DC United Sparks as Freddy Adu Shines

- By Joseph Schoenbauer Monday May 09, 2005




At first glance of DC United's starting team before Saturday night's game against the Columbus Crew, it was readily apparent that after five successive games without a win and only 4 goals scored, Head Coach Peter Nowak believed his team was in need of an offensive shake up.

In a formation that most resembled a 3-3-2-2, the defensive unit of Rimando, Prideaux, Boswell and Petke remained unchanged from last week's 0-0 draw with Kansas City. However, the changes were abound in front of them as Clyde Simms became the only holding midfielder, flanked by Ben Olsen out wide on the right and Josh Gros on the left. In front of them in midfield were two attacking midfielders in Christian Gomez and Freddy Adu. Up top, Jaime Moreno was paired with Alecko Eskandarian after his return from injury.

Obviously the biggest change was the surprise inclusion of 15-year old Freddy Adu, who has been arguably one of DC United's best players this season despite being regularly used as a second half substitute. The reason for the surprise is that in recent interviews Coach Nowak has come out and stated that Adu was simply not ready to be a starter.

Evidently, Freddy Adu believed otherwise, and on Saturday night he chose to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to his coaches, his teammates, his fans and his doubters that he not only belongs on the field from the starting whistle but that he has the ability to stamp his influence on the game as well.

And stamp he did. It can be argued that not since Pele's debut as a 16-year old for Santos, or Maradona's debut as a 15-year old for Argentinos Juniors, has a player at such a young age had such a commanding impact on a professional game as Adu did against Columbus. The statistics show that Freddy Adu was involved in all three of DC United's goals on the night, assisting to Jaime Moreno after five minutes, assisting along with Ben Olsen to Josh Gros after nine minutes, and scoring himself in the 71st minute. But as remarkable as that sounds, it was not just the fact that he scored a goal and assisted on the other two that made his performance special. It was much, much more than that.

There were aspects of Adu's game last night that hinted at the special skills that coaches and players alike refer to as those skills "that can't be learned from coaching" and that are purely instinctual and intuitive. Something you're born with.

Take his first assist for example. The play was started when Brandon Prideaux stepped beautifully in front of his marker and intercepted a pass. The ball came to Jaime Moreno who quickly found Alecko Eskandarian. As Prideaux continued his run, Eskandarian played a well weighted through ball perfectly into his path. Prideaux, noticeably unaccustomed to being all alone with no one but the keeper to beat, seemingly froze before slipping the weakest of shots past the hapless Jon Busch. Fortunately for goalkeeper Busch, Chad Marshall, Columbus's towering defender, was in no mood to give up a goal so early in the game and raced back to make a sliding clearance. But, in what seemed to be a fraction of a second, Adu had tracked down the ball on the left, taken a touch towards the byline to give himself more space, and delivered a strong ball to the near post where Jaime Moreno had to simply redirect the pass into the back of the net. Surely the pass to Jaime Moreno at the near post can be coached and taught. But the uncanny anticipation by Adu to be where Chad Marshall's clearance went so quickly was the key to the entire move.

DC United's second goal was a thing of beauty as well. Josh Gros began the play when he cut inside and found Adu around forty yards out near the middle of the field. Adu quickly looked up and played a perfect defense splitting through ball to the on rushing Ben Olsen out on the wing, who then played a precise cross into the box where Josh Gros had continued his run. Gros met the ball forcefully with a diving header that Busch could do nothing about. The celebration following the goal said it all though. Both Gros and Ben Olsen looked straight to Adu in appreciation of the pass he had played to Olsen, knowing that without his vision the goal never would have taken place.

Fast-forward to the second half. Columbus Crew is enjoying their best spell of the game. On top of ex-Maryland University star Domenic Mediate's 69th minute goal, Columbus has also forced goalkeeper Nick Rimando into some outstanding saves and the confidence of the surging Kyle Martino, the powerful Edson Buddle and the extremely erratic Cornell Glen is growing. Enter Freddy Adu one more time.

Alecko Eskandarian had just been subbed off for defensive midfielder Brian Carroll, allowing Adu into a forward position alongside Jaime Moreno. Ben Olsen began the move when he played a hopeful ball up to Adu, who received it near the top right hand side of the 18-yard box. From there, as if all other players were in slow motion, he cut inwards, down and to his left and whizzed by the wrong-footed Chris Wingert, maintained his composure despite pressure from behind and a forthcoming charge from goalkeeper Busch, and drilled a low left-footed shot off the left post and into the goal. It was a 'golaso,' a fantastic goal that leaves an impression in your mind long after you witnessed it for the first time. It was a piece of individual brilliance that has never been designed in a coach's handbook.

Fortunately, Freddy Adu didn't just leave the fans with something to remember from this night. Danny Szetela, the young, strong central midfielder for Columbus will remember being run ragged on a number of occasions by Adu's quick feet and inch perfect flicks. Frankie Hejduk, who was involved in a shoving match with Adu in their previous game, will remember he was on the losing side as well, most notably when Adu embarrassingly megged him in the first half and was forced to foul him, and also for when Adu's great cut inside from Hejduk's right side late in the second half that ended in a surprisingly powerful right footed shot that was kept out only by the goal post.

It's worth a mention that on the night perhaps 90 percent of the DC United players had their best games of the season. Clyde Simms played masterfully in the center of midfield, while Nick Rimando's important saves kept their lead in between Josh Gros and Freddy Adu's strikes. Ben Olsen ran tirelessly up and down the right wing and contributed two great assists, while Jaime Moreno weighed in with his third goal of the season. Only Alecko Eskandarian seemed a little off the pace, although he easily could have come away with his first assist of the year had the outstanding Prideaux finished off his breakaway. In further good news, both Dema Kovalenko and Bryan Namoff made their first appearances of the season after recovering from their respective injuries.

Nevertheless, there is no denying that the man of the night was Freddy Adu. Peter Nowak said of Adu's performance in the press conference after the game, "I think the most important thing is he start[ed] to believe in himself. I can see it in his eyes and I can see it in the practice that he wants to play...It was [a] very important start for him."

Asked whether this system of play was something he might try again Nowak replied, "You can ask me this question again on Friday." But after it worked so well Saturday night against the Columbus Crew, the fans, and especially Freddy Adu will be praying that Peter Nowak too, will remember clearly the performance of the team led by the 15-year old boy with the magic in his feet.