Freddy Adu enjoyed his best game of the season last weekend, scoring two goals before suffering an injury that forced him to leave the Philadelphia Union's win against the Houston Dynamo.
It's just been that kind of year for the playmaker, who has endured a rough season along with the rest of the Philadelphia Union. His statistics, three goals and one assist, suggest that he simply hasn't been producing enough, something U.S. national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann pointed out when asked why he hasn't given Adu a look since he first took over as U.S. head coach.
Adu's statistics might suggest that he has failed to create quality chances for the Union, but anyone who has watched Philadelphia play this year knows that his lack of assists is as much to do with the Union's poor finishing as with his lack of effectiveness. The reality is that, on a team with quality finishers, Adu could easily have a double-digit assist total.
If you haven't watched much of the Union this season, or if you haven't seen all the missed chances set up by Adu, here is a video that provides pretty thorough rundown of Adu's best work this season. It's a video that definitely captures the frustrations of a forgettable season for both Adu and the Union:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scsDNMzJewc]
What do you think of Adu's season? See him returning to the Union in 2013? For non-Union fans, would you want your team to pick Adu up for next season?
Share your thoughts below.
Troubling, though, is Freddy’s body language. There are many instances of him throwing mini-tantrums after the miss and even after a goal, he was seen celebrating by himself rather than running to his teammates.
Wow! Amazing job whoever put that video together. I had no idea. Pajoy and the rest of Philly’s strikers are just horrific. Love Adu’s creativity and ability to deliver balls in so many different ways. If Philly had a couple guys who knew how to head the ball, Freddy would have led the league in assists. Cahill would have 20 goals on this team
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSqC7ebeahM
watch this video. there are many like this. we need a player like Adu with creative attacking skills to break down those concacaf teams that just sit back and wait for counters. he could come in mighty hand next month. i know, chances are slim.
Did you watch the video? Did you even look at it? Because if you did, I think it’s clear that Freddy IS getting it done on some level, and that he lacks the quality around him to take full advantage of his attributes. I think that’s worthy of mention by Ives on this website. Whether it’s worthy of notice from Jürgen Klinsmann is another matter. Your post, however, comes full of prejudice and loaded expectations. What do you personally expect from the kid?
I think the video allows us the opportunity to reflect about all the compnents that go into a soccer players performance other than just what he brings to the table. Our opinions of his ability/talent/skill are influence by the end result of a play….a result that is to a great degree an outcome of the final attacker, defender, and goal keeper. Freddy connecting with a great player that can finish 1/2 chances looks more adept than Freddy connecting with an average player that can muff easy chances.
Worth noting, for the naysayers: Adu isn’t alone on that team in his frustration. Michael Farfan’s played a lot better than his 4 assists (all of which came in the space of 3 weeks) indicate.
I haven’t seen a lot of Adu this year, but I have been impressed with what I have seen. He got in some wild duels with Andy Najar, as the two went back and forth trying to beat each other on the dribble. Adu has been the Union’s most effective offensive player that I’ve seen.
The video is a bit misleading. You put probably put together a clip like this for many if not most MLS midfielders. There are three instances where the teammate should absolutely have finished it. Farfan’s miss was just horrible. Pajoy’s diving header should have been on frame, but he did a lot of power behind it. That would have been one of the two leading candidates for assist of the year, up there with Santos’ ball to Pontius, who then crossed to Pajoy against the Union a week ago. Adu made a great move to get free and then delivered a perfect ball to Pajoy, so it would have been a highlight goal, but it was not a gimme.
At least a couple of the chances shown here should have been goals, but only if the Union player had unselfishly passed to a wide-open teammate…in which case Adu wouldn’t have gotten the assist anyway. There were some good saves, and there were some tough chances to to get a header on goal.
Could Adu have had more assists? Sure. However, what strikes me from this video is how few chances he has created. Unless there are some more not shown, he needs to produce more than a moment or two of quality every couple of games. He’s got the skills to do so. Maybe the Union aren’t good enough for that to happen, but maybe we’ll see that change soon.
I wish those highlights included all the teams Adu has played for….or maybe it did.
You do know that they did more than bench Pajoy — they traded him for one of United’s bench players?
Couple things …
i) Not all of those were legit goal scoring chances. I counted 16 solid chances created by Adu leading to 1 assisted goal and 1 goal which was a direct result of his cross. Of the 14 plays not finished, 5 should have been buried without question. I think his assist total should currently sit at 6 not 1.
ii) He’s played 23 games … 5 goals and 6 theoretical assists are solid numbers, no doubt. However, the dominant midfielders in the league are registering roughly 0.5 assists per game. Adu is well off the pace.
iii) 2 issues … a) He’s a CAM / withdrawn striker NOT a winger so he’s been played out of position, imo. b) Why? Adu’s work rate is atrocious, imo. I think most managers are frightened to death to play him in a central role due to his fitness issues. He spends loads of time each game, slowly jogging around the pitch. The great ones work MUCH harder than Adu.
