Photo by ISIphotos.com
How wild was last night?
If you watched Mexico-Panama last night hoping to get some insight into the U.S. national team's biggest rival you were treated to a night filled with ugliness, absurdity and unintentional comedy. It was okay to laugh, but also okay to be angry.
Why angry when it was Mexico, and its fans, who were left looking silly? Anytime fan violence takes place at soccer games in this country it just adds more ammo to the soccer haters who love any chance they get to ridicule the sport. As much as you may have wanted to laugh at the mayhem at Reliant Stadium, that amusement came at the cost of some respectability for the sport of soccer.
What did I think of Aguirre's Rockette impression? I think it was foolish but not vicious or really intentional. I know U.S. fans want to pile on but I think Aguirre was just guilty of a clumsy late challenge that even Pablo Mastroeni would have considered poor (okay, so not everyone got this joke. Listen, Aguirre thought the ball was dead and put his leg in, Phillips ran into him and that's pretty much it. Aguirre was dumb for being so close to the field and the referee was dumber for giving Ricardo Phillips a red card).
So what else is going on? Here are some other news tidbits, observations and notes to consider as we get through Friday:
The Charlie Davies transfer saga is finally over (we think). First, L'Equipe reported the deal was done, then Davies denied that it was done via Twitter, but now Sochaux has announced that the transfer is done pending a physical. If it is done this time, then that's good news, although it could mean the end of Davies' Gold Cup participation.
Red Bulls fans can't be happy about hearing that the club wants to sign hot-shot U.S. Under-20 prospect Dilly Duka but were rejected by MLS. The New York Post reported on Thursday that the club tried to sign him but were denied by MLS. So what's the story? The word I've gotten is that the Red Bulls have been denied Duka because he wasn't an official academy player before attending Rutgers (he is now a member of the Red Bulls Under-20 team). Teams must have contact The rule is in place to keep MLS teams from raiding area colleges of young talent and claiming them through their youth systems. So basically, even though the Red Bulls are ready to sign Duka, and he sounds very interested in signing with the Red Bulls, it won't happen.
Let's keep it on the subject on Generation adidas. If you're hoping for your team to sign one of its youth academy players to a Generation adidas contract you may have to wait a while. I'm hearing that the funds used to pay for Generation adidas players are tightand MLS isn't going to approve any new players unless it is a truly special player. Is the lack of funding recession-related, or just a case of MLS having already signed its share of players to Generation adidas contract? Who knows, but it is becoming more and more absurd how many obstacles stand in the way of MLS teams landing quality young talent.
My ESPN story on the U.S. team's first two Gold Cup matches should be up later today so keep an eye out for that. Among the topics is Freddy Adu, who had a disappointing Gold Cup to say the least. As much as he deserves criticism, he also shouldn't be written off. He's 20 and is still a very skillful player. He just needs games and without games his form will continue to diminish. I said it months ago, and say it again, Adu needs to consider a league like Denmark or Belgium, where he could potentially find a starting role. It isn't as glamorous as France or Portugal, but he needs the experience. You need only look at Benny Feilhaber as someone who benefited from a move to a smaller European league.
That's all for now. Feel free to share your thoughts on any of these subjects in the comments section below.
bad soccer news all around, especially mls. bah mls. bah.
harry, people have never answered that question because only the coach knows and its not because Adu “showed him up” like you put it. Coaches will bench star players because of their attitude, work ethic, tactic, or if he has a negative effect on the team but never because a player proved to the coach that he is good. Coaches nowadays are fired so quickly Ricardo would not be joking around by benching a good player without a proper reason and coaches love players who prove them wrong.
We also need players that are consistant within the game. Adu does something really nice and the next minute, he turns the ball over unnecessarily. In that sense, he reminds me of Diaby and you can ask Arsenal fans what they think about him.
No one is saying Adu sucks. We are just saying he is not as good as you make him out to be.
A team is a reflection of it’s coach. Aguirre’s “move” was in no way unintentional. He has a history of racial slurs from the sidelines (I’ve heard them personally). He stands at the edge of the coaches box for virtually the entire game and insults opponents. This was just an extension of that policy. His unprofessional behavior set off the Mexican fans and his own bench and players lose discipline at the same time. I’ve also heard him speak at forums. He is a decent guy but when the whistle blows he’s like a guy behind the wheel of a car….totally whacko!!
