update on The Greatest

[smazza]

If you listen to D.C. United Coach Peter Nowak carefully, you would swear he's leaning toward giving 14-year-old Freddy Adu his first MLS start Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes at Spartan Stadium. Yes, it could be concluded, this is finally the week.

 

But then there are those ambiguous moments when the rookie coach seems all but certain to save his rookie forward until the second half, like he has done throughout the season.

"I don't know yet," Nowak responded Friday after being asked whether Adu would start here. "Everyone is going to get a chance, and if they prove it to me, they are going to be on the field. Freddy's one of them, and he's pretty close. . . . We evaluate this thing every single day. He impressed me very much with his work."

Despite almost daily inquiries about Adu's playing status, Nowak has maintained his tight-lipped policy of not revealing his starters until the day of the game. Adu has said the same thing he does on the eve of every match -- that he's eager to start but, no matter what the decision, he'll accept it.

At least one Earthquakes official says his club has a feeling Adu will start, but those close to United's delegation here say they aren't sure what Nowak is going to do.

Besides satisfying the public's curiosity -- the attendance here Saturday will probably double the turnout for the Earthquakes' home opener (8,230) three weeks ago -- Nowak is now faced with strategic reasons for starting Adu.

United (1-2-1) is winless since beating the Earthquakes (1-2-1) in the season opener four weeks ago at RFK Stadium, and during that stretch, the club has had a downright awful time converting its scoring chances. D.C. has dominated the opening half of each game but has only three first-half goals to show for it. Matches that should've been put away early were left in the balance.

Last weekend's 1-0 loss to Chicago was notable for United failing to convert one opportunity after another before halftime and then yielding the goal early in the second half.

Alecko Eskandarian and Jaime Moreno have formed the starting tandem up front in every game, but while Moreno continues to create opportunities for himself and his teammates, Eskandarian's impact has dropped off, to some extent. Neither has scored since the opener.

Ronald Cerritos is also an option, especially since he played for the Earthquakes for many years and understands the difficulties of playing on Spartan Stadium's unusually narrow dimensions. But the field size could be the perfect situation for Adu, whose quick feet and blinding acceleration might cause problems for a slow San Jose defense.

"You just never know what's going to happen" with the starting lineup, said Adu, who has made four reserve appearances totaling 128 minutes with one goal scored. "Peter changes his mind a lot. Like [Nowak] says every time, 'You've got to earn your place out there in practice day in and day out, no matter what.' That's what I try to do."

Adu said that, with each game, he has become increasingly more comfortable on the field and eager to play a greater role.

"It's been a major improvement," he said of his early-season performances. "Game One I was playing not to make mistakes and that's not my game, that's not how I'm supposed to play. I'm supposed to go out there and take some chances, do my one-one-one moves and try to get by defenders. . . . That's how I've been playing ever since the first game. That's why I felt ready to play."

Nowak, meantime, is waiting for just the right moment to start Adu.

"He's very patient, we're very patient," Nowak said. "We're going in the right direction."

[

[BULLO12]

Where's the update on Ali??  ONLY HE IS THE GREATEST!!!

[smazza]

this brings me to a funny story

in 79 i was on in LA  for a month and i was in john at mann chinese theater where they have concrete impressions of movie stars hands.

in urinal #1 mazza

in urinal #2 ali

he was so big and in great shape

his head and hands were huge

he was very nice

that was the first of a zillion celebrity encounters where you least expect it.

i learned even celebrities have to piss

[smazza]

- Dema Kovalenko scored on a header in the 66th minute to give D.C. United a 1-1 tie with San Jose on Saturday in Freddy Adu's first Major League Soccer start.

 

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The Earthquakes' Troy Dayak opened the scoring in the 33rd minute on a header off Jeff Agoos' free kick.

San Jose paid close attention to Adu, the 14-year-old rookie who came off the bench in his club's first four games.

Brian Mullan fouled Adu in the 70th minute to set up a United free kick just outside the San Jose penalty area. Four minutes later, Adu had an 18-yard shot deflected over the goal line.

United coach Peter Nowak replaced Adu with Alecko Eskandarian in the 80th minute.

"I am just so happy,'' Adu said. "It is just a great feeling to be able to go out there from the start of the game and play, it is what I have been working so hard for.

"I felt I played OK. I know that I could have done some things better, but we all make some mistakes. I just tried to go at them and play the way I want to play from the beginning of the game.''

The teen star helped attract a crowd of 17,667, San Jose's biggest since Sept. 21, 2002, when the Quakes drew 26,229 for a 1-0 loss to Los Angeles.

Both clubs are 1-2-2.