the way he was, not keeping miccoli, not keeping leo, rodriguez, bad buys, stupid money spent)... who ever said LFV understands anything about football? plus, there must be some problem in the locker room, some players are shadows of they they use to be... and camacho? wtf happened to camacho!? i use to love him, now i can't stand him... makes me miss fernando santos! lol. but i'm pretty sure we would be playing a more atarctive football with him and adu would have played waaaaaaaaaaay more (which wouldn't have been a good thing so early off).
Esky is very very fast ... but he rarely runs full steam with the ball and, much like George Costansa, can't go right. Freddy looked pretty quick for me vs. Mexico but he kept running into trouble with his head down a la Bobby Convey. Of course, the US has own problems that are not even remotely germane to Benfica's.