By FRANCO PANIZO
Greek club Aris Salonika is a step closer to playing in next season's Champions League, and the club can thank Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson for that.
Johnson netted both of Aris' goals in its 2-0 play-off win against Olympiakos on Wednesday, heading home an Adu cross before capitalizing on a defensive mistake in the 90th minute. Along with delivering an assist as he was slipping, Adu also drew a penalty kick that was not converted by teammate Koke. Johnson went the distance while Adu was subbed out in the 89th.
The win was the perfect way to start the four-team round robin for Aris, which began in fourth place due to a weighing system based on the regular season standings. Aris next faces PAOK on May 2.
Here are the highlight's from Aris' 2-0 win:
What do you think of Johnson and Adu's performances? Impressed? Do you see them getting called into the pre-World Cup camp?
Share your thoughts below.
EJ deserves the 30-man roster spot, not sure he should be anywhere near the top 23
It is great that they played so well in such an important game… EJ was actually average for most of the match but was a real factor in the last 20 mins.. Olympiakos was very aware of him and his pace..
Happy for them….yes. Expecting them to get called up for WC camp….no. Both of them are in Greece because it hasn’t gone well for them any place else. If they can do well in Greece, I would like to see them somewhere like Holland. If theoretically they got to a league like that and were able to start and hold their own, then I would call them up. Right now on the Fulham website message board they describing Johnson’s goals as lightning striking twice and unless I see a lot more consistency in his game I would have to agree. Same for Adu.
Well… honestly.. these days Greece and Holland are not that far apart… Also..this was against a team that is in the Champions League year in and year out… This is not crappy football they are playing.. every bit as good as Denmark and Norway and guys like Bedoya and Rolfe may get looks…
Technically, being in the Top 30 is being quite near the Top 23.
I think Buddle and Gomez still get the call on form.
So, why have they spent so much time on the bench lately — especially in the Greek Cup? They’re making the coach look silly…
Good games for both…but the problem isn’t talent..its consistency. A few more good games and I don’t see the harm in a camp call up..but I still don’t see them anywhere near our 23.
more impressed with that hot greek chic that was in the video
There performance was great. Lets get EJ and Adu on the roster and if they choke, cut them from the 23 squad.
Well taken goals from Johnson, Adu looked inspired in the few clips they showed of him…Still don’t see either of them making a play for the last 23 spots…a case of too little too late.
On another note, how about the gratuitous close-up of the Grecian hottie….gotta love highlight clips sometimes.
Definitely interesting. I don’t think they’ll get called up though. Aim for 2014 EJ and Freddy.
Holland has a much better league than Greece. On top of that, Holland produces much better players than Greece and many more international level players than Greece. Ajax, PSV, Twente,or Feyenoord could all beat the top teams in the Greek league 7 or 8 of every 10 games. Do not tread on the mighty Oranje. Hup Holland!
Is someone targeting Freddy with a laser in that pic?
when his confidence is right adu can do the play or make the pass no one on the usmnt can do, except for dempsey or donovan he needs to hes ahead of most players as far as soccer iq goes, he needs the trip, he can be simiilar to aaron lennon
Bring in Adu for the princeton camp. EJ…leave behind, sadly.
Freddy is not a phenom, just an average player who was the subject of too much hype. He’s no where near deserving of a roster spot. As for Johnson, I like the guy, but his touch can be awful. No way he gets on the 23 man roster over Buddle, who can score with his ear if needed.
Why didn’t Jozy take the penalty?
Yessir.
Pretty good play from a 20 year old. Hopefully Freddy can be in the picture for the 2014 WC.
I just don’t understand why people think Buddle should be called up just cause he is scoring in MLS. I think Buddle in my personal opinion will flop and do nothing like Findley did. Findley scored tons in MLS and when he got called in the national team nothing happened
.I personally do not think that Buddle will score on any good national teams. I think he can just score on Concacaf teams. Like Jamaica, Panama, Honduras, etc. I would choose EJ over Buddle.
Give them some credit. that was two good finishes by Johnson and some excellent skill from Adu on at least three plays that we saw.
I think you are living in the past… Ajax, PSV, Twente and Feyenoord… all pretty much equal to Panathanaikos, Olympiakos, AEK Athens, PAOK… Both have some talent at the top but the bottom half of each table is very much MLS level…
Nobody is questioning development… the Duth and Coerver coaching at the pinnacle.. but in terms of results and play… they have taken a major step down…
Considering the lack of forwards. I would call Eddie Johnson up. I think it is a little too late for Adu. For this world cup that is.
