D.C. United midfielder Freddy Adu’s mentality going into this weekend’s playoff-opener is dramatically different from last season.
“Last year I just felt like I wasn’t a big part of the team’s offense. I felt like I wasn’t a big part of the team, to be honest with you. I just kind of felt a little bit left out,” said Adu, who was suspended for United’s first game of the postseason last year after voicing frustrations over a lack of playing time. “This year, obviously, I’m a big part of the team’s offense, and teams are going to try and gang up on Gomez and Moreno. I want to be the guy to punish them, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Adu is proud of his career-high eight assists as well as his improved defense and positioning, but he still feels his natural position is further forward and center than where he currently plays for United.
“I’ve been playing out of position, playing that outside midfield role, and I’ve gotten a little bit of time at forward. Both my goals came this year playing forward so it’s obviously tough,” said Adu. One goal, however, was a free kick against Real Salt Lake. “In a 3-5-2, playing outside midfield is not an easy job, and sometimes you’re going to get them right, sometimes you’re going to get them wrong. Overall, I’m satisfied with the strides I’ve made this season.”
As a team, United is anxious to stop talking about the regular season and get the postseason underway.
“We had a good season, that’s how we should look at it. That part’s done, and now we have a fresh start,” said midfielder Ben Olsen. “In a weird sense, it’s almost like we’re underdogs now because people are writing us off. It’s great because we certainly aren’t writing ourselves off. We realize that it wasn’t a fluke. We’re a good team, and we won the Supporters’ Shield for a reason.”
But after four losses in D.C.’s final five games, and added urgency has been apparent in practice this week.
“There’s a lot of chirping, and a lot of figuring things out. We’re on edge a little bit. It’s playoff time, and people want to fix things,” said Olsen. “There’s a lot more — I wouldn’t call it pointing fingers — but we’re trying to remedy things out there rather than fixing them in the weekend. That’s important for us to do. I don’t think it’s a negative thing.”
And the nominees are …
» Four D.C. United players and head coach Peter Nowak have been named as finalists for Major League Soccer’s season awards. Attacking midfielder Christian Gomez, who earned D.C. United’s most valuable player and fans choice awards earlier this week, has been short-listed for MLS most valuable player. Nowak was selected as an MLS coach of the yearnominee. Alecko Eskandarian (comeback player of the year), Troy Perkins (goalkeeper of the year) and Bobby Boswell (defender of the year) were also nominated.
