Newsflash: Why Oh Why Has Fro's Brother Forsaken Us
Several of us gathered last evening at Tron's house to watch Chicago v DC United in the first MLS playoff game of the 05 season. As the pregame kicked in, we are shown that DC's Ben Olson is not dressed for the match, and will sit out do to a calf injury. Then we are given the bomb shell news: Young Master Fredua Adu will also not play. He has been suspended by the team!! After all his public bitching this week about not getting enough playing time, is this the teams punishment? The TV coverage then has a shot of Freddy sitting in a press box wearing a nice suit watching the match, and the commentators insist to us the viewer that Freddy has NOT been suspended due to his mouthing off to the newspapers, but they know nothing more. I am damn sure they do, but for some reason they choose not to cough it up. We are all left to speculate as to "What the hell is going on?" We figure it had to be something that happened after they got to Chicago, or else why would they even bring him along. The one thing I did know, was that our man at the Washington Post, who covers the team the best, Mr Steven Goff, would have some secret lil insider knowledge come this mornings edition of his paper. Sure enough, we gives us this little ditty: Adu was given until the pregame meal Friday to apologize to his teammates for his remarks. Adu decided not to address the team. There you have it. A Primadonna is born. Enjoy it if you can folks. It's ugly at best.
By the way, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. The highlight of the game being the Chicago fans in Section 8 tossing tons of streamers on the field all night long, and then busting out the giant road flares late in the match to brilliant effect.
ADDITION (made Sunday October 23rd): I was hanging out with my buddy Donovan last night, and we were discussing the Freddy Adu dilemma (Nowak asking Freddy to apologize to the team, and Freddy refusing). I stated the case I made here yesterday, but he picked it apart by asking, "How can you make up a new rule for Freddy, with severe consequences, and then expect him to abide by it when you back him into the corner. Plus he is a 16 year old kid." Excellent point by Dono!
Steven Goff of the Washington Post has the latest on the whole situtation from Sunday's edition.
By the way, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. The highlight of the game being the Chicago fans in Section 8 tossing tons of streamers on the field all night long, and then busting out the giant road flares late in the match to brilliant effect.
ADDITION (made Sunday October 23rd): I was hanging out with my buddy Donovan last night, and we were discussing the Freddy Adu dilemma (Nowak asking Freddy to apologize to the team, and Freddy refusing). I stated the case I made here yesterday, but he picked it apart by asking, "How can you make up a new rule for Freddy, with severe consequences, and then expect him to abide by it when you back him into the corner. Plus he is a 16 year old kid." Excellent point by Dono!
Steven Goff of the Washington Post has the latest on the whole situtation from Sunday's edition.
posted by brucio at 09:23
11 Comments:
personally, i think adu has room to beef. you guys can cry about his supposed "primadonna" status all you want. i don't think he's ever been given a fair shot by nowak, who i thought from day one wanted to "put adu in his place." adu deserves a chance elsewhere. if he fails somewhere else, then i will join all the naysayers. but not until he is given a fair shake. i think donovan got a similar unfair treatment at BL - never really got a chance to be in a position to show his ability...although, his failure at the galaxy this year, where he had plenty of chances to show his stuff, do have me doubting him.
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my comments elsewhere:
sheesh. what a rant. i personally don't think nowak is a very good fit as coach for freddy. plus, i've always had the feeling from the 1st day adu was on united that nowak had an agend to "put adu in his place." i hope he gets a chance. elsewhere.
comments from grant wahl, who somewhat agrees with me:
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Consistency has been Adu's problem. He hasn't yet become a true pro when it comes to following up one standout performance with another one. Most of that is Adu's fault, but you have to fault D.C. head coach Peter Nowak, too. Nowak appears to hold Adu to a higher standard for playing time than he does other United players: Both times Adu won Player of the Week honors, he was subbed out the following game and began the game after that on the bench. Not exactly a show of faith by the coaching staff.
the flare and smoke bombs attracted the overzealous security who came steaming into sec. 8 punching, pushing and kicking...peter wilt himself was seen defending fire fans from monterrey security staff. 7 folks were arrested in the fires last game at soldiers field...dang that sure was a goal that rimando dug out of his net in the 90th minute...jesse marcsh has some harsh words for brian halls treatment of the fire.
why should he have to apologize? that's ridiculous b.s. the guy's upset about not getting playing time. he talked to a reporter. big deal.
all great comments from everyone of you! thanks for adding to the discussion and for giving me and others something to think about
it's such a crazy situation, and i will say that my mind changes with every discussion i have
and
i would love to hear more about the flares, section 8, and security
if you wanna write something more substantial i would be glad to post it on du nord for everyone to read
if you feel like it, then drop me an email, my address is on the front page, top right
I'm not sure how Adu hasn't been given a fair shot...he's 9th on the team in minutes. He just doesn't perform AT ALL over 90 minutes.
Finally, as for this being a "new rule." We don't know if it's new or not, because nobody has publicly dissented liek this under Nowak. Not only that, but no players have been willing to defend Adu. NONE. not even privately. That should tell you that the whole team is firmly behind Nowak on this.
Wait... you have a buddy named Donovan? And it isn't me? Weird.
sorry for the sad new d
I'm crushed.
Let me restate my point.
If Nowak had had a private chat with Freddy re "team first" and so forth, and then informed him that he was being suspended for one match, that would have been fine. But to force a 16 year old to address the team and apologise went to far. That's a public humiliation and, I for one, think Freddy did the right thing by staying quiet.
Donovan
this is why interviews with players are so dull and full of cliches. players are terrified of saying anything that might be deemed "controversial."
mls is a major offender in this kind of crap. Fining coaches for daring to crticize referees? maybe the crap mls refs would improve a bit with some critical feedback.
whatever happened to free speech?
I'm starting to think d.c. should trade freddy to new york. he'll probably only be around for one more full season anyhow before jumping to europe. lalas would probably mortgage his whole squad for him.
free freddy adu!
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