NIKV69 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (3 years 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 1360 times:
I know the media is usually just itching for people like this and back when when they hailed him as the new Pele I think we all were a little skeptical but man has this guy been a dud. Can't even make the WC squad for the US?
TIA From Albania, joined Mar 2006, 520 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (3 years 1 week 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1295 times:
Couldn't agree more. He has been a big disappointment. I saw him play last Summer in DC when the US played Honduras, and I was not impressed. It was only one game, but I don't think he has excelled anywhere else.
Alias1024 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2644 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (3 years 1 week 6 days ago) and read 1270 times:
The talent is there. The problem is that he hasn't been getting consistent playing time at the club level and he has the misfortune of playing the position that the US has the most depth at. If he could competently play as a left fullback he'd be on the team.
It finally looked like he had gotten on track after a great performance at the U-20 World Cup in 2007. Based on his performance there he made the move to Benfica, only to see the manager that brought him in fired. Suddenly he was out of favor and couldn't get off the bench. He managed to get a loan to Monaco to get more playing time, only to see that manager fired too, once again leaving him out of favor. That's why he made the move to Greece, hoping that going to a lower level league would result in more playing time. So far it's worked, but it has been too little, too late given the midfield depth the US has.
I think we will see him in the 2014 World Cup. He's finally getting some solid playing time. As the work ethic and experience finally catches up to the talent, he'll move into a consistent role with the US national team. I can see him splitting his time between playing on the wing and filling in for Michael Bradley in central midfield.
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems with just potatoes.
NIKV69 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (3 years 1 week 6 days ago) and read 1268 times:
Quoting TIA (Reply 1): Couldn't agree more. He has been a big disappointment. I saw him play last Summer in DC when the US played Honduras, and I was not impressed. It was only one game, but I don't think he has excelled anywhere else.
No he can't even make to the elite leagues in Europe. I kind of wanted to see him on the big stage to see how be played. Disappointed.
BlueElephant From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 1809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (3 years 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 1251 times:
Wasn't Adu supposed to be in the Inter Milan training department when he was really young but then chose to pick up a Nike sponsor ship instead?
If he would have grown his game in Europe he would have been in a much better place right now...he's completely over rated, especially when you look at people like Bojan, Pedro and Messi of Barca. All of which are his age.
N1120A From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 25852 posts, RR: 79 Reply 5, posted (3 years 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1221 times:
The main disappointment about Adu is that he never grew like they thought he would. He is basically the same size he was at 14. They thought Adu would grow over 6' and fill out to near 200 pounds of lean muscle and be a power center forward in the Alan Shearer mold, only with perhaps better feet. It didn't happen, and he never had the pace of other guys his size in the US program like Donovan and Beasley.
Quoting BlueElephant (Reply 4): Wasn't Adu supposed to be in the Inter Milan training department when he was really young but then chose to pick up a Nike sponsor ship instead?
His mother wanted him to get a decent high school education, which she didn't feel was possible in the training department of an EU club. She also wanted to keep him close to home, as he was only 14 when he turned pro.
Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 3):
No he can't even make to the elite leagues in Europe
Benfica isn't exactly chopped liver.
Mangeons les French fries, mais surtout pratiquons avec fierte le French kiss
fxramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7027 posts, RR: 93 Reply 7, posted (3 years 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 1211 times:
Quoting N1120A (Reply 5): The main disappointment about Adu is that he never grew like they thought he would. He is basically the same size he was at 14.
Size doesn't matter in soccer.
The main problem with Adu is his attitude. That is why he's benched on his club team most the time and has been black balled on the national team. He had a sour attitude about his play time in the beginning and US coach's benched him for it. He never cleaned up his act and his career has suffered as a result of it. He doesn't deserve a spot on the US WC training camp squad and will remain a bust for the rest of his career. How about sympathies to a player that deserves to be in the US WC training camp; Charlie Davies.
Alias1024 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2644 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (3 years 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 1210 times:
Quoting N1120A (Reply 5): The main disappointment about Adu is that he never grew like they thought he would. He is basically the same size he was at 14. They thought Adu would grow over 6' and fill out to near 200 pounds of lean muscle and be a power center forward in the Alan Shearer mold, only with perhaps better feet. It didn't happen, and he never had the pace of other guys his size in the US program like Donovan and Beasley.
If I were coaching Freddy Adu, I'd move him up front and tell him to park his ass in the film room and watch tape of Gianfranco Zola.
Zola wasn't very tall and wasn't blisteringly fast, but he made up for it with great feet and creativity. Those are the same strengths and weaknesses that Adu has.
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems with just potatoes.
NIKV69 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (3 years 1 week 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 1193 times:
Quoting N1120A (Reply 5): The main disappointment about Adu is that he never grew like they thought he would. He is basically the same size he was at 14. They thought Adu would grow over 6' and fill out to near 200 pounds of lean muscle and be a power center forward in the Alan Shearer mold, only with perhaps better feet. It didn't happen, and he never had the pace of other guys his size in the US program like Donovan and Beasley.
True but Romario was a midget and he compensated with sick moves and an unbelievable skill in finishing. Adu just never really developed the skills everyone thought he had.
BlueElephant From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 1809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 10, posted (3 years 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1119 times:
Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 9): True but Romario was a midget and he compensated with sick moves and an unbelievable skill in finishing. Adu just never really developed the skills everyone thought he had.
Two words about short people and football: Leo Messi
Completely untrue. It really depends on the game you play. For Messi, his size doesn't matter. For Alan Shearer, size was his game. Take a look at Cristiano Ronaldo and tell me that the strength in that guy's frame makes no difference.
Quoting fxramper (Reply 7): How about sympathies to a player that deserves to be in the US WC training camp; Charlie Davies.
Oh, there is no doubt there. Further, losing Davies might have cost us our best chance ever at winning. That guy is f'ing brilliant and came basically out of nowhere.
Quoting fxramper (Reply 7): The main problem with Adu is his attitude. That is why he's benched on his club team most the time and has been black balled on the national team. He had a sour attitude about his play time in the beginning and US coach's benched him for it.
Well, you can't blame him in some ways. Since before he finished puberty, the guy was lauded as the next best player in the world. That kind of stuff will mess up someone's head.
Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 9): Adu just never really developed the skills everyone thought he had.
He has the feet and creativity, as mentioned above. The problem is, he tries to play a game that doesn't suit his skill. The other issue is that the current US squad is built primarily on raw speed, which doesn't suit him.
Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 9):
True but Romario was a midget and he compensated with sick moves and an unbelievable skill in finishing.
Romario wasn't slow.
Mangeons les French fries, mais surtout pratiquons avec fierte le French kiss
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