I’ve been as much of a freddy detractor as anyone, dude has way too much hype, however in those highlights he looked quite good. Go ahead and call him up and see what happens. He should be damn hungry and we could use an offensive sparkplug.
you know what I meant to say… and I agree with you. Based on current form, Buddle and Gomez get the nod.
But I’d rather name a lot more provisional strikers than someone like Robbie Rogers or Frankie Heydude to fill out the roster right now
Call them both, i Still believe in Adu not sure about Eddie on the big stage tho i think he has a case of stage fright . and we all know Adu steps it up a notch when things count the most , we all know that from watching him over the years. the bigger the stage the better he plays.
I wouldn’t call Adu average. He’s clearly got skill, creativity, and comfort on the ball that is still interesting to watch, even when he’s off. The issue is things like his sharpness, fitness, attitude, work rate and tactical wherewithall. He’s the kind of guy who has to have a team built around him and that wouldn’t be as much of an issue if his abilities were worth it and they quite simply aren’t. Adu was subject to too much hype, but the fact that even in poor form he manages to show more ability on the ball than most players proves that he most certainly is not average.
i like when these football wiseguys sound off on EJ and Adu. No two players elicit the kind of emotion that these guys do. They both are talents and will in time prove the doubters wrong. No matter how much form Buddle and Gomez demonstrate, they have yet to prove they can keep up the pace at the international level. Bradley is not going to bet on two unproven forwards for his WC. EJ and Adu have shown they both can excel at the international level. I say call them in for the 30 and let the chips fall where they may.
Also, would you care to point out who was calling Adu a phenom?
Where you at beta male, a couple a weeks ago i was told that Adu’s career in europe was finished. That was one hell of a call on that one…..PPPPSSSSSYYYYYCCCCCHHHHH!
I don’t understand why people think one MLS goalscorer is like the next. Landon Donovan has scored in the MLS plenty and leads this national team’s scorers. Jozy Altidore never scored in as prolific fashion and quantity as Edson Buddle has and yet he is the starting USA striker. I just think it’s silly to judge Buddle because another MLS goalscorer didn’t perform well on the national team stage.
One good game in the Greek league does not warrant a call up to the World Cup precamp. IF either Adu or Johnson can string together several good performances and help Aris qualify for the Champion’s league then we can talk about them getting a look at in camp. But I would say Adu it out the Nats are to stacked in the midfield.
hahaha, I was thinking the same thing! She is crazy good looking.
30 man for both in my opinion. 23 man long shot but EJ’s shot is shorter tha Freddy’s!
Glad to see them perform well in a game that matters (even if it is Greece). Americans doing anything in a setting that has CL ramafications is music to my ears.
Hah that’s what I thought. Looks like he’s about to get sniped.
“Adios, turd nugget.”
Let’s be realistic. EJ still has a better chance of being called up than Freddy. EJ was on the roster against Holland and US is short of striking options (especially with Davis’s situation). Adu has way too much competition for midfield.
Oh man, I don’t think I’d have ever believed that someone would one day make the claim that Buddle “can score with his ear if needed”. Or, that Herculez Gomez should play for the national team.
It’s like one day waking up and finding that John Wolyniec is playing for Barcelona… We live in a crazy world.
+1,000,000 to Johan Derksen for that vid & PBP GIFs
From the sounds of it Bradley is going with 25-28 from some of the different reports out there…however reliable that is.
Definitely getting so close to that May 11th deadline. This next week and a half should see some of the fringe players still playing desperate to show well.
Much wisdom is contained in the above post. EJ and Adu have lived the dream in Europe and found it fickle. Was EJ ever any worse than Heidar Helguson? Was Adu actually so bad that Monaco couldn’t even put him on the bench? Watch out Buddle. I hear Blackburn’s reserves are a B**ch.
i think EJ wants to be included in the discussion! And I think Adu is begging to be called into the 30 man roster. I say call em both in, why not? Lets see how they do in camp and we’ll go from there.
Holy crap she was hot.
Anyway I love watching highlights of American players, it just makes me happy.
The USA needs Freddy.
Also, Freddy should of have taken that PK.
The one thing about Freddy that stuck out in my mind is that he looks much bigger than he has in previous stops. Maybe its a sign he is finally starting to mature and take his career more seriously.
We already know, give or take our defenders and keepers. So no use on wasting any space on the 30 roster to experiment with them – BOB GET IT IN YOUR HEAD WE NEED A STABLE TEAM!
