Andy Najar is the next giant thing in US Major League Soccer

Andy Najar In Major League Soccer Club

Posted by admin | July 25th, 2010 in Soccer Club | 1 Comment »

Andy Najar is the next giant thing in US Major League Soccer.

Player to Watch Andy Najar, The young Honduran is only 17-years-old, but he is one of the most thrilling players in the MLS. Najar came to the United States when he was 13 & instantly set about playing footy in his spare time at his high school in Virginia. In the kind of ‘rags to riches’ story typical of The united states, an assistant footy coach at Edison High School noticed Najar playing pickup games in front of the school & recognized his talent. “One of the best children I have ever had fell in to my lap,” recalls Edison head coach Scott Racek. “He would still be playing out front if it weren’t for my assistant.” In 2008 he joined DC United ‘s youth academy, having scored 22 goals in his final season at Edison.

Najar excelled in four seasons at the D.C United academy. He showed his versatility & all round footballing ability, playing for some time as a right-back before quickly establishing himself as an attacker. Having been named in the national Development Academy Beginning XI in 2009, he signed his first professional contract in March 2010. Najar made an inauspicious first team debut for DC United in a 4-0 defeat to Kansas City Wizards & was substituted at half-time. However, Najar’s quality is unquestioned & he’s been granted increasingly playing time.

Najar’s most obvious quality is his outstanding method. He can do anything with the ball & makes dribbling past four or four players look simple. He is employed chiefly as a right winger, but Najar can play in every position in assault as he is equally comfortable with the ball at either foot.

“He’s a child who every time he is on the field is going to be a tiny warrior. It is a rare thing & I am glad they have him” says DC United ‘s assistant coach Ben Olsen. His first objective in MLS footy came in a 3-2 victory over Chivas. In the 26th minute Najar latched on to a long ball from Quaranta & powered a powerful header in to the net. At 5ft 7in, Najar is not renowned for his aerial presence, but the objective emphasizes the quality of his all-round game. He’s four times been named as man of the match against FC Dallas & Chivas. Last month, Najar faced some of Europe’s top players when he played for DC United in a friendly against AC Milan.

Najar has only been on the scene for a matter of months, but he’s instantly been compared to a DC United wonder child from the recent past – Freddy Adu . Adu was thrust in to the glaring spotlight from a young age & was subject to immense expectation. Now plying his trade in Greece with Aris Saloniki, Adu’s career has inevitably been less spectacular than expected. In contrast, Najar had not even played organized footy until the age of 12 & was an total unknown coming in to the MLS.

In addition, Najar has drawn admiration so early on in his career in part due to his exceptional work rate, something that Adu has never been noted for. He’s played only nine professional games, but his DC United team-mates think that Najar has what it takes to be a genuinely premium player.

DC United goalkeeper Troy Perkins commented, “I don’t know where he came from. He is only 17 & he plays like he is 22, 23 years elderly. He is got grit, he is got the toughness & he is fast & inventive & he is going to be an wonderful player.”
If he continues to progress at this rate, Najar could become the all new & improved Freddy Adu .

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