It's been a long time coming, but Maurice Edu's comeback took another step towards completion Monday. The 23-year-old midfielder, in the midst of a long recovery from a knee injury, returned to the pitch in a closed-door reserve match, going 80 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Partick Thistle.
Edu made it through the game unscathed and will likely be pushing for a regular place as he returns to fitness. Rangers encounters a tricky and congested part of the schedule over the holiday season, as the team has three games in a week starting next Sunday with an away trip to Hibernian, followed by a mid-week match-up against Dundee United. January 3 finishes off the busy schedule with an Old Firm clash against Celtic.
These next few months are crucial for Edu if he hopes to be a part of the 23-man roster for the World Cup. His return to fitness — assuming he can get minutes with Rangers — is a boost, but must stay healthy these next few months if he hopes to make it to South Africa.
What do you think of Edu's return? Glad to see him back in the mix? Will he recover in time to make the World Cup squad? Share your thoughts below.
I’d argue that Rico’s role on the team is very similar to Claude Makelele. Rico surely isn’t anywhere near as good as Makelele, but his game as a defensive midfielder is much the same, and Rico’s a much bigger threat to score. Makelele’s offensive shortcomings certainly didn’t prevent him from being a highly effective international midfielder.
we need depth at defensive mid for when one of them inevitably gets red carded. With our track record against international refs we should bring Clark, Edu, and Jones… three group games… three red cards.
Torres definately controlled that one game by slowing it down and bringing it to his pace. That kid is going to get better and better.
“So you keep a guy employed for 4 years, letting him know “Lookit, nothing matters until you hit the World Cup. Lose, win, try players, keep Frankie at RB, doesn’t matter. We only care about the 3-5 games you’ll play at the World Cup. Best job ever, right?””
YES. ABSOLUTELY!
We Americans do care about other tournaments. We went to the South American one when Bradley started taking over. A very competitive tournament that was honorable for us to get an invite. We bring our B team and get destroyed. Haven’t gone back since. This summer we blew it big time against Mexico in the final and got utterly destroyed.
I’M AN AMERICAN TOO AND I DON’T CARE ABOUT THOSE TOURNAMENTS. AND GUESS WHAT, THE SOUTH AMERICANS DON’T CARE MUCH ABOUT THEM EITHER.
“A US national team coach can’t play for the moment of a once in four years, 3 game minimum tournament. ”
THAT IS HIS PRIMARY JOB.
He’s in charge of building and rebuilding teams which means bringing in players. Also includes bringing in youth and developing them through a vested interest in the u21, u17, etc teams.”
I’M NOT SURE THIS IS TRUE. AS FAR AS I KNOW BRADLEY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SENIOR TEAM AND OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME INLFUENCE WITH THE OTHER TEAMS.
BUT DEVELOPING THE ENTIRE PLAYER POOL DOWN TO THE YOUTH LEVEL, I’M PRETTY SURE, IS NOT ENTIRELY UP TO BRADLEY. WHICH I BELIEVE IS ONE REASON HE HAS THE JOB NOT KLINSMANN.
BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO ASK SUNIL.
Re: Findley et al. I’m sure they will get their shot very soon but don’t think they or EJ would even be in the picture (save Findley and Cunningham)if Davies was healthy. The US is a national team and thus Bradley can’t buy strikers so he makes do with the available Americans. This may shock you but the US talent pool is fairly thin especially at striker.
I’ll admit I haven’t seen Adu play that much after his MLS days (though what I’ve seen hasn’t impressed me) but that’s because he hasn’t played much, which alone should tell you something.
Poor luck? These poor choices have been going on for about 4 years now. At some point when does Freddy take responsibility for the “poor choices” in picking teams? If Freddy’s career is in the toilet, it’s not Bradley’s fault. He took him to the Confed Cup and the Gold Cup ( after Freddy did squat at Monaco all year) and Adu still couldn’t get it up enough to get off the pine. Unless you were at all the team practices and can confirm some sort of personal vendetta, please don’t tell me Bradley hasn’t given Adu a chance.