We know of 2-4 fringe midfield players, that’s fine but with our offense where it is, I expect Bob to bring 5 strikers to try out for 3 positions. EJ, Jozy, Gomez, Buddle, Davies.
You got a couple weeks and a couple friendlies boys, good luck!
Agreed on the finishes. I especially appreciated the second one — the way Johnson stayed on his feet while taking the ball from the keeper, then deliberately put the ball behind the onrushing defender. It showed poise, which is not something you associate with Eddie Johnson.
I wish i knew the Greek Beauty they showed… so i can propose to her
Why do we hold Adu to a higher standard than Mexico does with Gio Dos Santos? To me, they are roughly similar, both in terms of potential and in terms of their club situations.
When you’re pushing out to No. 30, the player pool gets quite thin. It’s almost like a cattle call. And given the uncertainty with some injuries, EJ and Freddy probably will get invites, but I think they would have gotten them anyway.
I don’t see them on the 23-team squad, but I think there are going to be a lot of forwards that get called in, just to see how things would go without Davies. In the end, they’re not out there to compete for the starter spot, but who can come out and provide a punch off the bench. Given how well Gomez has played though, he might have a shot for the final roster.
It’s not hard to predict the likely 30. Take the Confederations Cup squad (which included Adu). Replace Robles with Hahnemann, add a few more of the sure-thing-if-healthy players like Edu, Holden, and Goodson.
That leaves 4 spots… EJ, Gomez, Buddle… give ‘em all a shot.
Who’s left for #30? Bedoya? Wynne? Hejduk? Beckerman?
Eh, pick a name out of a hat.
Can’t believe I’m saying this, but if Freddy continues to get minutes in this Greek playoff thing, and continues to influence the game the way he did today, then why shouldn’t he get a look alongside Gomez and Buddle. Freddy has played in Europe for a few years now, so he at least has a sense of what the WC competition level will look like. Maybe it was only practice, but he’s been on the field with Euro-quality players, and seems to hold his own WHEN he makes the field.
If Charlie Davies is a no-go, I’d like to see Altidore, Gomez, Buddle, Ching, and Adu all get a runout in May. Johnson’s had a billion chances to prove himself so I’m not so down with that. NO need to bring extra defenders for a tryout–worst case scenario we can switch Mo Edu to center back. Use the extra roster spots to try out strikers…
Based on just the highlights, I see Freddy make one good pass into the middle, get an assist on EJ’s goaland draw a penalty. That’s a pretty good game. Of course, we don’t see his workrate nor his defense.
As for Eddie, the header was a great finish. Pressuring the defender into making a mistake and taking a touch past the keeper were good but the finish was lucky (just missed the legs of the defender).
Given that injuries can happen right before the WC, I say bring them both in and see where they stand (along with Bedoya).
Don’t forget, we have a number of players coming back from injuries on offense (Davies, Holden and Dempsey), so it makes sense to see if other players can step in.
go out with a bang.
what? uh, cause the coach for that Serbian club wouldnt let him.
fischy,
Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the time spent on the bench has them fired up to prove the Coach wrong and that’s why the coach did it, to motivate them?
Has it ever occurred to you that maybe EJ and Adu are better in small doses?
Has it it ever occurred to you that Cuper, the coach studied Olympiakos and felt that Adu and Ej would be useful for attacking their defense?
Hector Cuper is a very respected manager who once coached Inter and, so far, has gotten the some of the best performances of their club careers from EJ and Adu, who have frustrated some pretty good coaches in their time.
He is a former Argentinian international and here is a list of the clubs he has coached:
Huracán
Lanús
Mallorca
Valencia
Internazionale
Mallorca
Real Betis
Parma
Georgia
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
So you think he is silly for not playing the Dynamic Duo more?
Well,pardon me if I think he knows a lot more about it than you do.
She would crush you like a bug!
Well, yeah I thought that too but then it occurrred to me to see how big were the defenders who were on him. If you can see them next to EJ that should give you a better idea.
If he played 80or so minutes that smuch more than he usually does. It’s amazing to think that a 20 year old pro is more often out of shape than not.
“EJ and Adu have shown they both can excel at the international level”
Really? when?
Buddle has played for the national team. Do you remember him doing anything impressive or great or anything, I think not my friend. He has not gotten called up. DO you think Buddle can score goals on England, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, Turkey, or Czech Republic. Also comparing Donovan to Buddle is like comparing apples to oranges it is an horrible comparison. Donovan has had youth national team experience and European club team experience and a lot of caps for the senior team, I don;t recall Buddle having any of this.
