1. I feel good about this match. Even last year, we struggled to win on the road and some of our road wins at the end of the season we were outplayed. I'll take a road result any way we can get it. 2. Columbus plays good "D". We can make fun of Walker and say they all phoned it in. But Fraser was an MVP candidate last year, Marshall is a handfull and this is a coach who never has his team go forward with numbers--they play to get a tie or a goal against the run of play. 3. As long as Eskandarian is out and Quaranta is called up, we really don't have a goal scorer on this team. And that means we're going to struggle to score goals on the road consistently. Assuming we add our AAAA and he's a good contribution, that (finding someone to score goals) is ultimately going to decide just how good this team is. we can defend well most of the time, we've improved our transition game, we're faster, we possess the ball well, we usually create a lot of chances. But we have defensive brainfarts about every 4-5 games where we give up a bunch of goals (hopefully our AAAA will help with that). And we don't have a goal scorer. I remain confident that if Eskandarian can conquer his concussion issues, he'll get back in form. He was doing the things most recently that we key to him being so successful last season. And Quaranta has rounded nicely into form. And we score well by committee. But it's kind of hard to say that you expect your goals to come from Gomez, Gros and Kovalenko. Kuffour is a great talent with a tremendous upside. But unless he really turns a corner, he's not our goalscoring answer this season. In fact, based upon what I saw this match (and I wasn't disappointed), I don't think he should start against KC. KC won't give him the room to get touches. Against KC you get the ball with smart runs off the ball and well-timed connections with your attackers. That ain't Nana by a long shot. I'd actually favor trotting out Adu at forward against KC unless Eskandarian is available. 4. Right now, Adu is taking everything personally. If he's looking at the game, he can tell that the first half Columbus was far more dangerous (especially in the middle of the field) than any other game we've played them this year. He can tell that Dema is having issues with Henderson. A good A-mid is an observer of the entire game, a good judge of what teammates are "on" and who is struggling. Adu isn't there yet. His comments in the Post seem to imply that "I was taken off b/c I must have pissed off Nowak somehow." He can't see that sometime you make subs for tactical reasons--you get ahead and sub in a defender. The other team moves to a 3-man frontline so you take off a midfielder and put on a defender. I personally think this is all about hormones and puberty in terms of the Adu issues. If you think I'm off-base than read some of what Quaranta and EJ have both said about their behavior now versus 2-3 years ago. Adu may be mature beyond his years but he's still 16.
True! Not only did we win on the road, but we won with a depleted roster (missing Quaranta, Benny, Bryan, Eski). It's also our first win in the Crew's house since 1999. A good team finds ways to win, weither they are at the top of thier game or the bottom.
As far as the Adu comments in the post, we just have to understand that we are still dealing with a 16 year old kid who still hasn't gotten the nuances of playing this game as a team player. If Freddy can't figure out that there was a gaping hole in midfield that even Brian Carroll could drive through, then he still has a lot of growing up to do on the field. I can see why Freddy was upset because when you get taken out at halftime, the assumption is that it it your fault and I have no doubt Freddy feels this is the case. But to me that isn't the case. It's just as much Gomez' fault as it was Freddy's for not tracking back effectively. He simply chose to leave Gomez on (which was the right move). All of this would have been a moot point however had Clyde Simms been 90 minute healthy. He took a knock in practice on Thursday and was deemed unfit to start. Had he been healthy, Adu probably would have come on in his normal role after halftime. Deal with it Freddy.
I think that Freddy played well, he had some nice balls and was pretty smooth. But like many of you are suggesting, I too am wondering if Nowak has taken away that fearlessness from Freddys game. If so that is a shame because that is one of the things that makes Freddy Freddy. I dont think he should have been subbed. I also think that Carroll has offered nothing this year, and personally think that Simms should start in place of him. I know that last night Simms took a knock before the game but from now on I think he is a better fit there. He doesnt have nearly the turnovers that Carroll does and he is so calm on the ball. I can see why BA called him into camp and hope that he does again.
The kid was the ONLY player in that first half from either team that atcually had a first touch and any sense of ball control. To be subbed is one thing, to be subbed for David Stokes...well thats about as bad as it gets. I used to think all those Adu threads were silly about his development in DC but as each game passes i have to wonder if maybe they are on to something cause he just doesn't look like the same player.
