Buddle's Start Built on Attitude

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | View Comments
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By Edson Buddle's own admission, he's a long shot for the US World Cup team. His torrid start to 2010 is, for him, a matter of "rhythm" and "the ball just going in" rather than any significant change in his approach or marked improvement.


He did, however, change his off-season routine, choosing to stay in California during the winter months rather than return to his home in New York. It would seem there's a direct correlation between that change and his goal-scoring form; field work against a better quality of player and outdoors rather than indoors would logically play a part in how he's started.


But perhaps more important for Buddle, and why he's turning in good performances week in and week out, is the commitment to his craft. His off-season work may indicate a renewed intent on getting better. Buddle's talent has always been there, and he's managed to put up decent goal scoring totals in several seasons; but the complete performances, ones that has him both healthy and mentally engaged throughout a campaign, have been few and far between. Perhaps it wouldn't have happened for Buddle, meaning a string of strong MLS seasons that would have had him in the National Team picture as well as a possible transfer target, no matter what happened in his early 20's. He did himself no favors, though, and we can only assume he wasted some of his potential.


Buddle is hot at the moment. He's leading the league in goals, is getting a strong amount of USMNT-related buzz from American fans, and shows no sign of slowing down. But form is fickle, especially for a striker, and it's extremely unlikely that he keeps it up all season. How will he respond when his chances aren't going in? Will he fight through, lean on the extra effort he's given towards training, and rebound quickly? Or will he fade, trending back towards the inconsistent player he's been in the past?


And that's to say nothing of injury, something that's bitten Buddle entirely too often and derailed his 2009 season fairly significantly. Maybe his off-season will serve him well in that regard, or maybe he's just snake-bitten. Only time will tell.


In the context of the National Team, Buddle's window to make his case is rapidly closing. The general sense in the fan base is that both he and Herculez Gomez have done enough to make the provisional roster, and will likely get a chance in the May camp to battle for a World Cup spot. If that's true, and Bob Bradley, who has known Buddle personally for years, decides to take shot on a striker who hasn't figured in the US picture for seven years, it's a credit to the player and his amazing start in 2010.


It helps that he plays his club soccer with Landon Donovan, a man who might just possibly play a significant role in the US campaign this summer in South Africa.


Everything is coming easy for Edson Buddle right now. Is it all about attitude?


This post was influenced heavily by my chat with Buddle, an interview you can listen to here.
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