Called up 1 time*
“Bradley is not going to bet on two unproven forwards for his WC. EJ and Adu have shown they both can excel at the international level. ”
EJ and Adu are proven international forwards? What did I miss? When did that happen?
I would also add that Buddle is playing with Donovan, and that Donovan has fed him several of those goals. This is an asset for the Nats because they know how the other thinks.
Gomez also played with Donovan, so that is also an edge over EJ.
By the way, although I haven’t finished reading all the comments here yet, am I the only one who is irked that EJ took his shirt off? Getting a pointless yellow card in the playoffs is not too smart.
Finally, lest anyone think otherwise, I think if Bradley has space on his 30 man roster, then he should also bring in EJ. I’m not sure he has that space though….
Hmmmm. If you’re right about that 25-28 number, then that is one more failing about BB. If he had only 28 that he was seriously considering, then in that case I’d bring in EJ and Adu just to make sure everyone else on the squad would know that they couldn’t count on merely being merely as good as Casey or Rogers and knowing that that would be good enough to make the team.
Make them work for their spots. Unfortunately the BB we’ve seen over the past four years doesn’t think that way, which is why we’ve seen the same failures get the nod again and again instead of occasionally benching a laggard that he knew from the old days.
It’s awesome that she was part of the highlights.
It wasn’t just a glancing crowd shot either, the shot was basically look how gorgeous this girl is.
Giggity
Come on, Micah. One cap? How much of a chance is that? Buddle probably wasn’t in as good form as he is nowadays. Johnson has had plenty of chances to impress and he’s only scored against CONCACAF competition, the same teams that you say Buddle is only capable of scoring against. Do I think Buddle can score against England, Portugal, Brazil etc? Well he’s not going to if we don’t bother to call him up when he’s killing it in his respective league and one cap isn’t going to sum it up. Second off, Donovan may have experience in Europe, but his experience there was poor until his most recent stint, which is when HE was in stellar form, which is the point of my post. Your only counter point seems to be that Buddle didn’t impress in ONE cap….Well, I’m not gonna lie Micah, not many have. The main reason Buddle hasn’t gotten caps or chances for the USA is because the USA has never been in as desperate need of a striker as they are now and geuss who is in good form right about now? You geussed it; Edson Buddle.
If it’s with heels, then it’s not a huge deal.
You say this, but does Robbie Rogers really deserve Freddy’s seat?
the difference being that Gio is much better
thats a man, check out the manly facial features
Buddle has looked sharp this season. Not just in his finishing but in his holdup play, his runs off the ball and his fitness. He’s got the holdup play BB is looking for in his target man the speed he’s looking for in his striker, and he’s finishing (against some of the most physically gifted CBs in MLS mind you). That’s why people are calling for his look see.
K Isacc and David I guess I am being a litte to quick to judge. K I will give Buddle a try
. I just don’t won’t him to be a let down and disappointment like Findley was.
They’ve (The Dutch) only taken a step down because they can’t just go out and BUY a team, like other teams in other leagues. It’s also hard for them to hold on to their talent. That being said I do think Greece has better football than in Scandinavia…
My favorite highlight was of the beautiful woman at about the 2:25 mark.
Serious highlight for me.
lol she was hott hehe im not downplaying adu’s and eddie’s play….but yea she was hott lol
yea Because Beating Olympiacos players like what Adu did and what EJ benfited from, is not impressive enough for the 23. Pleaseeeeeeeeeee. Bob is foolish if these guys cant get a look.
Cuper would not put Adu into the Greek Cup Final and now this game if he thinks Adu is not turning the corner in practice. As for EJ same thing.
i agree with you man. why argue over who should get a spot because i think ej adu buddle and gomez should get a look in princeton. then from there bob can judge how they are playing. honestly judging buddles form and ejs form is apples and oranges. buddle plays in mls and ej in greece so when they come together at camp bob can see whos national team qualiy and whos not. honestly id rather have ej than buddle
and Gio is faster too. But in the end i think Gio is also a bigger factor to HIS national team than Freddy is to the USA, yet they both are about the same as in talent, skill, and situations with their clubs.
I think with the Ching injury, and also given the fact that Ching has never eally blown me away in international competition, EJ should get a look for making the final 23 man roster as a back-up.
