by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
With only eleven players in camp, the U.S. men's national team's initial training session kicked off in Miami on Wednesday ahead of a pair of World Cup qualifers against Costa Rica and Honduras. The focus on the first day, with so few players available, was simply getting back into national team mode.
"Just using the time to start to get use to the heat. You know a lot of guys coming from Europe where obviously the humidity and temperatures don't come into play as much," said midfielder Michael Bradley.
Bradley and his club, Borussia Moenchengladbach, just came off of surviving the German Bundesliga's relegation battle, a battle he described as invaluable experience.
"To be on a team where every game means so much, where every point is so important I think for a young player you learn a lot of valuable things so to kind of be a part of that the whole season and to be a guy who is counted on for a lot in the team, I think that was good for me."
The Moenchengladbach player should be relied upon heavily in next week's World Cup qualifier as well, as he will be one of only eight field players to have prepared all week long.
"That is a challenge that is a little different in this double fixture. We're dealing with it well," said head coach Bob Bradley of not having the entire team practicing together. "We have a group of guys that have matches still on the weekend, including some very important ones so it's going to be necessary for us to rely on the work that we've done in the past and make sure that everybody is ready to go when they arrive."
Bradley also addressed what the team needs to do in order to avoid a repeat performance of what happened in El Salvador, when the U.S. fell behind early before salvaging a draw in the final 15 minutes of the 2-2 match.
"I think that we hurt ourselves early in periods of the first half against El Salvador where we lost some balls in difficult positions and they led to counter attacks and that got the crowd into the game and that's the way the first goal came.
"So when you're playing in those kind of conditions, you want to certainly take the initiative but you want to do it in an intelligent way so that you're not leaving yourselves open and I think we'll need to do that better in this match."
Some other news and notes from Wednesday's training session:
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Oguchi Onyewu attended but did not participate in practice as he was resting from his weekend match.
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The players who did train today were Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Charlie Davies, Jay DeMerit, Clint Dempsey, Brad Guzan, Eric Lichaj, Heath Pearce, Luis Robles and Jonathan Spector.
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Freddy Adu is expected to arrive Thursday and Chivas USA players Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein are expected to arrive Friday.
- Danny Califf will not fly with the team and instead will meet up with the squad in Costa Rica next week.
- The team leaves for Central America from Miami on June 1st.
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What do you think the United States' chances are to win both games next week? Do you see the U.S. winning its first game in Costa Rica next Wednesday? Will the short turn-around affect the team against Honduras?
Share your thoughts below.
SC and WK: I totally agree with you. There are a LOT of Adu-haters out there, and these seem to be the same kinds of people who are holding true creativity and tactical prowess from getting into U.S. Soccer. It’s because these same people don’t know what good, creative, inspired soccer is. Plain and simple–these people are idiots and don’t have an ounce of creative soccer in their veins.
Those of you Adu-haters out there have no vision and absolutely no faith. Adu’s time will come–and when it does, may all the people who believe in Freddy Adu rain down on all you Freddy-haters out there with the “I told you so”‘s.
Steve Jolley’s Tinker:
Again, that’s a youth game. Refer to one of my previous posts: “those other accomplishments were against youth teams. That means nothing when you’re trying to qualify for the World Cup. I see what you’re getting at and I understand but he is not going to be relevant against WC competition.”
I’m telling you now, Adu will NEVER be a major factor on the SENIOR USMNT. Sad but true.
Thanks for the update.
“I’m sorry but am I the ONLY ONE who has NEVER been sold on Adu?”
If you’d been at the USA-Poland U-20 game in Montreal or the USA-Brazil game in Ottawa in 2007, you’d be a bit less skeptical.
I was never in super-love with the guy, but he can do some things no one else in camp can do. What he is not, is a well-rounded player. Since those games, Bradley has grown leaps and bounds, Adu is still struggling to get on the field. If he ever fully develops, he’s invaluable. But, that’s still an IF, and that’s the problem w/him.
Gooch, Boca, and Spector are automatic starts for me in defense. if Hedjuk is good to go, then he gets the nod at RB. can’t wait to see who BB puts out there.
Issac, Califf has had more than one bad game. He’s had several which ultimately led to him being absent from the squad and optin out of MLS for years for his oafish approach to defending. He’s merely had only a couple adequate games since he got back in the pool ending on the stinker. Califf is a known entity to many at this point and why he keeps getting nods for the 3rd & 4th knotch in the CB shuffle over guys like Conrad, Demerit or Marshall is the big stink. Yes I’m a Califf hater… and it goes beyond just this round of qualifying. Conrad is twice the defender Califf is and at least he can distribute even better than even Gooch or Boca
Our fascination with Adu is not just about Adu himself. We’ve seen glimpses of brilliance when he brought creativity that is badly needed and nobody else provides. If his promise won’t realize it will be bad for him and US. And it won’t change the fact that we still need that creativity spark to add to grittiness and spirit and workmanship that we do have.
