Freddy and Eddie to lead the way

With the experience offered by head coach Sigi Schmid and 16-year-old UAE 2003 veteran Freddy Adu, the USA will be aiming to at least match their quarter-final run in the Middle East when Netherlands 2005 gets underway in June.
Coach Schmid took charge of the U.S. side that lost 3-2 to eventual champions Spain, who included the Iker Casillas, Xavi and Gabri in their ranks in the last 16 at Nigeria 1999.

“Having the experience of a World Youth Championship will help on an organisation level,” Schmid recently told FIFA.com. “I wish I could play (laughs), but all I can do is help the players in smoothing out the bumps in the road and preparing for what to expect.”

Joining Schmid with a FIFA World Youth Championship under his belt is D.C. United forward Freddy Adu, who, when he came on as a sub in the first round match against Germany in Abu Dhabi, became the second-youngest player to take the field at a U-20 finals at the tender age of 14.

“In the UAE Freddy was a role player asked to do a job,” remarked the German-born Schmid, who was an assistant to then-U.S. head coach Bora Milutinovic at the FIFA World Cup USA 94. “This time around he will need to have broader shoulders. We expect him to be a team leader and take on much more responsibility.”

Much Adu
Already having played in two FIFA world finals (he also led the U.S. to the second-round at the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland in 2003), the Ghanaian-born prodigy has been the toast of the American soccer scene for two years.

He returned to the U-20 fold in a recent friendly match against fellow Netherlands 2005 qualifiers Canada, after not being released by MLS for the Suwon International Tournament in Korea in March. After going down 1-0 to their northern neighbours, Adu, currently the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, struck from the spot to force a 2-1 victory for the Americans.

Although it took him some time to adapt to the game, asit was his first time back in the U.S. youth team for over 12 months, it is clear Schmid still considers him an integral part of the team heading into the final run-up to the Netherlands.

When asked if Adu’s high-profile persona could have an adverse effect in the dressing-room, the straight-talking coach was quick to wave away the assertion.

“We have a mentally strong group, and many of them have played with Freddy before in MLS and with the under-17 side,” said Schmid. “If anything it could work in our favour if our opponents focus too much on him while forgetting about some of our other attacking threats.”

One of these attacking threats is New York/New Jersey MetroStars forward Eddie Gaven – who scored the equaliser in the recent friendly win over Canada. Among the most talented young prospects in Major League Soccer, the lanky New Jersey product is perhaps the squad member who knows Adu best, having lined up alongside him at the U-17 World finals in Finland in 2003.

Dynamic Duo
“Having Gaven and Adu on the field together is a great advantage for us,” continued Schmidt. “They have great respect for each other and know each other very well. They know how to support one another and have a very good idea of what the other is going to do. It will be very important for us that they are on the same wavelength when we get to Holland.”

With a tantalising cocktail of collegiate players and young pros, the U.S. will travel early to Holland in order to put the finishing touches on their extensive preparations in the Low Countries.

“We’re still not there yet, because we haven’t all been playing together that much, but we’re getting there,” remarked Adu, who missed much of the comprehensive training camp at national team headquarters in Carson, California. “We still need to work on some things to be ready for the world championship.”

“We decided to leave for Holland on June 1 to give us over a week to prepare once there,” Schmid added. “All the hard work will have been done before, but once we’re there we will work out the kinks, get our timing down and put on the finishing touches before our first game.”

The U.S. will take on Argentina, a team they beat in March in Suwon, Korea, in their opening match on 11 June. They also got the better of Group D rivals Egypt at the same competition.

Freddy Adu is a awsome striker, apparently been off form, but has a great future ahead of him and hopefully he will keep on developing. Because he could be one of those players who jsut develope at a early age and then just suddenly stop.

I think he will be the best in the world at some point in his future great career!