I’m not entirely sure I’m on the “Buddle Train” either. Yeh, he’s scoring goals, but against who?? The level of defender that Buddle will encounter at the WC is going to far exceed anything he comes up against on a weekly basis in MLS.
seriously!! i thought robbie did terrible in the two friendlies earlier this year. oh and eddie tore up mls just like buddle is and then he tried to make the leap and hasnt done that great. buut he has more european goals then buddle! id love to have freddie over robbie
let’s see what they do in the next playoff match. and if they keep playing well, then hell yes call them into camp!
I for sure think Eddie Johnson and Freddy Adu deserve a place in the 30-man roster camp over Charlie Davies. Charlie Davies is hurt and has not played in 6 months or so. And we are counting on him to be our World Cup hero? If Bradley picks Charlie Davies, we are out in the first round.
Adu should always be considered, for the fact that he has something that no other player on the USMNT posses (except for Dempsey and probably Feilheiber)and that is, enough technical ability to create good plays in the midfield with a touch of trickery and deception. Most importantly, he TAKES ON DEFENDERS (sorry but not even Donovan does that, rather he uses his speed to go around defenders into open space.) Most of the USMNT players still lack that one-on-one attack mind set, rather they would make a quick pass to someone who is not being marked, even though they are closer to the goal. In other words, we need more selfish type players up front. I think Adu is that missing link…at least for this World Cup.
I would really like to see both of these guys in camp. EJ looks determined. Regardless of Freddy’s shortfalls, if he turns on he could be a great spark off the bench if he has a good camp.
Great to see them doing well and sure bring them in for the 30 man roster but not sure about either of them making the final 23. It’s nice to have some competition though. I think Bedoya has a good shot at making it now. Not sure Holden will be fit after his injury. The forward race is wide open. We will just have to rely on Bob Bradley picking the right group. If anyone is interested I have posted a World Cup bracket calculator at this site. It does require registration but is free. link to scribd.com
Adu started and had assist, he should go to South Africa. Seriously he is not consistant enough give me a break.
Davies had a goal today too
and he felt good after receiving his first tackle
Completely agree.
That PK attempt was one of the worst I have seen.
I absolutely hate to say it, but that second goal was due to TERRIBLE DEFENDING. Happy birthday, EJ!
Will not be surprised if EJ makes the 23-man roster. While Buddle and Gomez have done well with their clubs, they have less World Cup experience than EJ. Not saying this is right, but Bradley puts a lot of stock in guys who have been there before.
EJ had a good game, but sadly he can’t play in big games. I’ve always said we need ADU on our roster, his the only one with true technical skills, coming in as a sub behind the Jozy in the 80th minute would be fun to watch in the W.C. Also, this kid is the only one who can take a defender to the house. So far every game Adu has played in in Europe has been better than decent, let’s be honest, don’t hate. Whether it was in Benfica,Monaco,Bele and Aris. I much rather take him than Bedoya, Gomez & Buddle. Buddle is not USMNT material, I hate to say it.
“EJ was actually average for most of the match but was a real factor in the last 20 mins.. Olympiakos was very aware of him and his pace”
Not to put too fine a point on it but he was just average for most of the match but scored 2 goals. Isn’t that what he is supposed to do?
By being average you can say then that at least he didn’t contribute to the other side scoring a goal.
The man is a striker, I’d take below average and scoring two goals every time.
Tell me you wouldn’t.
How do you know she was Greek?
Dude,
“Gomez also played with Donovan, so that is also an edge over EJ.”
EJ has played for the USMNT with Donovan.
GDS has a slight edge over Freddy in terms of club appearances for better teams.
More to the point GDS has 5 goals for Mexico in 22 games, and has been an important part of Mexican victories in important games, something Freddy has not done for the US senior team.
Adu has 2 goals in 15 games for the US. GDS is a larger, faster player and is just as skilled.
They are both disappointing but on balance, I’d put my money on the Mexican to have a better future.
Fortunately, you’re not picking the team.
EJ,
Just when you crap all over the field and look like you shouldn’t be anywhere near a top level match, you pull us back in….
I think they will be called to the 30-man roster without a doubt. No one in MLS is really stepping up. Casey is steady but only scoring penalties. Ching is injured. Buddle is a tossup internationally. Midfield is crowded, though, and I don’t see much space for Adu at this point.
relax. its only the internet.
Good to see these 2 having some success….even if it is in Greece.
Thessaloniki is known for hot women
I have to say, the first 5 seconds of this shows exactly why Freddy should be called in. When he’s on he has a spark no one else in the pool does. He has potential to be the best 80th minute sub when down 1-0, we have..
I can’t really fathom Adu making the WC roster, but Eddie I can see. We are really hurting at striker, and we’re going to just need to basically gamble on a guy who on form can be a good player. It might be him, might be Buddle, or Gomez, etc. Worth investigating for sure.