Mexico’s MNT is the most classless team around-from the coaches down to the players. What I really hate is their weak excuses when they lose i.e. the field was too bumpy. They should spend more time training and less time thinking up excuses.
And I am Mexican-American before there are calls of Mexico hating.
We wouldn’t even talk abotu Adu if he hadn’t been so over-hyped. He developed early; he has not continued to do so. Not the first or last time that’s happened. Compare him to Michael Bradley or Jozy and you notice a huge difference — mainly, Adu quit growing, others caught up to his pace, and the combination exposed his poor decision-making. He still has decent touch sometimes and occasional flashes of a mature field-vision. But he is far from an international-caliber player. He’d do better playing professionally in Mexico or elsewhere in Latin America — almost nowhere in Europe will work for him. Let’s do the kid a favor and let him drift off quietly and try to get his game back.
What I’m wondering is why we haven’t heard anything final about where Bradley and Dempsey are going to play next season. anybody know?
I think all this Adu hating is so misguided. Based on what we have seen him do on the field, he has moments of magic that no other U.S player past or present has even attempted. I know this is the past, but how can anyone forget that move he put on those Brazilians in the U-20 world cup. With soccer, it’s either you can play or not, either you are in form or not. Right now he is not in form and needs playing time. If he gets playing time and the magic doesn’t return, then I say we move on. There is way too much upside to give up on the kid. And let’s forget that age stuff already…. it is….( i won’t say it because it would just be like taking a match and a can of gas to an arsonist convention..)
Tired of you hating on Adu.
I thought he did as much as was possible in the Grenada match and worked harder than anyone else. But yes the Honduras match was not great. However I would gladly take a goal every other game.
And I normally think every USMNT player is underrated, but I feel Davies has become very overrated. He’s not that skilled at all, but does have a good work rate.
“Adu plays well 25% of the time he is given the chance.” -Japan
This is a bunch of BS………I have watched every Benfica game and every Monaco game and every USMNT game Freddy has played in. Adu plays well in 90% of the chances he is given…..The reason why i know this is because i watched his games on online streams unlike potsers hear who never watch and then just judge because he did not score 3 goals or the coach dosent play him enough. I ask this again and none of the lesser Adu fans have yet to answer……….why was Adu’s stellar performence against Juventes(where he was the teams MVP) the LAST time he ever played for Ricardo at Monaco???? why ahve people yet to answer? Or are they just hiding/ignoring like they did after Adu stook his foot up their behinds with his 3 stellar performeces in the 2008 3 Super-friendlies.
And why do people hear say that they like Adu..but then say “he has never done anything to prove himself”……….its as if the Switzerland,South Africa,England,Spain,Argentina, Guatemala and the Benfica games of Freddy never happened….
Al17 | July 10, 2009 at 04:54 PM ,
Rossi’s early years:
“When offered a spot on the youth team of Parma, Rossi and his father moved to Italy until Manchester United bought his contract when he was 17. He scored a long range effort for Manchester United in a 3–1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Rossi moved to Newcastle United on loan until January 1, 2007, where he was expected to gain some first team experience. He made his home debut on September 24, 2006. Rossi scored his only Newcastle goal in his first start on October 25, 2006, against Portsmouth in a Carling Cup Third Round tie at St James’ Park.
For the second half of the season, he was again loaned out, this time to his former club, Parma. Scoring nine goals in 19 league appearances, he helped the club escape the threat of relegation.”
____________________
My main point was that if you are looking for someone to compare Adu to, Rossi is not the guy I would choose.
I won’t argue over whether Parma or Man U was more influential in Rossi’s development. I could make an argument that Rossi would have been very good wherever he went but we will never know.
The point is he was schooled well during his developmental years. Freddy does not seem so fortunate. I think you will agree that Sir Alex Ferguson, who rated Rossi and passed on Adu, is a better judge of talent than harry.