If he wants to go to South Africa with the team, it’s up to Freddy to do whatever it takes to force Bradley to take him. I’m not a DMB fan but at least he is making an effort to force Bradley to take him. Donovan has taken a loan to Everton to sharpen up for SA. Beckham has been moving all kinds of things around for a few years now just so Capello would consider him for the England team.
What in the hell has Freddy done? So far, Freddy’s effort in this regard can only be described as lame. Skill and talent, Freddy has that. Heart? Guts? No evidence of that.
he said be careful with the rangers in the SPL
for what it’s worth, translate.google.com is saying “Edu, then adios careful Rangers and SPL.”
Findley is far better. Buddle at least plays and can score. Pontius as an up and coming player. Quaranta has played better. White can offer an option as a forward. Etc, etc.
Why does it bring it down? What has Johnson done…ever? Have you seen Adu play when he’s been on? He offers a dynamic option, he has a soccer brain, can pass and score and demands the ball. He can dribble, and quite frankly just play the game Johnson can run fast.
I’m not an Adu fanatic but I can appreciate a player with skill who has had poor luck with choosing a team however, when he has had his moments he has looked capable of a place on the bench.
If you haven’t seen him play beyond his MLS and Yanks days than please don’t talk.
Well, I’m no Rangers fan, but it’d be great if Edu and Beasley can be the best players for Rangers over the rest of the year. If anything, the long layoff for both players should make them hungry to play and mentally refreshed for the run up to the World Cup.
Remember Bob’s thoughts were Rico>Klejstian>Feilhaber in the confed cup with Beasley sliding in as well. Things change quickly in a few months time. I remember some kid playing in sweeden that barely made it to the confed cup. His name was Charles something or other?
Speaking for futbol loving nerds everywhere…
LOVIN’ the math property reference.
Sorry…my spanish is a little rusty. What you say? Anyone?
Love the line up can you call bob or should I. he he he
Rico is in serious trouble if Edu and Jones are healthy because Rico isn’t physical at all and makes poor tackles. He does have the experience over Edu and team familiarity over Jones. But if he moves somewhere where he doesn’t play he should be scared of not going to SA
So you keep a guy employed for 4 years, letting him know “Lookit, nothing matters until you hit the World Cup. Lose, win, try players, keep Frankie at RB, doesn’t matter. We only care about the 3-5 games you’ll play at the World Cup. Best job ever, right?”
We Americans do care about other tournaments. We went to the South American one when Bradley started taking over. A very competitive tournament that was honorable for us to get an invite. We bring our B team and get destroyed. Haven’t gone back since. This summer we blew it big time against Mexico in the final and got utterly destroyed.
A US national team coach can’t play for the moment of a once in four years, 3 game minimum tournament. He’s in charge of building and rebuilding teams which means bringing in players. Also includes bringing in youth and developing them through a vested interest in the u21, u17, etc teams.
Please don’t bring football into this. It’s the same stupid argument as MLS has for the playoff and finals game. What’s the point in having a season if it means nothing? Might as well wait and just play the tournament and let everyone rest until next year.
MLS should have the League Cup (most points at the end of the season), Open Cup (to include NASL, USL and bar teams), and MLS Cup (played throughout the season and not based on how the team is doing in the league).
Look at the bigger picture or face a US team never capable of playing against the big teams.
“There are far better and more played players than Johnson. ”
Like who?
“Shoot I’d take a benched Adu over Johnson any day.”
I’m no fan of EJ but that statement alone brings your credibility into question.
Josh D,
Your basic argument is flawed. You are judging Bradley before the World Cup, which is a lot like those pre-season college football rankings.
Bradley should be judged on one thing only, how well the US does in the World Cup. European teams have the Euros and the Africans have their Nations cup but for the US and much of the rest of the world the World Cup is the only tournament the US plays in that matters.
He took over an aging team in transition from the last World Cup and has re-built it for 2010. The whole point of focusing on the 2007 Gold Cup was to get us into the Confederations Cup, which was perhaps the best possible prep tournament for the World
Cup.
