Freddy's team awareness and tactical contributions improved immensely across the season. Most importantly, he greatly increased his off the ball movement and checking to the ball. However, it appears right now that he is more of a midfielder than attacker. If he's an attacking midfielder, then he competes with LD and he'll lose that battle. If he is a wing midfielder, then he has to show better and more frequent tackling plus continued flank play/crossing development. He reads the field really well and hits a large percentage of high quality passes. Time will tell whether he makes the bench in 2006 or not.
I expect he'll be on the subs bench as a 70th minute offensive spark, because he might do something great and save a game. But I doubt he'll be starting.
adu showed remarkable growth from the beginning of the mls season... and given the LEARNING curve remains similar, in two years TIME, may of 2005, arena will be considering his presence.. I do agree freddy is NOW, more attacking mid in a ronaldinho style....and his possible use in '06 would be as an offensive spark coming off the bench minute 70... let's say usa is going mcbride..johnson with donovan at a-mid... i can see the scenario where mcbride come to the bench and adu comes on and donovan moves up top... johnson..donovan...adu..beasley running at defenses is an interesting idea... then there's two d-mid types sitting behind them.... for curiosuities sake let's have them be spector and mastroeni...
This is how it will play out for Freddy. The Bruce will follow Brasil's logical steps in player development at the International level...ie bring the best up and coming lad and have him be there to train, live the Mundial and prepare for his future WC (as long as we qualify).
I think you meant may of 2006, which is really more like a year and a half, not two full years time. Unfortunately, the timing of the next world cup isn't favorable for him.
I'm betting he gets his first cap in a post-hexagonal friendly in December '05, or in an early '06 friendly/Gold Cup (if it's held in winter again). I make no predictions that he'll make the team, that's a long way off, but he did grow a great deal as a player over the course of the season. That being said, he needs a lot of work, but again, he'll play in about another 40-50 matches (potentially making that 70-85 games in the MLS career-wise) for United before the World Cup '06, so he could certainly grow by leaps in bounds in that period of time. A wait and see approach still seems to make the most sense.
WTF? Gaven took a step back this year? The end of the year he wasn't playing great but he had a sports HERNIA and he made the MLS best IX.
Adu doesn't look like a right mid to me, plus the first game of the 2006 world cup (June 9th 2006) is 18 months and 18 days from today. I don't see how Adu can even make the team in time, let alone start or play. Arena isn't going to bring along a player unless he believes he can help his team. Adu would need to have an amazing 2005 season in the MLS to be considered for the nats. Beasley was looked at as a late addition for the 2002 team but his first couple caps were in Jan/Feb 2001(right about now). I don't think Adu will be capped in the next 3 months. I just don't think he has enough time to make the team by 2006.
I can't really see Adu as anything more then having an outside shot at the bench for the US in 06. Then again he may prove us all wrong and be a monster player who grows 4-6 inches (always possible given his age) and gains weight and strength. I am excited to see how the 06 team pans out, I wouldn't say Reyna has a solid lock on the team at this point. The US looks to have a speedy, taller more aggresive offense at this point in time, Reyna is more of a control the pace slow things down and build type player. The US looks far more dangerous without him then with him. Any thoughts on that? Plus, looking past the 06 Cup, doesn't the 2010 seem to hold quite a bit of promise? These younger players we have now, who knows how good they may become.
It also ought to be said that Beasley's competition for a 2,002 slot was a lot softer than Adu's in 2,006 ... which is Beasley. On either flank. And, unless DMB gets hurt, he's a lock to start. As to the right flank, I am still waiting for Brian West to lay his claim to it.
That's true, but in comparison to Adu, LD has much more upper body strength. As I recall, the winter 2001 leading up to the World Cup, Arena's one criticism to Donovan was that he had to build up the upper body strength in order to compete, so Donovan started an intense weight-training program that he continued even at the World Cup. It greatly increased his upper body strength and musculature (I should know, I've studied it intently ). As a 15/16 year old, I'm not sure how much Freddy would be able to increase that strength to enable him to get out there and play at that level to any effectiveness. Course, Beasley did - but I don't know what his level of strength by comparison is, either.
adu has incredible skills to offer...of course, he's PRESENTLY NOT ready to step onto a pitch and be a major contributor... however, he wouldn't DISGRACE himself neither....a lot of his growth during the mls season was mental adaptation... the key will be what sort of LEARNING CURVE Adu follows, how much continual growth does he display.... the one thing he has is breakaway speed..and that's a skill arena could easily find worth having coming off the bench... also the 1994 ronaldo model could also be applied to adu...if we start going down the list of who players 20-22 will be, what do they offer other than insurance when it comes to realtime play in germany '06.... for arguements sake, let's say the choice is twellman or adu for the final slot... the caveat is adu exhibits contineud development....and he does have certain talents NO other american can offer....although they are far from refined..