Rossi took advantage of his year in Parma and scored 9 goals, leading to a big move. Regardless,of how crazy Monaco was or is, or regardless of whose fault it was, Adu did nothing at Monaco and it was a wasted year.
Yura Movsisyan Randers move has fallen through. He is still a RSL player. Randers couldn’t pay the compensation.
Aguirre is already going to get a suspension plus a tarnished reputation. He had the balls to get out of the field, keep his mouth shut and apologize to EVERYONE!
BUT…your blind hate for Mexico, a country that has the most pro-American president of the entire hemisphere, doesn’t let you realize that the instigators, the hooligans (speaking of class, those English fans!), the provokers where the Panamenian team…PERIOD!
They are idiots, ESPECIALLY the thug who rammed Guillermo Ochoa!
And by that, I’m not excusing the MNT or Aguirre at all!
Reminded me of the basketball player who did something similar to Pau Gasol of the LA Lakers in the NBA finals! You should see how well the Spanish press took that one ! The Mexican Press and fans today are crucifying the team and Aguirre, they don’t need any help from the American haters!
I am convinced that NO ONE who speaks vitriol against Mexico and it’s people have ever been to that wonderful country or met their wonderful people. The people at the game yesterday where Mexican/American NOT Mexican nationals who crossed the border to watch the game!
I guarantee to each and every American that choses to go to the Estadio Azteca on Aug.12, that you will be amazed by the fans, the stadium, the atmosphere, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY the level of security and soccer knowhow that the people in charge have. It is nothing like CONCACAF in Houston Texas… believe you me!
I hope that Mexico as a country gets over the rough patch it’s going through at the moment, and can soon see better times. Colombia did it! Mexico most certainly can do it too!!!
Lance, at what point did I say A) Aguirre shouldn’t be suspended or B) Aguirre wasn’t wrong?
He shouldn’t have been so close to the touchline, and he shouldn’t have tried to get involved with the play. All the “He intentionally ‘kicked’ Phillips” stuff seems like a stretch. That’s just my opinion though.
Mason, I wouldn’t say that the punishments are too severe for it to never happen. There’s a long tradition of baseball players from the Caribbean lying about their age or having false documents. I’m in no way suggesting that Adu is not the age he says he is though. I want to make that clear
“This is hilarious. Another attempt by JCO to circumvent the MLS rules. The guy has no respect for our domestic league.”
WTF? It’s not like Duka just got signed to RB Academy. I think Osorio sucks, but this doesn’t look like a deliberate attempt to circumvent the rules: instead, it looks like incompetence and ignorance.
@DH..or dl,
“harry – please learn how to spell our president’s name correctly. jackass.” I am just using the spelling recently used in an official whitehouse press release. why the animus? don’t agree he is wonderful
Salchipapa,
Hey man, you need some salt and mustard… It is “Mala educación”
Cheers
It is true Rossi was 20 years old when Manchester United finally sold him to Villareal where his career took off. It is true Adu is 20 and, like Rossi, needs a move. However the comparison ends there:
– Rossi was on loan at Parma where he had scored 9 goals in Serie A. This is not easy to do. Adu was on loan at Monaco where he did not play much and scored no goals. Most people will agree with me if I say Serie A is a tougher place to score goals. Rossi was in demand. Let us see about Adu.
Adu was in a whack situation @ Monaco and it came down to the manager’s not wanting him there. The few matches he played at Monaco he was fine and needed more time on the field which he should have gotten.
– Rossi was highly thought of by Sir Alex Ferguson who, it is reported by Charlie Stillitano, after getting off the phone with Bruce Arena who wanted Sir Alex to help him convince Rossi to play for the USA, said something like, “how can I tell Rossi to play for the US when it is his dream to play for Italy and he is good enough to do that ?”. Remember, Freddy Adu had a tryout with Manchester United and Ferguson passed on him. I’m just guessing here but I think Sir Alex is probably a better judge of talent that you are.
Ferguson poached the kid while he was at Parma. Money trumped all else.
– Rossi spent his formative years at Manchester United who are known for producing a lot of good, young professionals. Freddy has spent his formative years in a number of unstable environments where he has clashed with coaching staffs. Rossi was groomed and polished properly; Freddy has not been so fortunate.