Al, this is journalism…reporting, and mathmatics or assumptions shouldn’t figure into the equation (no pun intended).
Yossarian:
What I’m saying is you can’t tell me Guatemala has better goalkeeping talent than those European powerhouses. No way. My point is 1) that freekick was saveable; and 2) I’m still not a fan of lowly Adu…regardless of how “great” that freekick goal was.
Ceez,
A free kick is the one play that has pretty much nothing to do with who you’re playing. What does it matter if he made the kick against Guatemala or Spain? As far as I’m aware of, Spain does not have a nine foot tall defender that could have headed that away
Adu, Califf, Donovan, I don’t care who it is, they get my unequivocal support as USA players (including criticism but excluding hating and booing). Just my two cents
gofirego:
Firstly, that free kick was against Guatemala; not Italy, Spain, Germany, etc. Secondly, all those other accomplishments were against youth teams. That means nothing when you’re trying to qualify for the World Cup. I see what you’re getting at and I understand but he is not going to be relevant against WC competition. I never liked him as a player. I just don’t see anything special about him.
I’m glad to see Boss Bradley thinking heavily on tactics in Costa Rica after the El Salvador debacle. Playing smart away from home is very smart, especially against bunker teams that love to counter attack, and are very good at it.
get rid of pablo. if you want experience and leadership bring in Mcbride. No one better to show jozy the ropes than him
To Ryan H – In the article, there’s a comment regarding humidity from MB and the last bullet point states that the team will leave from Miami.
Don’t blame the writer if you can’t put the two together.
Miami
Incomplete article: Where is the team training?
I still don’t appreciate what was so special about that free kick. Watch it again and tell me that the keeper shouldn’t have saved it.
“Quick, name any other US players who can hit that free kick that Adu nailed last year against Guatemala. Or who can shred apart the Netherlands U-23 defense, as he did several times in that Olympic game. Or who can juggle his way through several Brazilian U-20 defenders who have him cornered, like he did to set up Jozy for a tap-in at the 07 Youth World Cup.
His day will come, if we can appreciate what he does. Let’s not be like the English idiots who devour their creative players like Gazza while praising the meatheads alone.” Posted by: gofirego
well said. these Adu haters sound like future american youth or college coaches.
Freddy was given permission to leave early, you people just wanna hate on him for no reason as per his twitter
great news ive been released to join the guys early in Miami by my coach. Will be there on thursday. Very very very excited
Put on 7 pounds of muscle within the last 5 weeks.149now.Goal is to get to 160 as playing weight and hold it. once there then we go for more
Him and Jozy been twittering back and forth with eaxh other all day.
they boys need time together…costa rica will be training for a while since most there players play there (saprissa alot of them)
Quick, name any other US players who can hit that free kick that Adu nailed last year against Guatemala. Or who can shred apart the Netherlands U-23 defense, as he did several times in that Olympic game. Or who can juggle his way through several Brazilian U-20 defenders who have him cornered, like he did to set up Jozy for a tap-in at the 07 Youth World Cup.
His day will come, if we can appreciate what he does. Let’s not be like the English idiots who devour their creative players like Gazza while praising the meatheads alone.
ambivalent about adu.
All the Danny Califf haters tick me off. With all due respect he only had ONE bad game and it was a game where almost NOONE impressed. Bocanegra was gone for the Argentina match and he was able to fill in well. Heath Pearce has also been steady and didn’t even do all that badly against Mexico. We’re so quick to rip on these guys.
I just don’t understand why it didn’t take this long for people to turn their backs on Freddy Adu.
Have you ever tried plucking splinters from your arse? A very delicate situation at best!
I’m sorry but am I the ONLY ONE who has NEVER been sold on Adu?
Adu’s butt was still glued to the bench, hence the delay in arrival…
Posted by: TomM | May 27, 2009 at 04:51 PM
At least there’s a bright side- he can bring his spot on the pine with him!
Thanks TomM! I knew there had to be a reason.
Eric Lichaj plays for Aston Villa’s reserve squad
Adu’s butt was still glued to the bench, hence the delay in arrival…
Danny Califf should not be considered at all for this game since he will participate in the complete training program. Jay Demerit should get the nod in the centre back with Oguchi and bocanegra should go back to his natural left back position. WiscFan, I agree with you. Why is Adu arriving late? I guess his butts hurt from seating on the bench too much.
Who is Eric Lichaj?
for having so many in Scandanavia and MLS camp is starting a little early. but I guess like Bradley said it gives some of the European guys a chance to get aclimated to the temps.
Why is Adu arriving late? He didn’t play over the weekend, or barely at all this year.