Adu did just fine with DCU. When Nowak was the coach he played outside midfielder in a 3-5-2 (which involves all sorts of running and defense) and did more than okay — considering it’s not his natural position. After Adu left DCU was hard pressed to find anyone else who could play the position. Adu was frustrated with the way he was treated in DC (and he had good reason to be) but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t play well.
My understanding is that he did well in Turkey. As for the other stops along the way you have to remember that those clubs had more players than they knew what to do with and competition for playing time was fierce.
His touch and weight on the pass is sublime. Frankly its better than any of the starters for the nats. Very good vision as well. I know he’s a defensive liability, but shouldn’t JK be able to figure a way to make use of these skills? You know the very ones all us fans bemoan the lack of for the USMNT? I mean if he’s fit, he needs to brought into the mix.
Put me on Manchester United and I get 15 assist.
I’ve seen him more than a few times for Philly this year and he’s been completely invisible the vast majority of the time…still though, he’s always done pretty damn well in a U.S. I say give him the keys to the offense in the next few friendlies…throw out a front four of Alitdore, Dempsey, Donovan and Adu with Bradley and Jones/Williams providing cover…it’d certainly be more eventful then the D-mid extravaganza we’ve been forced to endure in the recent past. There would be a lack of speed out there but that lineup could probably create its fair share of chances, hopefully, maybe.
I would like to see him get more burn with the USNT and I’d like to see him on a better MLS team, but it is what it is and Adu needs to do all he can to overcome where he’s at and get more shots from those in charge.
Why doesn’t Freddy score more?
I suspect his “assist-lost chance” stat is similar to the rest of MLS. Who even keep this stat? Losers and someone trying to justify themself.
+1 Feilhaber is exactly who I thought of when I saw this post!
i agree he is due for a callup, esp. over torres, but i can see Jurgen waiting until Jan camp. If he impresses in January then some more call ups in the hex.
they just had a very young team! about half of those misses were close headers; if they pick up someone like Kris Boyd, Kenny Cooper or Conor Casey i bet most of those go in.
Exactly….but it would be fun to watch.
I would say Adu is ‘one-dimensional’, he isn’t good enough in many areas (speed, size, defense) to warrant a solid place in an all 11.
Yet, he has skills that if built around are fairly unique. He could be the Schelotto of Philly and yes…the Union would be a better team for it.
No question about it. Adu is a creative player playing with (mostly) uncreative and untalented teammates.
You lose one dimension of Adu’s qualities. He is a playmaking midfielder, not a poacher.
As a Union fan I agree that our finishing is bad a a legit #1, tall, strong DP striker should be our biggest need this off season.
But as far as creating chances that are missed, do we actually know what the % is for Adu and if it is larger than normal? Because I am sure most if not all playmakers capable of producing changes are going to see most of them missed. I wonder if Adus % is any larger than the norm.
Don’t forget Hoppenot. Incredibly inept.
Yes, Adu is very talented and is on a crap team. Yes, he is the victim of our expectations. Yes, you could slot him into a better team with clinical finishers, one that defends with possession and has a tremendous ball-winning midfielder and he would look world class.
The question at this point has to be…why does Adu only (barely) get his chances to play his preferred position at crap clubs?
I think that he fits into a certain type of team, and that he is a luxury player in our league. Slot him in for Juninho at LA, and we will quickly realize that the team has the finishers, has the talent to maintain possession, but doesn’t have the defensive cover to play a luxury player.
Ives showing on a daily basis he is the best in the biz.
How in the hell does that Pajoy guy still have a contract? Wow some of those misses were simply awful.
I feel frustrated from just watching this. I cannot believe adu had actually been left out of the lineup in favor of some of these guys.
No wonder Philly is a garbage team… with coaching like that who even needs opponents?
+1. Torres seems like a great kid and he represents the USA well, but Adu has performed better for the Nats than Torres. With all of his caps, Torres has yet to register a single goal or assist for the US.
Interesting Freddy Adu – Jose Torres comparison. I agree.
Couldn’t agree more. Torres is a bad version of Adu. Less skill and less imagination. I don’t think either belong in the starting 11 for the USMNT. But if I had to choose one. Hands down it’s Adu over Torres.
What is Freddy’s problem?
He’s too good for Philly? Because that’s all this shows. Maybe it was put together by a fan who is sick of seeing a star player get trashed because the coach’s favorites are trash.
