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It appears Philadelphia Union head coach John Hackworth and Freddy Adu have had their heart-to-heart talk, and that the playmaker has a good chance of returning to the club in 2013.
In his final press conference of the season, Hackworth said Monday he ‘definitely feels’ that Adu will be back with the Union next year. The 23-year-old Adu had been facing growing uncertainty as to where his future lied after not being included in several match-day rosters at the end of the campaign, but Hackworth seems ready to bring him back into the fold in 2013 for what the Union are hoping will be a rebound season.
(UPDATED- The Philadelphia Union’s tweet wasn’t quite what Hackworth said. His exact quote was “I definitely feel there is a chance Freddy will be back.”)
The revised Hackworth quote paints a different picture than the original quote circulated by the Union. All Hackworth did on Monday is once again put to rest the notion that the Union have already decided to part ways with Adu. That said, it sounds as though the Union are far from having made a final decision on Adu for 2013.
The situation with Adu was not the only thing Hackworth discussed on Monday, as he touched on a wide range of topics about the state of the tem heading into the offseason.
Hackworth also touched on the state of his defense, saying there are five players in that group who he and the coaching staff are excited about. Hackworth even went as far as identifying one of those players as Bakary Soumare, the center back who joined the team near midseason but as limited because of injuries.
Another topic Hackworth addressed was the Union’s need for a pure goal-scorer. The Union struggled to put away chances in 2012, and Hackworth said an offseason priority is to find a striker who can finish on a consistent basis.
Hackworth also said there was the possibility that former Union players who play elsewhere could return to the club in the offseason.
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What do you make of this development? Happy to hear Adu is likely to return to the Union? Do you see Adu and the Union bouncing back in 2013?
Share your thoughts below.