Why all the hating? I do play soccer even if I haven't been talking crap on this board. But why does that really matter that much. You can still call the game crap when its crap. The US and especially Freddy and Apkan played like crap yesterday and Rongen was an idiot for with basically the same lineup.
A couple of years ago when Rongen was leading the youth team, I saw some of the games and the kids did not look good. Apparently, I had forgotten over time, and thought that with the higher level of talent we now have that the team would look better. It doesn't. The boys looked like a bunch of guys in a pick up game where you don't really expect anyone to know how the other guys play. There were very few combinations and simple things like marking and covering -- basics to the game -- were absent. We gave our opponents on the ball too much time and space. We did not compress the field which opened the midfield up for them. There was no cohesion and the boys are lacking basics like heading the ball down on a shot on goal -- not to mention just being able to put a shot on goal! Guatemala's goalkeeper was horrible and we never even tested him! The team did not go up the field as a unit, spacing and shape were not good at all. For the amount of training that these guys have done together, I expected a whole lot more. Surely with the talent that we have, we can do a WHOLE lot more! The players that I think have done well are Rogers (very impressed with his one-on-one and crossing skills), Szetela (very composed on the ball and intelligent), Ward, Akpan, and Sturgis. When Altidore and Zimmerman came on, they added some better quality and intensity. Why they did not start is beyond me. Akpan played well in the first game -- positionally. He always seemed to be in the right spot, and he scored a couple of goals. In the Guatemala game, he had some very good touches and passes. He's a good player ... but he had better learn to strike the ball with some authority because those meager taps will not beat a good goalkeeper. Freddy has been a tremendous disappointment. He has not led or even shown up IMO. I think he is living on his reputation and is really no more than an average player at this point. Quite a bit less than I expected. He had better step it up. Seitz has not been challenged, but in the breakaway and on crosses throughout both games, he has looked solid. Zizzo impressed me for the first 10 minutes of the Guatemala game, but then he disappeared. Wallace really has not shown very well IMO and Valentin looks shaky. Before qualifying, I thought that our passage to the World Cup was just a formality. After seeing how poorly coached by Rongen the team is ... I'm not so sure ...
ERIC AVILA FARFAN BROTHERS THOSE BOYS CAN PLAY WITH GREAT SKILL too bad they arent big enough for the coach oh where is dax? adu...the next big what? broke
US Soccer fans are flat out ridiculous. I don't know what you expect from Adu. Did you actually watch the game to see what average players were playing like? Or after the Haiti match, where he really was excellent, and people said he "played well." it's like this with every good young player for the U.S. Altidore is next in line for the hate brigade. In fact, he actually did do nothing this game, however the bigsoccer fans haven't decided to put him on their hate list yet. I remember before Mcbride went to Europe all the U.S. fans were saying he sucked, then he goes to Europe and suddenly he's amazing. You can go to any country's forum on bigsoccer or anywhere else, you will not see any group remotely like the U.S. who seem to enjoy putting down their players. (regardless of if they play well)
Adu was very good (I think excellent is an exaggeration) against a very very bad team. He was horrid against another bad team (Guatemala). I watched both games and I can't believe how bad the entire team except maybe Seitz and a couple defenders played against Guatemala. Do we really want to be going in having to get a result against a home team that is likely the second best team in the group? Hopefully we can get that result, but it won't be easy.
I'm a big Zimmerman fan, and personally think he deserves more than 12 minutes of play. I'd like to see him in the game to start. He has a nose for the goal, and is a better than average finisher inside or around the 18 yard box. He got one high cross in the 12mins, and headed it high. If he gets the ball Akpan got in the box, he burries that header for a goal...period
Haiti certainly seemed to play well against Panama didn't they, make sure you don't give the U.S. players any credit. I think Seitz is an excellent keeper, but um, Guatamala didn't have a shot on goal, how can you say he played well?
Where did I say Seitz played well? You can't find it because I didn't. I said he didn't play bad because he didn't make any mistakes like the rest of the team. I can't fault him for not making any great saves if he didn't have a chance to so I said he didn't play badly. If you plan to respond to a post, respond to what it says, not what you might think it says. I don't give Haiti much credit because they looked bush league out there. Yes, the US played well against them but it had as much to do with the Haiti as the US. Their keeper was horrible for example. Their marking was useless. If they played Panama so closely, perhaps we have little to worry about tomorrow. Hopefully you are right and Panama isn't nearly as good as us.