What do you all think of Freddy as a withdrawn striker? Free to roam, limited defensive responsibility. Much like DeRo’s role at DC. And for all you Philly fans out there how about an attacking lineup of JackMac and Adu at forward, Marfan and Carroll at center mid, Cruz on the right, whoever you want on the left? Very attack minded but you’ll get great work rate out of Marfann and Cruz.
Every time he has played for the senior nat team he has done well, made an impact. There are plenty of players who get repeated call ups you cant say that about
As I say constantly–he’s hands down Philly’s best player and shows it everytime he’s on the pitch.
He gets blamed for those other clowns missing sitters he delivers on silver platters. The fact that HE gets benched instead of people like Pajoy (I mean are you f***** kidding me with some of those misses?) is outrageous.
He is ALWAYS the most dangerous player on the pitch and some of the misses from the trash Nowak brought in would make a high schooler blush.
Seriously, watch this video and ask yourself how the f*** Pajoy still has a contract.
You put Freddy Adu on a Seattle, LA or SAn Jose team and he has 15 assists and probably 10 goals and is player of the week about 4-5 times. You put Freddy Adu in Philly or Chivas and you get a highlight reel brilliant assist and a lot of missed goals and blown opportunities. I really think JK needs to call up Freddy for some camps or at least a friendly if not a WCQ.
The fact is Freddy has done a lot better on his few appearances on the USMNT than has Jose Torres. Freddy needs to find a new and better team, a coach who knows how to use and bring out his talents, and you will )finally) see Adu get his props.
I think this video does exactly what Ives thought it would do. It makes all of the soccer fans out there asking themselves “What happened to Freddy Adu” realize that he is just as talented and promising as he has always been. He is just, rather unfortunately, on a terrible team.
You remember when Bradly called him into the national team for a few games last time? He had several strong performances. Freddy is young, and he brings something to the table that no other player brings to our team, the attacking threat of someone who is truly skilled with the ball and not afraid to run at the defense. That is just so rare in our player pool, I think we need to take advantage of it.
He has not been the greatest on the club level, yes, I know. To me, it’s worth the risk.
This video contains footage that shows the Union’s problems, but the fact that the video even exists (and is being pushed) shows Freddy’s problem.
Whatever agent/friend/relative put this together is just enabling his ego and victim BS.
Man I feel frustrated for Adu.
Rather see Adu than Torres.
Haha! That was an entertaining blooper real. Man Philly’s finishing is terrible. Pajoy looks like a clown out there.
On one hand, Ives’ argument is valid and sound given the missed opportunities shown in the video. On the other hand, it seems that there is always an excuse as to why Adu has not performed up to his potential during his stops at all the clubs his played for: DCU, RSL, Benfica, Aris, Rizespor and now Philly Union, whether it’s the manager, his limited playing time, style of play of the team, etc… Maybe the answer to his struggles is somewhere in between, i.e. Adu is really not that good but at the same time, he isn’t given an opportunity to showcase his talents. We should probably just be realistic and think of Adu as an MLS worthy player who can contribute to the team but not someone who has the talent and skill level to compete with the “big boys” in the EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, etc…
I think the Union don’t score goals because they don’t want to have to hear that terrible song they always play after Union goals at PPL.
Yes they do, and he did for the Olympic squad that failed to qualify…others did not. why is he punished for getting it done when it was others who could not?
This is a great compilation for those of us who aren’t Philly fans and don’t get to see Adu regularly. It certainly seems like he could have doubled (tripled?) his assist total this season with better finishers.
Also, as a DC fan, after seeing all of those Pajoy whiffs, it really makes me again wonder why we traded for him. He’s played well the last couple weeks though so I won’t complain.
I am in agreement with this guy. Whether or not you think he is worth your time, there are alot of us who would like to see him succeed at a high level and reach his full potential.
I like reading about him, especially since I don’t get to watch his games. I hope he gets it put together and finds some mid-career footing. If you are a fan of American soccer, its in all our interest.
Nice. You should do one for Benny.
Whether you like it or not, people like to read about Adu, and Ives knows it. Is there someone else in particular you want to hear about?
Big time players make big time plays in big time games. He couldnt get it done no need for the excuses
Can we expect more posts on other players who have had frustrating seasons?
why does it matter? only Adu is put on the stage when he is inconsistent or has bad games. As a matter of fact, he is the only player on the USMNT pool who treated as such. Miss a pass, off the roster, forwards on union F up your crosses and passes for goal, YOUR of the roster, no touches because your backline and CDM players suck YOUR off the roster.
Let’s just hope Freddy Adu doesn’t read this article. Victim mentality’d.