Huh? You're kidding, right? Sure, he's done well in his first season...but USMNT WC Squad??? Hmm...also...3-man backline of Onyewu, Boca, and 'Dolo? What about Pope? Ever heard of Tony Sanneh? Great veterans and this will be their last shot probably. Also...Hejduk isn't my favorite outside back, but he hustles more than anyone out there and always seems to do alright. Onto midfield...Spector at D-Mid? We've never even seen him play that! How can you possibly include him in the WC lineup in a position he's never played (at least not that much)! Uhhh...where's Claudio Reyna?! He said he's coming back for '06 and you have LD in there? LD will never play center mid when Claudio can be in the lineup. LD belongs on the right flank or up top and the UNCAPPED(!) Adu, no matter how much promise he has, should be on the bench or not even on the squad. Finally, TWELLMAN?!?! He's made only a handfull of good plays in his MNT carreer and the best of which was probably the header in the friendly against Mexico earlier this year. You're telling me you'd take TT over McBride? Over Wolff? Even over Donovan if he plays up-top in '06? Eddie Johnson has shown he can beat up on CONCACAF teams, but aside from scoring against Jamaica, Panama, and ES (all of which have played terrible except Panama, whose played well, but still is a bad team) who has he played against? NOBODY! Tell me that Johnson has a better chance of scoring against a world-class Italian, German, or Holland defense better than McBride or Donovan...please tell me... Look at the future players which are closer to breaking into the side...Eddie Gaven. I think he has a great shot at being a wonderful outside mid for this team...long, lanky, fast, smart, and a great shot...he's done a wonderful job and has excelled in MLS...it's just a matter of time...
if I ahd to wager a line-up for june '06... keller cherundolo onyewu bocanegra spector mastroeni dempsey donovan beasley (in a box) mcbride and johnson....
Bease can only play one side at a time and he's almost certainly going to be on the left. The right is still up for grabs. Even then, I Still don't think Adu will get it. I'm not expecting too much from Brian West. I would be surprised if he's that much better. It would be nice to find a good RM. We will see.
The US doesn't have the luxery to waste a roster spot on a young guy that can't contribute yet like Brazil can. Arena will need to use most of his bench for the tournament.
agreed there. My questions are: 1.when did adu become so good with both feet he can suddenly play on the right? 2.how in th ehell do you think a guy whos never been capped, will switch to a new position, get capped, play enough meaningful minutes in qualifying, and learn to play his new position at such a great level he will be a starter by 2006?
I completely agree. And as another poster pointed out, I don't believe that the U.S. is ready yet to follow the example of Brazil, which can afford to bring a player along to a World Cup solely for the learning experience. I'd say that if Adu was going to have any sort of chance to make the squad for WC 2006, he'd need to earn a cap by the middle of next year (not just be invited to a camp). That means he'd have to have a really great first half of the '05 MLS season. In any other scenario after that time frame has passed, he'd only make the roster by totally taking over the league and forcing Arena to consider a hot player ("Freddy Adu...so hot right now"). Although either of these situations are possible, I don't think they're likely. In the end, the timing isn't quite ideal.
Hey! the US took Regis along last time for the "learning experience" With regard to Freddy, he plays on the right side for DCU a lot, moving from one side to another. With Stewart likely to go back to the Netherlands, there is an open slot in the DCU midfield. Freddie's for the taking. If Moreno stays fit and doesn't show his age too much, he will work wonders with Freddy over a whole season. And, no, he won't need a cap until BA thinks he can begin to contribute. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't. I don't really care what the decision is as long as it benefits the team. I suspect that will be BA's view as well.
My ever so subtle point was that Arena has already experimented with DMB on the right or at least on the right side of a box because no one emerged as a true right-side midfielder/flanker and because he wanted to give Eddie Lewis a run on the left. In other words, if the right-side mid/flanker continues to be such a problem, Bruce would revert to the abovementioned formation before trying someone like Adu at his current level of play. Brian has been playing upfront in Norway but he had played as a pure right-side midfielder before. He made an "All-Pro" roster there and that gives him a try-out with the Nats. Personally, I'd like to see Eddie Gaven placed on the right first and then Clint Dempsey, especially if the latter ends up with Feyenoord.
Yeah, and don't forget about Meola and Joe-Max Moore either! I agree that Freddy will have a shot to impress next year, and maybe he won't need to be capped to garner serious attention, but I think it's pretty clear that Arena has a system when it comes to young guys. For him to break his established pattern would take some spectacular play by Freddy. I'm not writing Freddy off, just saying that it isn't likely that he'll start dominating MLS in the next year or so. As you said, in the end it's most important that any decision ends up benefitting the team. If that means Freddy can make a difference, then I'm all for it. I just don't see it happening with such little time left until WC (relatively speaking).
Could be. But, if he continues to mature, then it is quite possible that he will be called into Nats camps during the coming winter and but get into a game unless they are friendlies, late into or after the hex.
Careful. He's got 2 MLS seasons before Deutschland, and when we qualify outright early next year, Bruce will be using MLS players for the rest of the time till the YA complete their season. I can see Adu getting a cap before WC06, but not ever starting. Possible super-sub?
adu has one full mls season and a couple months of the next one.... If I had to wager when he'd get his first camp invite, I'd say for gold cup next year....with all the hex matches, I suspect a 2nd tier gets the gold cup, sitting most of the 1st line guys... the caveat being freddy's first couple months next year continue his learning curve....