i did not see the game (DL'ing it on torrent)... but do not take the people on this board seriously... a lot of people do not know what they are talking about, and expect to see Adu score 6 goals again... its sad.. Adu shoulda went to Europe when he was 14 so he could have developed in anonymity, or just away from the eyes of this country
Prince ... first of all, if you didn't watch the game, how can you possibly argue that "people do not know that they are talking about" ? Adu's performance so far has been very lukewarm. He has not set up many (maybe not any) dangerous chances ... he completely *whiffed* on a wide open shot from about 16 yards out ... he kept losing the ball when trying to take on opponents 1-on-1 ... and one shot that he took went into the 10th row of the stands. What people expect form Freddy is not to score 6 goals ... it is for him to coordinate with his teammates to create legitimate goal scoring opportunities ... to hit his shots on target and at least make the keeper make the save ... and to beat a man on the dribble, show some creativity and intensity, and show the leadership that being a Captain entails. Unfortunately, it seems that the flair and that spark that Freddy used to have is not there anymore. I only hope it is just a phase that he's going through ... and not permanent. Regarding the *pressure* from the fans here on the boards ... that's pretty laughable! Away from these boards, Freddy is as annonymous as just about anyone could be. If Adu was in Europe and had the same displays that he is right now after being hyped ... he would be booed off the pitch and crucified in the papers. Remember, this is only a U20 level that he is playing against ... and his quality should be much better than he is showing right now ...
Quoted for Truth... It's like watching some animal eat it's young. To be candid, I will be glad when Adu goes to Man U (or any team in europe) then when they validate him you all will be allowed to like him. I really hate to say this, but I'm almost hoping Adu plays for Ghana and *Pray* they get in a group with the USMNT in '10. Poetic justice at it's best, Adu at 21 after 3 years in europe putting balls on the foot of the Ghana forwards...magical. We as american fans deserve no better, saying what is said about a 17 year old of his accomplishments. Just a quick question for those ready to crown Mapp. He's in his 5th year in the league right? How would you compare his season to Adu's, just curious? Triva, how many goals has the US scored in the history of the WC? Look it up, it's anemic.. Perhaps we should have continued to let Adu develop as a offensive player instead of what happned, no? For those of you who don't think Adu is that good, tell me who was playing in the MLS at 15, who was the youngest american player ever capped with the USMNT, and who is the captian of the U20UMNT at 17 years old. Lets not forget the goal and player in season honors. For all your soccer knowledge I'm amazed you didn't see the numerous quick touches Adu tried to give forwards who looked suprised and like they were standing in mud. I guess he's too used ot playing with Moreno and Gomez, players who see like he does. I forgot, he failed his publicity stunt workout at Man U, right?
That is blatantly flat out wrong to a very large degree which is exactly what he's been doing um, no, what? are you kidding me
http://www.zshare.net/download/adu-vs-guatamala-u20-qualifying.html and if I do the same thing for Haiti it will be significantly better, in the U.S. match against Denmark, there was no one for either team making passes like that. I hope we can have someone playing that consistently "horrible" for the usmnt. The one big negative thing I noticed though, was when he beat the guy going right with the dribbling move, he could have taken it to the net in "vintage" adu fashion, but he turned around and passed. Though the "old" Adu from the U-17 days likely wouldn't have had the quickness to pull off that move against U-20 competition, he would have had the confidence to take it to the net if he had. Hopefully Ellinger will bring back the confidence in Freddy to take players on on the dribble.
Once again. All that sounds great, but is impossible when the team only sends ONE RUNNER forward at a time.
ok, so Wrongen is useless....for: a: making Adu captain and putting him in the middle of the field b: not having players run and exploit whatever ability Adu has to run the flow of play better/more.... BUt -everyone-please refrain from using the Celtic game (a friendly vs. an offseason opponent) CHelsea match (same deal) or the last game last season were DCU was eliminated..... Sure, they show Adu's potential (especially the last one, seeing that it was playoff time, vs. an opponenet that was also -obviously- in season form.... although of course, Pete's genius subbing took care of that one) But unless he finds some darn consistency, all these examples mean quite little..... We criticize becasue we expect better....not Ronaldinho/Pele better, but better, starting with consistency and the added responsibility of being captain and what that means... And i do not see it consistently enough..... just like with LD at senior level....
My problem, as I stated before, is that by playing Adu at center mid it takes away from his ability to run at people. The way Rongen has Adu playing his position it could, to equal effect, be manned by Szetela or Bradley. If he was playing in Rogers's position it would be a major upgrade. So, Szetela or Bradley = Adu, at center mid in Rongen's formation. Adu > Rogers, at left forward. I also said in my previous post that Adu has played well in the center and still stand by that, but we'd be a much better team with what I've suggested.
I don't think it takes away his ability to run at people. It means the players need to adjust to the new play when he does beat someone in the middle - which he did quite a bit in the Guate match. It means the attacking players have to get closer together at that point and combine to goal, not still standing on the touchlines.
I think you will see a totally different mindset against Panama today.I cant see Rongen not playing the Rodgers- Altidore-Johann combination and these are attacking minded players who likes to go forward.
I certainly hope so. But this sort of play happens when coaches try to legislate the attack. At this level, you have to put the players on the field in a formation that puts them in the best areas of the field for the individual players. You tell them what opportunities are/should be available and then you hold the INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS accountable for working together to get over/around/through that defense.