donovan will most likely be an a-mid/forward. i could see him starting for a mid-table euro team that challenges for a uefa spot... maybe better if he continues to develop.
Alongside Adu, i think we need another tall Forward Striker McBride like size, and even McBride like in general. Or should I say, a tall power forward?! Who can step up alongside Adu?
I don't think Adu will see much playing time at forward. He himself has stated that he much prefers to play the attacking midfield position right behind the 2 strikers because that allows him to run at defenders instead of having to bang with defenders who are much bigger than him. Landon Donovan should consider that statement in his own best interests .......
I think that after McBride you'll see either Twellman, Casey, Buddle, or Johnson occupying the target forward spot. Maybe have Donovan as the smaller, more creative forward. Or, if someone else emerges as a forward, shift Donovan to the right wing. Or just shift him around as was done in WC2002 so that you can rest players and exploit the defense's weaknesses. Donovan's greatest asset is his versatility, something that was extremely useful in the WC. Adu could play up top, but as has been said, he's probably better suited to play A-mid. I don't see Donovan and Adu ever being strikers for us at the same time. You generally want a target forward like McBride up there to go along with someone like Donovan.
As much as I like Adu, I don't see him getting PT during the WC unless we are out of it in Round 1 and playing a "consolation" game for our third match. Remember - he'll be 17 then (and only by a few days). This is obviously just a guess but Bruce likes to protect the youth players. He puts them on the team but doesn't play them as much as we'd often like to see them play. Seriously guys, Adu will not likely play any of the qualifiers even. He'll be 15 and 16 for the qualifiers going up against some rude and crude defenders from some rough and tumble countries. At 15 or 16, an injury can derail the kid's entire career so don't expect too much too soon. Of course, he could play in a qualifier and score three goals and be Bruce's "savior"! Who knows!
I think youre exactly right. Adu may go for "experience" to WC06 (again, provided we qualify), but lets remember that Arena has a past for not taking people just for experience. (see: Meola instead of Howard '02)
Until we legalize same sex union or marriage in this country, the future ahead for these guys together will be rough. They can always move north to Canada.
I was sitting in a 5-hr meeting about oil and gas leases yesterday when it donned on me, LD should go to Celtic. He can play the withdrawn forward behind Hartson and Larsson, with Lennon playing DM, and then move up front when needed. Be good for the Euro competitions
If all our talent pool develops accordingly, I like the idea of this team for 2010... .................. Howard .................... ..Dolo...Bocanegra...Spector...Dunivant.. .................... Clark ..................... ..... Szetela ...... Donovan ..... Beasley.. .......... Adu .............. Buddle/Casey....
I'd be surprised if Adu is even on the WC squad in 2006. He won't be involved in qualifying. Therefore he would take a spot from someone who did help the team in qualifying. That's just messed up. Don't count on him in 2006.
That logic doesn't work with Arena. DaMarcus Beasley, Pablo Mastroeni, Frankie Hejduk. I think Donovan played in 2 qualifyers that meant anything, vs Guatemala and Jamaica. Wolff played in the 1st two in the HEX before breaking his ankle. After the Jamaica match in Qualifying, Arena said that he knew that his team had no chance of showing well in the world cup and that he had to make a lot of changes for them to even compete. Which is exactly what he did. If we qualify, Arena should have around a Year and a Half to tweak his roster until he gets it ti his likings. During that time your gonna see a lot of guys get run-outs for major friendlies. Talented U-20s (Adu, Szetela, Spector, Simek, Whitbred, Karbassiyoon, Tino Quaranta, Eddie Johnson, Gaven, Magee, Eskandarian, Ricardo Clark). 20somethings that never really got many shots (Gooch, Beckerman, Capano, Casey, Twellman), re-treads (Armas, Wolff, Mathis, Kirovski, Ralston, Mulrooney, Vanney, Berhalter). And the the Core (Donovan, Buddle - I Hope -, Beasley, Convey, JOB, Reyna, Mastro, Pope, Cherundolo, Bocangera, the 3 Keeps) Gibbs goes on that list somewhere, just don't know where exactly.
look for Buddle to be have fully filled McBrides role by 2006... the mathis's, razovs, twellmans, cunnighams, wolfs, kirovskis, will all be hopefulls for the roster by 2006 with all the talent we have coming up the ranks.....