Remember when Freddy Adu could use his quickness and shifty moves to score impressive goals? It might seem like ages ago, and for some, you may not even remember, but the diminutive midfielder has scored some good goals in his career.
Adu flashed that old goal-scoring touch today, netting a pretty sweet left-footed shot that proved to be the game-winning goal in a 1-0 triumph for Turkish Second Division side Rizespor. Adu has enjoyed success since joining the promotion challengers, and is doing his part to elevate Rizespor to the Turkish First Division.
Here is Adu's goal from today:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU_YADBGWsg]
That’s where the problem is by expecting coaches like Arena or Bradley to “teach” tactical awareness. Do you think either of these coaches played the game day in/day out all through their lives? They learned soccer from a text book.
The only way American kids are going to have tactical awareness is through pick-up games or sandlot soccer. Either that or grow up in a soccer mad country like England or anywhere else in the world where soccer ubiquitous 24/7.
How do you think a guy like Dempsey is where he is? Do you think he got his creativity from attending soccer camps and excessive coaching? LOL.
Thats true….he froze 6 players with “one move”. It was quick, controlled and the defense wasn’t ready for that razzle. You want to see sloppy play? Offense and Defense? Flatfootedness? Bolton vs Aston Villa……(EPL)
+1 hahahaha nice grammar slam
McCarty and Adu are not even in the same Class or level……and if michael bradley had done what Adu’s done he’ll still be on the USMNT playing for his dad. Thats life…
Turkish second division in a position/race to move up to the turkish superlig…ranked 11th in the UEFA standings. If you watch soccer other than MLS you’ll know that the level of the 1st and 2nd division is not that great……whoops
interesting point….the shin guardian posted an interview with alfonso mondelo technical director of mls….he noted that the teaching of tactical awareness is what is lacking in the USA coaching ranks…
Im sorry. I promise no more Bedoya lashing out. 🙂
Haha that shows your ignorance when it comes to player development. Didier Drogba was just starting to actually play for a second division French side.
Regardless of the level of play, that was a world class goal. Great first touch to play in to open space and a nice low curving shot with the left foot. Shaped the ball around a player screening the keeper who had no chance. Nice goal Freddy, keep it up. You have been making millions since you went to Europe, but I know you just want to play like everybody does. Here is hoping that you help promote Rizespur. Keep playing and enjoy yourself. Screw the haters, and don’t let it get to your head.
No, problem is he didn’t say ball skills, he said “the things he can do”, and said that he lacks Michael Bradley hustle.
World Class has to do with a lot more than just ball skills. I love Freddy and respect his skills, but obviously there are things MB can do (like long extended energy and focus) that are more World Class than Adu.
Basically implied MB90 is a running robot and Adu is a underdeveloped foot magician. Bradley is closer to “World Class” than Adu right now, come on. Not saying Adu can’t turn himself into some special, or more than MB90, but right now Adu is in Turkey D2 and Bradley is an accomplished player at one of the bigger EPL clubs.
As much as people may want to prop Freddy by bashing MB’s lack of foot skills, Adu may extremely benefit from having such a hard nosed hard working and -yes, skilled- and competent player like Bradley behind him if he get’s his dream “in the hole” position.
38th second
That was great, but I think my favorite is the one touch pass in the 38th minute. Who does that? Freddy Adu.
What was that again ADU haters? It’s just the second Turk division?LOL Haters are full of it. I don’t know any other American futbolero can pass the ball to himself with a soft touch and hammered it in. Adu is by far the only “REAL” technical player in our pool. I don’t care what league the kid is playing in, every time my boy hits the field, something nice happens. He doesn’t disappoint!
Lets see here, haters are going to be talking about how “Adu Terry” didn’t defend well and that he should man up better therefor he sucks.lol
I will continue to say it my Americans, we must protect out talent because we are not BRAZIL or ARGENTINA when it comes to individual talent.
i can taste the hatin’ on that one
you r serious! and u ARE right!!!
well, Turkish 2nd division is probably closer to MLS than it is to high school. : )
Too much. Take a deep breath. Step back. Give it a day or two. Then re-post. Something like, “that was a great goal!” Or, “man I hope he continue his run of form for a good period of time!”
; )
You spelled skills wrong… be careful… Mr. Fischy is giving out failing grades for grammar and spelling… see my post above if you don’t believe me.
Hopefully you will also meet a prince charming one day, who will pay all your bills and carry you off on a white horse.
Sorry Mr. Fischy… I didn’t know you were correcting papers today… It will never happen again I promise. Please don’t tell my mom.
Whoops….make that the Tukish Second Friggin’ Division. Even better. 😉
I hope Freddy goes golazo crazy, gets noticed by the big boys, gets rich, helps the USMNT win the World Cup and lives happily ever after.
Yes I do.
Yes, its good to see he has found a league in which he can be competitive. The Greek SECOND FRIGGIN’ DIVISION!!!!
He was comparing the fact that players get space in all leagues, as evidenced by Rooney’s goal, where he had lots of space.
Some people need to work on their reading comprehension skills.
Yeah lol, Adu’s ball skills are light years above Holden’s, what a silly comment.