He spent 4 years @ Parma then 2 years @ Man Utd during his spell as a youth player. I’m sure those 4 years at Parma was the primary reason why United took him on and knowing how Italy develops youth players, I’d give more credit to Parma than Man Utd in regards to development in his “formative” years.
Let’s tell it right if you’re gonna tell it.
The Dilly Duka situation is just another in series of RB front office blunders. They probably told him they would sign him, so he leaves Rutgers – then this. Nice job Agoos/Stover/Osorio. Three stooges indeed.
MLS get this academy system in PLACE. Come ON
Osorio and Agoos probably thought that they would get everyone off their back about academy signings with a signing by Duka and obviously think the fans are as dumb as them. Of course, Duka would not qualify as an academy signing because he did not play there for the required amount of time. Kassel who does qualify was approved by the league to be signed and the idiots (Dumb and Dumber) offer him a developmental contract instead of a GA deal claiming they did not want to jeopardize other signings. The reality is that they do not want an academy player and as long as they are in charge, there will be no such signing of an academy player. End of Story!
I don’t get why everyone is obsessed with Adu moving to a “lesser league”. The Portuguese league isn’t great and he is popular with the Benfica fans. Benfica is the team that thought he was ready when he was still in MLS, they just made a bad loan deal.
Personally, if he can’t break into Benfica, I’m through caring what his potential could be.
I am disappointed in Ives’ defense of
Aguirre. There’s no excuse for a coach to make contact with a player, and conversely, no excuse for a player to make contact with a coach. I think the ref did what he had to do, by ejecting the Panamanian player, and Aguirre deserves suspension.
According to Charlie’s twitter the deal is done.
This is hilarious. Another attempt by JCO to circumvent the MLS rules. The guy has no respect for our domestic league.
The league must be tiring of his foolish attempts
Are you sure Japan……..you dont even read what i wrote..you let your anit-Adu get in the way..so you cant even read what i wrote………..Rossi was in the same situation as Adu 2 years ago………Thats a fact..you can deny it all you want but thats the way it was. It seems to be the rabid anti-Adu crowd are so happy that Adu finally had a poor game and the Anti-Adu crowd are now having a party…but geuss what, what happens if Adu gets loaned to a small club gets his top-form back and then he plays in a US game and is our best player on the field like he was in the SPain game and some of the other US games………the Anti-crowd will disappear and not comment when Ives writes a review of that game and praises Adu….thats what happend on June 5th 2008 for the Ives Spain Game review were Ives praised Adu very high……funny thing was all the Anti-Adu crowd disappeared for that thread.
Posted by: harry | July 10, 2009 at 02:38 PM
_______________________________
harry,
It is true Rossi was 20 years old when Manchester United finally sold him to Villareal where his career took off. It is true Adu is 20 and, like Rossi, needs a move. However the comparison ends there:
– Rossi was on loan at Parma where he had scored 9 goals in Serie A. This is not easy to do. Adu was on loan at Monaco where he did not play much and scored no goals. Most people will agree with me if I say Serie A is a tougher place to score goals. Rossi was in demand. Let us see about Adu.
– Rossi was highly thought of by Sir Alex Ferguson who, it is reported by Charlie Stillitano, after getting off the phone with Bruce Arena who wanted Sir Alex to help him convince Rossi to play for the USA, said something like, “how can I tell Rossi to play for the US when it is his dream to play for Italy and he is good enough to do that ?”. Remember, Freddy Adu had a tryout with Manchester United and Ferguson passed on him. I’m just guessing here but I think Sir Alex is probably a better judge of talent that you are.
– Rossi spent his formative years at Manchester United who are known for producing a lot of good, young professionals. Freddy has spent his formative years in a number of unstable environments where he has clashed with coaching staffs. Rossi was groomed and polished properly; Freddy has not been so fortunate.
If you want to compare players to Adu,Rossi may not be the best choice.
I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but neither do you so the only thing we have to judge a player by is performance. It is clear Adu is talented but needs work. There is no reason why Adu can’t go on to be successful but he will have to work much harder, and get into a much better situation than he has been, to get there.