Either way, happy to see things looking up for those two.
yea, he has great technical ability and skills on the ball, but the reason he is a false prodigy is because although he was always extremely talented, he has never had a great grasp of the technical aspect of the game. he has never been good in the midfield because he doesn’t know how to build attacks or track back and mark a man, and as a striker, he has never been able to read the defense to find space for himself. today, he definitely showed that he is definitely a smarter player than he has shown in the past, but he still hasn’t done enough for World Cup consideration, not even in the preliminary 30. i mean, he’s only 20, im sure by the next World Cup and the next, he will have matured into the player he was already supposed to be by now. next World Cup cycle will be very interesting
yea, i mean when it comes down to it, they are just supposed to score. i don’t care if a striker loses the ball 75% of the time and never passes to his teammates in a game and has a “below average game”, if he scores two goals, he can do whatever he wants
Didn’t watch the game so can’t comment on the whole game but they both looked pretty freaking good
missing link . . . ha!
Public,
True, but whether it’s in person, on paper or on TV, it still betrays fischy’s high level of arrogance, and a lack of knowledge about how to manage teams and players properly. I’m pretty sure Cuper has a better handle on it than he does.
Crap is crap wherever you find it.
“when his confidence is right adu can do the play or make the pass no one on the usmnt can do”
That’s the problem. If if you are 100% correct, when he’s not right he does not do anything else.
And even when he is right, I don’t see Freddy giving an in-form Maicon, Alves or someone like that too much trouble. The US is better off finding another way to score.
What little I’ve seen of Buddle tells me he is competing more for the “Jozy” slot, than the “Charlie” slot.
Boy wouldn’t that be something if he beats out Jozy in camp.
The key word is “potential”. It means he hasn’t done enough yet so that you can trust him. And if you put him on at the 80th minute and ther is no offensive explosion resulting in a goal for the US, well that’s a valuable roster spot down the toilet because Freddy doesn’t do anything else. I don’t see him giving top class defenders much trouble. Too weak.
The BB you’ve seen the last 4 years has been doing everything just to prepare for this World Cup. So I think you can count on things being a little different this time, if only because he is basically building a new team out of the ashes of the Confederations Cup team. Everything counts now.
That’s tough but fair
“I’ve always said we need ADU on our roster, his the only one with true technical skills, coming in as a sub behind the Jozy in the 80th minute would be fun to watch in the W.C.”
The US is not good enough to be able to afford the luxury of having a guy like Adu who has no other ability other than to occasionally have a few minutes of brilliance in the attacking end. And he’s not a striker, he’s a creator. So if no goals result, you’ve just wasted a valuable roster spot.
If Adu was Brazilian, they have the strength in depth to be able to afford a luxury player like that. Of course, if he was Brazilian, he’s not good enough to make the National team.
So we should take him because he’s the best we got? I say no because it won’t be Bornstein or Spector that Adu will have to beat. His act isn’t good enough to get past the Brazilians or other big time defenders.
Not as good as that woman in the stands.
Ives,
Idea for a killer interview.
Someone just has to corner Hector Cuper and ask him about EJ and Adu.
If someone could jsut get him to be real candid about them, that would be a real eye opener for US fans even if it happens after the World Cup.
The second looked pretty lucky to me… poor first touch, weak shot. But definitely on purpose.
Oh, do your homework Tampa.
But no Braden, not an overabundance of wisdom there. If it takes time for these two to prove doubters wrong, then it proves the doubters right whose doubt was based on the players not being ready. And if Buddle and Gomez have yet to prove themselves, well that sounds like the exact same boat to me.
So no, these guys don’t suck anywhere near as much as football wiseguys suck, but they aren’t some crazy cut above good MLS players either.
as for callups….
yes on the GAM. if only EJ scored as well as he celebrated. did he earn a card for that last one?
no on Freddy.
I can see it now…
—————-
May 12, 2010
Beta Male said…
Where you at k.j. choi, a couple weeks ago you said PPPPSSSSYYYCCCCHHH
I completely agree with this Adu deserves a call because….
1)HE BRINGS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE NATS GAME, DONOVANS PACE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE EFFECT
2)LETS NOT LIE TO OURSELVES IF SOMEONE LIKE DONOVAN GOES DOWN HURT ADU IS PROBABLY HIS ONLY SOLID REPLACEMENT(VERSATILITY)
3)ITS THE FREAKIN WORLD CUP WE CANT GO IN WITH ONE STYLE OF PLAY (KICK AND RUN) OTHER TEAMS WILL CATCH ON AND SIMPLY PUT QUICKER PLAYERS ON THE FIELD TO COUNTER US EXAMPLE BRAZIL IN THE CONFEDERATIONS CUP FINAL
Wow. Impressive.
