US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Mods merge this thread if you feel necessary. I thought this deserves it's own discussion though. http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=54338 3 goals and an assist. Wow! I know they want to save him from tough tackles, but it's going to be tempting to start him up top.
Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] What's new, he's looked great against college players and youth teams for 2 years now. What would be interesting and worth discussing would be if he actually started to do something against pro teams in spring training. Something he's failed to yet do.
Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] that's the danger of looking at stats. you're obviously assuming that because he didn't score in spring training, he must have played poorly. of course, by all accounts of those who actually watched the games and reported on it, he was the most dangerous guy on the team in spring training, but there just wasn't any finishing by the team. add to the fact that he was playing out wide in the midfield during training camp, instead of up top or in the center midfield (which is his true position and the position he is playing for the u-17's), and its easy to see why he wasn't scoring in preseason. soccer isn't a numbers game like baseball.
Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] I'm basing my opinion of his spring training based on what harkes has told me, not what i've read. There's a fine line between being "dangerous" (which anyone who can consistently beat a man 1v1 is) and actually being an effective goal scorer/creator. Don't get me wrong, adu can be a great player, even by the end of the season he can do a lot of things. But at this point he's simply outgunned against most MLS defenders.
Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Also, there's a reason that he's outwide and not paired in central midfield with Convey (or up top for that matter), he's simply not good enough yet. Using the excuse that he's not in his natural position really doesn't work as obviously he's not shown in practice that he's good enough to displace DC's current options at forward. Anyone who expects Adu to score more than 5 goals this year is lying to themselves. I really hope he makes me look like a fool when we look back at the end of the year, but it's just not realistic to expect this kid to be a major contributor to this team at 14/15 years of age.
Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] I am a wide mid-fielder and starting right back for my college, but i did some time as a forward my freshman yr and in high school.....THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE NATURAL POSITION...switching between right mid and forward is like telling a left fielder he is going to play first base... I see a big argument for the change of position...
Agree with GCSOCCER19. I switched the other way, from right wing to forward. Hugely different positions.
Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] What about when he scored twice against Chicago for the U-17's? He has yet to play a professional game and already people think they have him figured out.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] My point with him playing out of position was that he's obviously not proved in practice that he's good enough to displace DC's current options up top. Obviously when you were a freshman in HS you were probably not good enough to displace your teams current options at rightback and wide midfield, so the coach fit you in where they had holes to give you some PT and get you seasoned and ready for when you were an upperclassmen. Same situation in DC with Adu. He's not ready for the big time yet and not good enough to knock anybody else out of the lineup, so Nowak is filling him in where he can to get hime some PT and season him a bit.
Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Yes, and it was an impressive preseason Fire lineup he scored against as well, half the team was in it's first year out of college or not even on the official fire roster: Fire Lineup: GK-Henry Ring, D-Kelly Gray, D-Heath Pearce, D-Chad Dombrowski, M-Ryan Futagaki, Ryan Mack, M-Logan Pause, M-Craig Capano, M-Amos Magee, Derk Droze, Phil Swenda. Not to mention one of the goals was a PK. Look my whole point w/ Adu, don't count your chickens before they hatch. He can be a great player, just don't expect great things out of him this year. He's 14 years old. Yeah he's gunna beat guys 1v1 a lot this year, and look a lot like Cristiano Ronaldo at Man U, dangerous on occasion, not very effective, but a good future.
saying the reason a coach might play someone out of position because he's not good enuf to play in his natural position is a broad brush to paint with. Speaking as a player who has been moved and as a coach who has moved other players, there are about a dozen reasons why you might do it. i'm not saying this is or is not the case, but its too early to tell what nowak is thinking in regards to where freddy will play once the season rolls around...
There are not a dozen reasons, there are two, 1) Lack of players at the position he is filling in for 2) Not good enough to play his natural position It's not rocket science, if he was good enough to be starting at forward, he'd be starting at forward. You DC fans should be much more excited about Bobby Convey this year than Mr. Adu.
Seriously, Peledre, you argue like I did in High School. Your opinion is not fact. There are no facts in soccer, just statistics and results. Now, please show more respect for the opinions of posters on this board than to direct us as to whom we should be most excited about. Cheers, Tim
Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] You think so eh? I think a guy who can consistently beat a man 1v1 often is the difference between an average player and a great player. I don't see where you draw the line This Adu outburst gives me a little hope for the season. 3 goals and an assist! I know it's against a college team but I find that REAL impressive!
Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] If he plays as well as C. Ronaldo has this season, and is even 1/2 as effective as ManU's new #7, then there is every reason to carry on the way we have been carrying on. Next... Tim
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] BudWiser and I have polar opposite opinions on just about every topic I recall. Hence, I think you've got some work to do here Peledre. Tim
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] You draw the line because beating a man 1v1 and scoring a goal are 2 different things, especially with Adu as right now he's playing on the wing, and will have to beat 3 or 4 men on the way to goal. He's not physically big enough to hack it day in and day out at forward against MLS defenders that are 8 inches taller, and 40 pounds heavier than him. Yeah, he'll beat a few guys here and there and have a few nice highlight moves, but he's not going to be a prolific goal scorer. You people need to take a dose of reality concerning Adu. I'm not saying he's not going to be a great player, he can be, but for gosh sakes at least wait until he's playing professionals in competitive matches (not burning college players like he's been doing for 2 years now) before you blow your load on him this season.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] It's pretty tough when you guys are blindly ignoring facts to stay in your dreamworld of aduology.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Luichi Gonzalez consistently had hat tricks against college teams, and even in competitive games, and now look where he is.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Reverse that thought-to score a goal generally you need to beat a man, right? The greatest players ever-Maradona, Pele-beat guys 1v1, sometimes even 1v2, and got so much attention they'd open up real estate for their teammates. You realize that after someone is beat 1v1, it causes all kinds of matchup problems for defenses as it breaks the defense's matchup schemes. I'd argue DC United has been desperate for someone who can create danger all by himself, and the lack of that someone may be the biggest reason why our offense has been bad Beasley beats guys 1v1 and creates all kinds of danger. Donovan is a terror in his 1v1 skills. Even a forward-type like Razov, a guy who generally won't dribble by a player, beats a guy 1v1 with, among other things, opening up room for his wicked shot. RDA? Beat guys 1v1 w/his positioning and finishing. especially with Adu as right now he's playing on the wing, and will have to beat 3 or 4 men on the way to goal Yes on the wing he could be less effective. He may warrant being played a-mid or forward. You say he's not good enough, but for reasons I wouldn't say would make him not good enough-I haven't seen him play yet
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Much as it pains me to say so, I am sort of leaning towards Peledre's point of view. I could care less if Adu scores goals against Clemson or any other college team. This is the DC United board, what I care about is his ability to contribute meaningfully in games against professional MLS teams. Reading between the lines in the reports and analysis of our preseason games so far, I get the impression Adu has played well, but not spectacularly so, and certainly not well enough to make you think he alone will make up for the other inadequacies of our team this season. Put another way, I get the impression some of us think that Adu, on his own, is going to transform this team. Well, he might, but the likelihood is that he will end up being an above average rookie this season, and making the real contribution in his second season. We will probably get a stellar season from him in his third year before he buggers off to Europe. The key performances this season will need to come, if they come at all, from Stewart, Convey and Cerritos, not to mention Dema and Nelsen.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: US U-17 vs. Clemson University [R] Age is not the discussion here, obviously he is farther along than Luichi Gonzalez, and has much higher growth potential. The point is that results against college teams don't mean dick in regards to how he'll perform against MLS teams during the season.