Your expectations for him, that he will suddenly become a dangerous world class super sub goal scoring threat for the USMNT are very unrealistic. As a USMNT fan I hope your wishes for him come true. Unfortunately, the reality is your stage-mother attitude isn’t doing Freddy any favors by expecting so much from him in such a short time when the evidence indicates another outcome is more likely.
Seems Chivas USA doesn’t have any trouble signing youth players, must just be Red Bulls making more excuses.
Well said Scott in Houston!!
I think the league did the right thing regarding not signing Duka as an academy player.There’s obviously a lot of hype about him going into the U-20 world cup but seriously, How much does anyone really know about this player at a high competitive level? I for one, DO NOT trust Agoos or Osorio’s ability to assess talent. Seems like he got the breaks and made things happen but the reality is…we need to see some consistency which the Red Bulls don’t quite understand. Duka is not a homegrown player so therefore should not be able to qualify as one!
Wow Jimmie. Thanks for the insight. Coming from a credible talent scout such as yourself we’ll all hang our hats on that evaluation.
When will people quit hating? When will people realize he was just too hyped as a youngster? When will people quit expecting the world from a 20 year-old kid?
Freddy? A Who? Adu stinks, really. He hasn’t matured or grown since he was 14. So, either he has a health problem or someone lied about his age when she brought him to the US from Ghana where he had no birth certificate.
Adu has good foot and ball skills, but he absolutely stinks as a soccer player.
I think that there are two types of fans in this world. Ones that see Freddy for what he is. And the other is “Harry”.
BTW–I love how he uses the term “Super-friendlies”….say that out loud a few times….it is funny.
Next up….A SUPER FRIENDLY between Rangers and Celtic…..
Looks like the send off is in effect for Davies per his twitter:
“I want to thank All my Hammarby Fans for everything!!! You all mean a lot to me and I will keep you in my heart. Forza Bajen”
Aguirre INTENTIONALLY lifted his leg that high and than played stooooooopid! He did not swing and kick him in the package, but the high lift leg was with a purpose! They way he left the field was shameful as well! At least 4 gamer for him! As for the fans filthy and Mal Educacion!
harry wrote:
“It seems to be the rabid anti-Adu crowd are so happy that Adu finally had a poor game and the Anti-Adu crowd are now having a party.”
Um, that’s just wrong on so many levels. I gotta ask, are you related to Freddy? Cuz you seem to be blinded by adoration.
First, this isn’t the first poor game that Freddy’s had, so don’t say that he “finally” had a poor game. He was just as bad in the first game of the Gold Cup. His only highligh, the one goal, was entirely due to exceptional play by Robbie Rogers, and Adu’s shot barely escaped the keeper’s glove.
Second, the anti-Adu crowd aren’t having a party. In fact, I don’t think there is an anti-Adu crowd. There IS, however, a pro-USA crowd that wants the national team to play impressively all the time. The team as a whole looks poor when Freddy is on the field. It can’t be inspiring to see him jogging around the field rather than running and pressuring, and then giving up the ball over and over again, while players like Charlie Davies and Stuart Holden sit on the bench. Freddy has his moments, but they seem to be fewer and fewer.
Finally, stop feeling sorry for Freddy. He keeps getting chances — both for clubs and for the national team — and keeps failing to take advantage of them. Bob Bradley called him onto the Confederations Cup roster, but what he saw in practice didn’t give him confidence to put him on the field. He gets picked up by Benfica, and barely makes it as a sub in the occasional game. He gets loaned to Monaco, and barely makes it into a jersey. When he played for those teams, some of his defensive lapses gave away games. He was personally responsible for giving away the ball that led to two late goals, which turned a 1-0 win into a 1-2 loss. That’s why he doesn’t get playing time.
So harry, stop believing that there are “haters” out there who want him to fail. Instead, there are fans of teams who don’t see him playing a significant part in the success.
I think Freddy will be fine, just given time to play. If he can do it at Benfica or via loan, great. If not, his management/advisors need to get him somewhere where he will play.
I’d love to see him break the barrier in Brazil or Argentina, and I think he’d do well. But isn’t the money terrible there?
harry – please learn how to spell our president’s name correctly. jackass.