As for those results against European and South American teams since Bradley took over? They don’t mean jack. Nobody cares except you. Exhibition games mean nada. Germany looked like crap leading up to the 2006 World Cup and did pretty well as I recall.
When and if the US goes 3 and out, then you can rip him all you want, but until then (unless you can get him fired and have some genius take over) the jury is out. But I’m sure that won’t stop you.
Edu, cuidadoso entonces adios Rangers y SPL.
Edu, Torres & Bradley will be fighting it out for the 2014 Central Mids. Jones will be on the decline. However the 2011 Gold Cup is a strong possibility.
My feeling on this is it’s better to have options than rely on any one individual come the world cup. Having 3 to 4 players competing to be one of 2 selected is a thing the USNT has rarely seen. If healthy I see the following Defensive Mids fighting it out (No particular order)…
1) Jones – Experiance, Distribution, Distroyer
2) Edu – Distribution, Distroyer, Possible CB?
3) Clark – Distroyer, closing down
4) Torres – Distribution, Slows Pace of Game, LW ?
To me they each bring something a little different to the table and some are more vercitile than others, so could potentially make it as swing players (roll players covering multiple positions). Anyway this is a good thing. May the best men advance to the final squad, and may we do well at the finals.
Parkhurst??? Ughhhh…did you watch the Gold Cup?
Bradley has switched players yes, but when the tournament comes around it’s the same true and tried players. Playing about and then going back to the same ole’ is the same as not playing around at all.
Davies is a prime example. Took Ching getting injured before the player, most knowledgeable fans were screaming for, saw the field. There are quite a number of other similar players playing in the Nordic countries and our own back yard we haven’t pulled up.
Bringing Johnson back in the mix? Give me a break, trying new people. There are far better and more played players than Johnson. Shoot I’d take a benched Adu over Johnson any day.
Also what’s Bradley’s average age for bringing in “new” players? Lots of younger players banging on the door.
And what has he won exactly, no other US coach hasn’t? Our run in South Africa was nice, yes but let’s look at our record against European and South American teams beyond that? Greece won the Euros, don’t see them as a European giant. A tournament is one bad game away from a flight home. Looking at things over years is how you determine the worth of a coach.
Well that’s embarrasing.
The entire Rangers reserve side couldn’t beat one guy.
You fail to account for the fact that there is no transitive property in sports. To beat a strong team, you must look to their strengths, not their ranking. We were lucky in that the ultra conservative style favored by Bob was an antidote for Xavi and therefore Spain (if Iniesta had been playing, I still doubt it would have been possible).
England, on the other hand, is quite capable of playing the long ball game, and has the speed and skill on the wings to break down our defensive bunker, not to mention Lampard and Gerrard shooting from distance. For this squad, the same strategy won’t be as effective.
Clark is nothing more than a defensive work horse. Going into the world cup, we need to not only diffuse offensive threats, but generate possession. Edu is much better in this regard.
I think the argument of Edu vs Clark are very pre-mature. Edu is coming off major knee surgery from 9 months ago- for all those who have never had major knee surgery (ACL) it usually takes about 18 to 24 months to really get back to what you used to be. Beasley is a prime case of this as is any running back in the NFL. Edu will probably benefit from the fact that his game is not completely dependent on his speed but I think we are really undervaluing Clark by saying a 9 month and at World Cup 15 month Edu is sufficiently better then him. Ricardo Clark is a talented football player and will probably do pretty well in Europe- which I’m guessing is what it will take to change most peoples’ mind of him- remember Clark was def. better then Edu was in the MLS- obviously there is an age difference but Clark was successful with Houston at 23.
Edu’s not a central defender. to be honest I’d rather see Parkhurst in that position. It’s a position you have to learn. Just watch Carrick and Fletcher playing in the back. both talented players. both stumbling.
No, our central backs are: Onyewu, Boca, Demerit, Parkhurst, Goodson, Marshall, and Conrad, for better or worse.
backline as of now:
1st Choice: Spector Boca DeMerit Dolo
2nd Choice: Castillo Marshall Goodson Simek
sigh…
great upside on Edu – he closes on ppl like no other USMNT player. a crucial time for him, however. we’ll see how he responds. fingers crossed.