I agree that Adu looks like he's wandering through a bit of a soccer haze right now, but to say that he was the only player with a first touch and any control over the ball is to ignore the fact that any time DC was threatening going forward was because Christian Gomez, whose entire game is having an intelligent first touch and creating space for himself and his teammates with other clever touches, was involved.
No worries, I guess we have different definitions of unimpressive, as I thought adu, carroll, kuffour and prideaux had poor games. Stokes was given a TON of room on that right side and he was never really closed down. He got some crosses off, he maintained possession, he defended reasonably well. I just think he could have done a better job of taking advantage of the space afforded him by the lackluster defender on that side. He also could have crept into the box to recieve crosses from the far side (might as well use the height for something). Bottom line (for me) is he didnt do poorly, nor excel = unimpressive. I also thought part of the reason for the Adu sub was how poor Carroll's play was last night as he couldnt contain sCrew's midfield so Nowak needed to get him some major help. Did he play the last time we played them (with adu/gomez in the center) or was it Simms?
I was watching HDNet during the string of DC United passes and chanting Ole in front of the TV. Marcello Balboa commented "I can't believe the Crew is letting them do this. Somebody's got to foul someone." He was astounded the Crew were so passive in their ball chasing and letting DC play kickaround on their own field. He had a point. I really enjoy watching Gomez controlling the ball. There were so many times where he had the ball with a guy right on him and he always found a way to create some space to either hold the ball or play it off to someone else. Nobody makes 100% of their passes, but Gomez really makes a difference when he has the ball. Winning it is somebody else's job. But Christian has the ability to calm DC's play down when they need it.
I was very disappointed. True, we finally beat Columbus for the first time since 99 on their turf, but what a piss-poor win it was. I'm fine with it, but not happy. Yet again, our finishing wasn't there, even when we're in position...
Was that the one down in the Crew end, far side away from the camera? If that's the one I am thinking of, I thought that he waited for Schultze (sp) because of his long throw ability to get it further out the back faster. Still interesting though.
WHat i saw was a 1st half chalk full of sloppy play, bad touches, and zero flow. I lost count of how many times a player (on both sides) would recieve a pass and have it bounce 3 yards in front or to the side of him. Freddy 's touch was deft every time. His passes were on target almost every time. Problem in my mind is DC wants Freddy to do things he just isn't able to do. He isn't a ball winner nor is he a defensive presence. He shouldn't be, he isn't built to be a great defensive player. He needs to be given an all out attacking role where he can stay forward and have the ball in the final third in the middle of the park where he has more options...he is the best passer on this team. It sucks for him because he is being forced to play out of position, he is being forced to learn an entire new set of responsibilties. His best performances and games have come when he was in the hole behind the forwards. Sigi and Nowak seem hell bent on making him a wide player but this restricts the best parts of his game. You essentially remove 1/2 of the field as an option for him by sticking his back on the touch line. I feel bad for the kid because he is undoubtably the most talented and gifted player on DC outside of Moreno. But he is constantly being shuffled around, pulled, and mis-managed. Send him over to Metro so we can unlock his true potential. This situation continues to get worse for both Freddy and DC.
I thought that Rimando had a good game and that Gomez was spectacular for the majority of the match. I would like to see some more shooting and more goals, but three points on the road is all that matters. Wilson is very good going forward and that needs to be utilized as much as possible by this team. Josh Gros was invisible the entire night. He is in a mighty slump right now and needs to get out of it now or his playing time is going to dip. Nana's technique was a little dissapointing, but he brings the 'Esky effort' up front that the team loves as a compliment to Moreno. He's still young and raw and has a chance to develop into a very good threat.
Much better put than my "Freddy stunk" observation earlier. However, the fact remains that Kovalenko was being torched by Henderson on a regular basis and a Gomez/Adu middle was, to be charitable, porous. You can't put Adu outside on Henderson because of the size differential and Adu's sometimes feckless tackling. You also don't sit Gomez over Adu period, Gomez has forgotten more about being an A-mid than Adu has yet learned. The only other move is Adu upfront for Kuffour. I certainly agree that Kuffour had a very bad touch last night, but -- he scored against Chicago and has lit up the board and worked hard in the Reserve matches. I think Nowak thought he earned some slack due to his effort and results over the past month. In the next game, maybe Nowak does things differently.
I may be the only one who doesn't see this *necessarily* as a bad thing. One could view this as excellent training towards being a complete soccer player. There are holes in Freddie's game - not surprising as he easily dominated at all lesser levels - and Nowak could be trying to teach him. No better way to learn than playing, even if it is out of position, for his long term success. What isn't clear is whay the levl of communication is with Nowak. The comments don't appear promising, but it's also hard to get a complete sense from a few lines in a newspaper.