Don’t Trust Passports-
Do you know what they do to people who lie on visa/citizenship applications?
For a more likely explanation ast to why he hasn’t physically progressed much, google “Precocious Puberty”.
that’s so wonderful about Duh silva and barak obama , he’s so wonderful.
Ives-
Look at :35 and :44 of the replay posted of above. He’s looking right at the play. He knew exactly what he was doing.
If Adu was REALLY 20 years old, I’d say be patient. His passport says he’s 20 but IS HE REALLY 20???? Hmmmmm. There are people in Manchester, England that are familiar with bone density testing who might suggest otherwise.
He’s a talented player, no doubt. His advisors have been giving him bad advice since he was “14” years old. He never really developed properly.
As Ives suggests, this guy needs to swallow some pride and find a club in Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Romania, etc… where he can get serious playing time.
harry, Rossi played for man utd. Adu plays for Monaco. That is completely different. Of course Rossi will not play ahead of RVN or inform Saha or Solskjaer. Now I don’t watch a lot of French league but what top class player is ahead of Adu in Monaco? Rossi plays well almost everytime he is given the chance. Adu plays well 25% of the time he is given the chance.
Also, it looks to me like the main reason he doens’t play is due to his work ethic. If that is the case, he won’t be playing no matter where he goes.
I agree that he does have potential but he has shown no proof that he will become what you think he will become
Jay, if i recalled (although i may have it confused with Mike Grella) correctly MLS offered Marcus Tracy a six digit figure to accept an MLS contract. The league does try, but the allure of Europe is strong, and if you think the league should be offering more to unproven talent … i think you wrong.
Not really defending Aguirre, I just don’t think he meant to do it. Do I know for sure he didn’t mean to do it? No, but neither do the people insisting that he meant to do it.
As for the Red Bulls-Duka situation, not sure the Red Bulls should be catching flack for this one. You can blame them for not having Duka in their system at an earlier age, but they definitely did what they could to sign him, the league just wasn’t allowing it based on its rules.
At this point, signing youth players to RBNY borders on child abuse.
Incompetence thy name is Red Bull.
*sigh*
Ives, even the mexican media called Aguirre out. On Futbol Picante last night (espn deportes) There was one Panelist who was defending aguirre tooth and nail. While the other 3 ( including world renowned ref Armando Archundia) were trying to talk some sense into him. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…well then it probably is a duck.
Jay, MLS losing young players is no shame. How old was C. Ronaldo when he left Portugal for Man U.? 18. Staying just with Man U. how about Obertan or Macheda from Italy no less? Larger more profitable leagues will ALWAYS be buying young potential. MLS real problem is that it is expanding beyond the available player pool and its limited salary cap. We need to see that grow so that we can keep mid-level talent.
Jim Rome is gonna eat this up
Posted by: JGIB
——————————————-
Who?!?!
(chew, chew, pausssssse. wait for it…)
Rack me.
Late.
Seriously. I care about Jim Rome about as much as I care about whether or not sprinkles on my ice cream sundae.
k, if this were a NYRB movie, this is the part that Redbull Co. ditches us and our name goes back to Metro and we sign an unsuspecting kid with a magic foot who helps us win the next 11 games, make it to the playoffs and win. but then the kid loses his power because he trips on a baseball, but he finds out that he didn’t need it in the first place because he’s got his mommy’s love.
“Thought the ball was dead and put his leg in…”? Come on, while his attack wasn’t particularly viscous he deliberately struck a Panamanian player during the run of play, interfering with the game and putting the health of the opposing player at risk for no reason. What’s more, his attitude and the actions of the players on both teams bled into the stands and are partially responsible for the conflicts there and for the cowardly pelting of the Panamanian player as he left the field. This is a major stain on Concacaf and the sport in the USA and when people don’t take their kids to the matches to support the teams, we’ll know why. I was at Soldier Field with my wife and son for the Honduras qualifier and, while 95% percent of the fans were great, some drunken idiots pelted us with beer and one guy even struck me while I was holding my 14 month old son! It’s time to take security at the matches more seriously.