Freddy Adu will be in the 18 man match squad and available for selection as the Philadelphia Union host FC Dallas tonight at PPL Park. Whether Adu starts or comes on as a sub remains to be seen, but this evening is a big matchup for the Union and the 22 year old says he hopes to play.
“I hope I get a chance to play,” Adu said. “Whatever the case, whether it’s tomorrow or the next week or the week after, I’m ready. You’ve got to be ready and on your toes. This is a big game against Dallas. I’m not thinking about walking out of the tunnel. I’m just concentrating on winning the game. Dallas is a pretty good team.”
Both the Union and FC Dallas sit second in their respective conferences. The Union have led in the East for most of the season, but poor form recently has seen them overtaken by the Columbus Crew. Philly has just one win in their last five games and have earned only 2 out of possible nine points in their last three. A win over Dallas tonight could see them back to the top of the table in the East.
Coach Peter Nowak said this week that the team has look lethargic and hopes the addition of Adu and the home crowd infuses some energy into the squad.
“We need to find our energy back,” Nowak said. “We need to play the game we love to play. That was our strength for [the first] 19 games and the last three games we lacked that.”