I forgot about old Derbyshire!
The funny thing is… if you ever watch these games live… they cut to a hot chick like every 5 mins… during the game yesterday there were several… she just happened to be the most stunning… there were tons of hotties though.
As for the game… Eddie was average and Adu was bad for the first 20 mins and the moment that Daly got up and started warming up Adu turned things around full circle… the manager confirmed this in his presser after the match… it bothers me that in a game this big it took Adu seeing his replacement begin warm ups before the light flicked on in his head…
That all being said… People can talk about Freddy being slight… he has actually bulked up a bit and can tackle now as well.. Cuper has been a godsend for him.
Zeke,
Could you repeat that in English please?
Thanks
there baaaaaack……
i see both in the 30 if they continue, excellent display from two players ive really missed
“As for the game… Eddie was average and Adu was bad for the first 20 mins and the moment that Daly got up and started warming up Adu turned things around full circle… the manager confirmed this in his presser after the match… it bothers me that in a game this big it took Adu seeing his replacement begin warm ups before the light flicked on in his head…”
And that’s exactly why Adu is such risk. Way too high maintenance and not enough return for your investment. You are right though and Adu should thank God he has Cuper for a coach.
“false prodigy”??? C’mon man!!! Actually, the rest of your post is pretty spot on. Adu doesn’t need to worry himself with where outsiders think he should be with his game at this point. He just needs to worry about doing well for his current club, and building a solid relationship with a well respected coach who seems to be giving him an opportunity, which I imagine he’s earned through hard work. I really hope things continue to look up for him.
It certainly was, but he finished cooly and that’s no given. I remember a similar play that E.J. was gifted at Fulham in his few minutes earlier this year where he screwed the pooch. Baby steps…
Adu has one decent gasme and it’s the seconf commingg of Christ…..ADU still sucks, the stats he’s accumulated over his carrer speak for him.
Great highlight at 2:17.
I agree with others here regarding Charlie Davies. Yes, he really shined last year for the MNT. However, he had multiple, serious injuries last fall, hasn’t played a minute of competitive soccer since, and we’re counting on him to start up top and score against some of the best defenders in the world??? Get serious folks. Davies is young, and he’ll have his day with the MNT. For this WC, we need to bring game ready, fit athletes, which up top includes the following options:
Gomez
Altidore
Johnson
Ching
Casey
Adu
Buddle
Out of this group, my two to start would be Gomez and Altidore, with Johnson and Ching as back-ups. Though Adu has been in better form of late, I just don’t see him getting a shot from Bradley. I think he’s in Bradley’s doghouse, and will have to prove himself more at the club level before being a regular with the MNT. As well, as I said earlier, I’m hesitant about Buddle because I don’t think he’s proven himself at the international level, and though he’s scoring goals, I’m not sure it’s against the best defenders.
I like them both but since neither of them has shown anything for the NT I’m not bringing them. I’d rather bring a relatively unknown like Bedyoa who has shown some good stuff with the games he played than the we get 1 good game out of 5 from these 2.
But for Adu…his biggest obstacle is he needs to play and play regularly. I think if he does this he will be a major player for the 2014 and 2018 WC. I’ve noticed he is looking more muscular and stronger??? Adu will be ok…he just needs more time than others.
This is great! I sure hope that Freddy and EJ can get it going. The more Americans that are playing well the better. I doubt either of these guys will make it to this WC, but I love seeing them do well. Both of them are young and have a chance to be good. Let’s hope this is a stepping stone for both of them.
Good since of awareness on Eddie Johnson. To me you are better than Altidore. How ever Bob(the.. what are you trying to accomplish)Bradley continues to use him, because there isnt anything else.
However, like Altidore you are inconsistent. Choices… choices.
I would rather see Herculez come on board. He has played with the US and Scored against Argentina, why he hasnt called him afterwards…. dont know?
It will be stupid to think that he doenst like Hispanics that actually speack Spanish in his team right.
