"One of the toughest things to do is looking at a playbook and trying to translate that onto the field," Nowak said as he spoke with reporters yesterday via conference call. "But at the same time, you have to be open-minded and they have to work with an imagination. We can provide them with the game plan, but decisions are still going to have to be the players', and we try to develop these scenarios in training. We want them to have an understanding of our playbook, but use their own imagination to achieve the goal."
While the camp that wrapped up last weekend in Deltona, Fla., stressed fitness and tactics, Nowak said the Costa Rica session will stress more on building team chemistry and fluidity. But Nowak notes the lineup is still very much a work in progress, with players coming and going from camp in this Olympic year. Midfielders Amobi Okugo and Freddy Adu, along with forward Jack McInerney, are in camp with the U.S. under-23 national team in Frisco, Texas.
"I think we have been working on some really good stuff in Florida. Now it's just a matter of improving," Nowak said. "Now it's working on fitness, formations and getting guys ready for the season. Because of the Olympic qualifiers, it's kind of hard to determine what our set lineup with will be. It's still an open book and we still have a couple of games to play, so we'll just see [March 12] in Portland."
New deal for Williams
The Union announced yesterday that it signed defender Sheanon Williams to a long-term contract.
But it was Williams who revealed his commitment to the franchise through 2015. With speculation surrounding the exact price of his 3-year-deal, many will have to wait until those numbers are released later this year by MLS' players union.