Turkish 2nd division and people are going crazy. I’ve seen many great goals in HS too.
WOW. Freddy is LIGHTING UP the Turkish 2nd division! It’s clearly time for Coach Bob to not just call him up, but build the team around him.
I hope he makes a comeback. I would love to see all the naysayers (The same ones that use to call Donovan Landycakes) eat crow.
“Ball skills” are nice for fan boys.
They don’t win matches.
11 guys that have a tactical understanding and know when to make runs that create space when they DON’T have the ball; know when and how to close down space correctly in the midfield; know how to position themselves off the ball so as not to leave the team open to a devastating counter — these things win matches. These are the things that make it possible for “ball skills” (i.e. technical ability) to flourish. People think Spain wins because they are technically the best and most creative. The only thing that allows them to do so is an understanding of the game’s tactics that consistently allows them to wrong-foot their opponents.
It isn’t about “hustle”.
Umm, in top European leagues, every player on the pitch defends. That is the expectation. They are not always dropped back deep in defense, but every player is expected to be involved defensively.
More importantly, every player needs to help defensively by being tactically aware. That is where the low soccer IQ comment comes from.
Freddy’s “Soccer IQ” begins and ends with him having the ball at his feet. It is not in the “atmosphere” at all. When he is off the ball, he has a very, very low level of tactical awareness — basic things that kids in Europe of far less technical ability learn at a young age just to get by.
And yes, this is the same knock that Jozy gets. People think that the biggest gap that Americans have to close developmentally is in technical ability or creative flair. Tactical awareness is probably a bigger gap that we have – positioning, when to make intelligent runs, etc. European coaches expect to see these things ingrained by the time a player is Adu’s age.
No way he plays in any friendlies this side of the Atlantic during the season. I wouldn’t rule him out of the Gold Cup. Anything else depends on performance with the team.
I was about to use this comparison, too. Makes sense comparing Adu’s goal to one by a guy w/ 100 goals in one of the 2 best leagues in the world in a game between two of the best teams in the world with a goal by a washout of 2nd tier European leagues in a game between two teams who are at best the 19th and 20th best teams in Turkey.
And Rooney definitely wasn’t open b/c the cross was deflected and the goal certainly didn’t still require a ridiculously difficult and acrobatic finish resulting in one of the great goals of the past few years.
So yeah, good analogy.
+1
Thanks for the clip!! it’s always fun to watch freddy when he gets some time on the ball. at this point, you wonder whether he has the speed, strength or soccer knowledge to ever succeed in a top league.. but he’s one guy i’d pay to watch against 2nd division turks..
Fantastic turn and shot. Hopefully this is a signal that he is turning the corner on his way back into the big scheme. I’m not sending in my fan club dues yet, but it’s good to see him on the pitch and playing.
People forget Adu has had some shining moments because of the hype around him. He was our best player by some margin in that friendly in Spain and looked like he was turning into a world-beater during the u-20 cup where he scored a hat trick against Poland.
yeah, curving the ball around defenders into the back of the not from the top of the box is piece-o-cake standard chops.
ditto + 1000000
I’ll say this. Adu was marked. He juked the defender and made his own space at the top of the box. The space wasn’t given to him.
Happy for Freddy but that shot gets saved in a better league with quality keeping. Poor shot, really..
I think if he puts in a good run for 8-12 months he should definitely be in consideration for a spot. That is what we are all hoping for. I agree lets wait till the end of the season and hopefully he will not be on the bench again.
I don’t think anyone on the board above you has voiced the opinion that he should be starting for the nats, not even close. People just said congrats. You are kind of arguing with a mythical person with this post.
Gratz Freddy I hope they get promoted and maybe Jozy will stay at his team at the end of his loan and they buy him. Then we can see them go head to head. 😀
ditto, this seems like a good fit so far.
No one said anything but “congrats” and “happy for the kid” until your post. Nobody even said he should start for the nats or even make the team. Nobody even brought it up. So the question is, why were you the first to 1) bring up the nats and 2) be so negative?
It was a great goal and I hope he continues to 1) get minutes and 2) perform.
+ 1 Anyone is better then having Bedoya on the wing.
(SBI-The dead horse called, said to stop beating it. LOL)
damn that was a sweet goal.
Freddy Adu for:
-Argentina 3/26/11
-Paraguay 3/29/11
-Gold Cup 2011
-Confed Cup 2013
-World Cup 2014
Just getting that out of the way 😉
FREDDY!!!
ADU!!!!
Freeze the video 4 seconds in, which is right when Adu makes his move. There are 7 dark shirts in the picture, and Adu is about to get behind 6 (SIX!) of them with one move, 20-something yards from goal. Look at how many dark shirts are just walking around or standing flat-footed. And the 7th defender isn’t remotely in a position to defend Adu. Are you seriously trying to suggest that’s typical of defense in top leagues? Are you seriously suggesting that the defense of Rooney’s bicycle kid was comparable to the defense depicted here?
Despite his perceived ‘deficiencies’, I love watching him play. Very exciting.
You sure about that? Might want to go ask Diego Milito, Drogba and many others about their exponential growth during their mid-to-late twenties. No ones future is set in stone by 21, for better or for worse.