Come on ADU I want to see you on the world cup creating chances, opening spaces, keeping the ball and having everyone else trying to engage you while providing a cross to three open strikers (Donovan, Dempsey, Herculez). You have abilities to read the game so use it. To me you have great skills. Lets keep focus and healthy. GO USA USA USA USA
with the pool of players we have I’m still trying to figure out why adu and ej shouldnt be called. First of all for all the talk about regular play time and them being on the bench….well, if they are being disqualified because of that, then there goes Davis, Onyewu, Clark and Holden (that never seem to get that negative highlight). Secondly, even though I like Buddle’s style of play, him playing and understanding Donovan and him scoring goals, he is scoring against MLS TEAMS, not defenders from England, Germany or Brazil. BB already made that mistake once with Findley, Curringham and Casey, our top goal scorers in MLS, but couldnt even make it happen against CONCACAF teams. Couldnt shine playing against Honduras, Mexico etc!!!! We are ranked 14th in the world….and we need to play like it. Then the lack of experience and knowledge of the game thats being tagged on Adu…again that eliminates Clark, holden, Buddle and a whole bunch of other players. For Adu anytime he tries and falls short…he’s cashing in on experience and from all the teams he’s trained with I believe he has a good amount of it. Has it ever occured to anyone that EJ excels anytime Adu is in???? Thats because they look out for one another and involve each other. You have a couple of strikes against you being a Yank and playing in europe and a couple more if you were once labelled the next best US soccer player!!! With that being said I say put they all in one pot…drill them, train them and try them out….and may the “BEST PLAYER WIN”. In other words bring your “A” game or go Home!!!!
At the end of the day, the coach will put in the player that best reflects the coach’s on field tactics. Unfortunately for players like Torres, Benny, adu…they will be playing a very limited role (if any)during Bradley’s tenure. Their only hope of actually making any impact is playing under a coach that has some creativity and vision with respect to on field formations and tactics because we certainly have some technical players on our side. No, they are not top notch euro mf’s however, they can definitely incorporate a stronger central possession game as opposed to the one-dimensional and ever-predictable defend and counter.
With regards to a different coach, I am not certain we will have much of a big upgrade in that department taking into consideration that the USSF is run like a fraternity. There is nothing wrong with that if your fraternity was filled with coaches that posses some sort of international pedigree. The cold hard truth is that we employ domestic coaches that have absolutely nothing on their resume other than collegiate accolades. They are all great coaches, DOMESTICALLY. On the International stage…they are constantly out coached. Give me a coach who has played in big euro games, Give me a coach that knows what the weight of a franchise feels like during bad times. I prefer a coach that has tasted success in any league in Europe. Give me a coach that has gone through terrible times with a team facing relegations with a limited budget and has to find time for everyone of his prima donnas to play in addition to saving his own neck. Because outside of steve nicol, I dont see any other domestic candidate that would not uphold the status quo. In my honest opinion…all our wins have come on the wings of our players sheer athleticism, determination and talent. Bradley has very little to do with that.
I long for the day that our coach places his stamp on the game from the sidelines when our players can’t figure it out on the pitch.
WOW…I NEVER SAW IT FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW!!!! That’s very good insight….wow
That is the first good game I have seen Adu play in quite sometime. I think it’s his defensive work rate that is lacking. It’s impossible to tell how well he held up his defensive responbilities from a highlight clip. I am glad he is playing well. I am not convinced, at all, that he has earned a call up.
“There is nothing wrong with that if your fraternity was filled with coaches that posses some sort of international pedigree”
Well you saw how far that got Mexico. And Ericksson has one hell of an international pedigree. The truth is, there are a lot more bad and mediocre coaches out there than there are good ones. Look at Domenech and Maradona. A lot of them have the characteristics you list as desirable.
“In my honest opinion…all our wins have come on the wings of our players sheer athleticism, determination and talent. Bradley has very little to do with that”
This is sheer poppycock and you know it. Any successful sports team is a combination of coaches and players that cannot be reasonably separated. You can debate the percentages endlessly but never realy come to a reasonable conclusion. You just don’t want to give any credit whatsoever to Bradley; this undermines your credibility.
Ok…so now list all the coaches that have been successful in Europe that have the “international Pedigree” I bet there is a substantial amount over those that dont have it. With any situation there are exceptions to the rule junior.
Look, I give credit to Bradley. He has done a great job. The US qualified first in our region. Are you satisfied?
If you have not done something before, who would be the best person to learn under?
Someone who has done what it is your exactly trying to do right? What can Bradley instill in our team over an experienced international coach? Seriously…think about it. Bradley has been consistently out-coached and is out of his league.
Your complacency and inability to view things objectively compromises your credibility.
Stop drinking the kool-aid and open your eyes.