After reading all of this I want to give props to Nowak. Nicky was our MOTM, but Nowak made good substitutions defensively to shore up the consistent openings the Crew was able to take advantage of. With Stokes in, he helped shut down the Henderson express and we also got the added gift of having better matchups on all the corners we gave away. Walker looked much better than Nana up front last night. And I was certainly glad to see Simms come in at the end. Offensively, it seemed that Jaime, Gomito, Nana and Freddy were not on the same page but were on four different pages. Nana needs to keep his composure on the ball. Seemed like every opportunity he had the adreniline got to him and he lost the ball. I'll take this win anytime. It took 6 years to get it.
It seems that Freddy is not yet good enough to beat out a skilled veteran Argentine player for his preferred AM position. This is not so bad, considering that Gomez has probably been playing professionally about as long as Freddy has been breathing. At DC, Freddy has to earn time on the field. Novak is coaching a team. His job is to produce the best team. Freddy's job is to play in a way that makes his team better. Novak's resume suggests that he knows a thing or two about playing and winning. I think that he recognizes and appreciates Freddy's talents, but right now Freddy can't bump Gomez, so Freddy needs to develop a more complete game, so that he can get on the field at the same time as Gomez. This means he needs to be able to handle the rigors of front line play, or he needs to play stronger defense. When you say that Freddy isn't built to be a great defensive player, I think of DMBeasley. DMB may have more speed, but I don't think there is that much physical difference between these guys. If Freddy played defense anywhere close to what DMB brings, he'd be playing 90. Maybe Freddy is a lot slower than DMB, but if he can just approach the defensive effort and ability, he will be the big time player that we all want to see. Freddy's ball skills far exceed DMB's. I don't really know how his speed compares, but the bottom line is that DCU/Novak are trying to develop a complete player, and in the long run, I think that Freddy will benefit from his current frustrations. No the kid isn't perfect, but he is very good and he is getting better. Imagine DMB with Freddy's ball skills. That is the future I want to see for Freddy. And why would anyone want to go to the Metros?
Ok i know at first this is going to sound counter-intuitive but...this is precisely the problem. Why do we want Freddy to be a complete player? Look at all the great attacking players in the world, none of them are anything close to what you would call a complete player. What they are, are highly specialized players. They are attackers to the core and have very little other aspects to their game. It seems like Nowak is trying to turn or develop Freddy to be Nowak and Freddy just isn't that player. Why should we stunt his growth as a fiece attacking threat by forcing him to be a two-way player? Freddy has the touch, the quickness, the passing ability, and at the lower levels where he was an all out attacker he was a goal scorer. Now Nowak wants him to be "well rounded" which is fine for a normal midfielder but by doing that you essentially remove the best parts of Freddy's game. His strengths should be expolited and he should be trained as a speciallized player and to develop further his abilities not have his creativity and flair sucked out of him by sticking him in a role he just isn't made for. DMB naturally had those skills but look at what PSV did to him immediatly after coming there. He is being trained as a attacker and isn't given the role like in CHicago where he was expected to be a 2 way guy. This is precisily my point as above. PSV knows that DMB can be a 2 way guy but they don't want a complete player in Beasley they want to speciallize him as a forward in a 4-3-3. Thats what Nowak should be doing with Freddy!! US Soccer in general has a bad habbit of sucking the creativity out of or boys by trying to make them "complete" Sort of a "jack of all trades master of none" Nowak's a good coach but i think he is dropping the soap in the shower with Adu. [Real Mobile] And why would anyone want to go to the Metros? [/QUOTE] Bradley has a good track record with bringing along young players and puting them in positions to utilize their best attributes...I beleive Adu would absolutly thrive under Bradley.
Adu is way too small to be a one-dimensional attacking player. He can't win the ball in the air and, so far, has shown a disturbing tendency to be pushed off the ball by larger, stronger players. The fact that his innate talent, which no one denies, allowed him to dominate other kids as a forward does not mean that he necessarily will have the same success as the competition becomes stronger. John Wilson was a forward in college and the only way he stayed in the pro game was to move back to defense. Boswell is another example. It might be the Adu is best suited to be an A-mid or withdrawn forward. The problem for him is that he isn't as good as the two guys who currently hold those positions, Gomez and Moreno.