If jones can get back, I say we put edu in central… cover for boca/gooch. There’s no gaurantee gooch will be back and fit, and a demerit/boca centerline wouldn’t strike fear any anyone’s heart… Little worried about boca too, not playing, he’s clearly lost a step. And if jones is healthy, i want Edu on the field, somewhere. Seriously, people don’t realize how good of a player he is… By far our best D mid on the ball, he’s really great at keeping possession.
is bradley scared because he didnt play edu or jones while they were on crutches or something? do people hate on bradley just because he’s not klinsmen or hiddink? he’s accomplished quite a bit so far and i feel like if his name was something a little harder to pronounce people would be in love with him.
Just pointing out a twisted piece of logic here:
Rico was great against Spain, but clearly would not be effective against what almost everyone in the world agrees is an inferior English team?
Its not that I disagree that Edu or Jones are conceivably better than Rico, I just think this argument is flawed. If Bradley and Clark could do it against Spain, they could do it against England.
Exactly my thoughts, plus if Rico goes somewhere– as expected, right?– over the transfer period, he could add a new layer of polish to his game. I like Rico in the midfield– more than most, I expect– but I also like being spoiled for choice like the US currently is in the middle. Now, if only we had such a problem on the wings…
Edu will be in his prime and Jones will be in his 30’s so Jones will probably be out of the picture.
Plus 4 years from now is such a long time, there are just too many young players coming up through the ranks to know who will be there in 2014.
how can you say to Bradley its Clark>Edu>Jones???
Bob only picked Rico because Edu and Jones were out injured, and Bob has never had Jones into camp b/c he has only been able to play for the US for a few months and has been hurt.
Sweet! I really hope he regains his pre-injury form just like Bease is doing. That would be fantastic. If Jones doesn’t come back in time, I think we’ll probably be best off if we have both Edu and Feilhaber to partner with Bradley, depending on the matchup.
This news makes me feel 🙂
And Gold Cup 2011
Give me a break. Who has tried more new players than any prior USMNT coach in a WC cycle? Bob! I don’t understand why people continue to rip the guy that has accomplished so much. I just hope we have Bob’s first choice players healthy in June.
Jones and Edu will great at the world cup…..in 2014.
I don’t know about this whole “Edu is superior to Clark” thing… when he was playing for the USMNT he was anything but spectacular.
It goes Jones>Edu>Clark in skill. However to Bradley it’s Clark>Edu>Jones I would imagine. Bradley is too scared to make changes and will rely on Clark to run around without a head on.
Glad to see Edu back. Never been too much a fan but anything to push the Clark/Bradley tandem away…
Edu is superior to Ricardo Clark in every way except in the ground covering department. He would be a true central midfielder, and would allow Bradley to make those runs with a guy who knows how to manage himself in the middle. Clark helped us versus Spain, but just clogging up our own half won’t help us much against other teams, say, England. I hope Jones steals his ticket, quite frankly.
Great news! Rico just isn’t the answer. Isn’t it nice actually have enough choices to have a debate over who should start?!
And the recovery race is on Edu vs Jones…and the winner is…Ricardo Clark?!!!
Seriously, lets hope that one or both of these guys find their way to fitness…will be a different World Cup with them included.
Hopefully we will see Edu and Beas playing in the Old Firm!
Glad to have him back. Definitely could have used in for the Brazil CC Final…
My line up
howard
–Cherundolo—gooch-demerit/boca–Boca/spector
edu/jones
bradley torres
Dempsey Donovan
altidore
Hooray!!!!!!
With Jones’s ongoing issues, I am starting to think a healthy Edu could start for us in June, if he makes his way back into the Rangers XI.
On the other hand, Edu is relatively inexperienced, having played only 50 club games in his young career, as opposed to Clark, who has played almost four times that. Although Edu is probably more talented than Clark, I could see BB picking Clark over a fit Edu.
Excellent news. Can’t wait to see him back in the starting XI for Rangers…
good to see Edu back on the pitch, hopefully he and jermaine jones can both get healthy and push each other for the starting spot