When the promotion machine starts for a young American athlete, there are a variety of ways things can go. LeBron James was anointed as the next one by Sports Illustrated and ended up living up to his potential by delivering a sustained championship career in the NBA. However, if you were to place bets on how many athletes make it at an online casino, there would be a lot more stories like Freddy Adu’s.
Adu, who was born in Ghana and moved to the United States at 8-years-old, was given the moniker of the next Pele by American media. Adu would end up being signed by D.C. United of MLS at age 14. What resulted was a long, winding career that spanned nine countries and 17 seasons. Adu never quite fulfilled the promise he showed in his youth.
Coming to America
Adu was able to immigrate to the United States when his mom won a Diversity Immigrant Visa lottery in 1997. He ended up settling in Rockville, Md. Not long after coming to the United States, Adu started playing soccer and competing against boys much older than him.
While playing for a U.S. Olympic Development program, Adu led his team to first place in the tournament that featured competition including the youth teams of Italian teams Lazio and Juventus. Adu would lead the team in scoring.
Little big man
Adu would be chosen by D.C. United with the No. 1 pick in the MLS Superdraft and would become the youngest player in American sports to play in a professional game. Adu debuted as a sub in D.C. United’s 2-1 victory over San Jose on April 3, 2004 at the age of 14. He would score his first goal two weeks later in D.C. United’s 3-2 loss to the MetroStars.
During Adu’s first season, he appeared in 30 matches, starting 14 and scored five goals and added three assists. Problems would start during his second season. Adu appeared in 25 games in 2005, making 16 starts. However, Adu was grumbling about the lack of playing time and it started to sour teammates and management’s opinions of him.
Time to Move on
After battling with DC United coach Peter Nowak, Adu was transferred to Real Salt Lake in 2007, but only lasted 11 games. After having a strong showing at the Under-20s World Cup, he was transferred to Portugal to play for Benfica for $2 million. But Benfica wouldn’t be what Adu was looking for either.
During Adu’s first three months, Benfica went through three different managers. At age 18, Adu would score two goals in 11 games with Benfica before he once again fell out of favor with the club’s manager.
National Team Disappointment
While Adu’s club struggles were well documented, American soccer fans would have likely overlooked that had he become a key cog for the U.S. national team. While Adu represented America a lot for the U17 and U20 teams, scoring 16 goals apiece between 48 appearances for both squads, he never quite found a fit with the senior team.
Adu appeared in 17 games for the U.S. national team between 2006 and 2017. He would only score two goals. His inclusion for the 2011 Gold Cup was a surprise, as Adu’s erratic club career had hurt his profile for the national team. He started in the 2011 Gold Cup final vs. Mexico, helping set up two goals in the Americans’ 4-2 loss to Mexico.
More Traveling for Adu
After Adu’s time with Benfica, he would do more world traveling. Between 2008 and 2010, he played for Monaco in France’s Ligue 1, Belenenses in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, and Aria in Greece’s Super League. Between all three times, Adu would only appear in 17 games and scored one goal.
In 2011, Adu ended up back in the MLS with the Philadelphia Union. His two years with the Union would be the most action he saw since his first stint in the MLS. Adu would appear in 35 games in two seasons and score seven goals. Once Philadelphia changed managers in 2012, he would again be released.
Adu would bounce between smaller domestic clubs for the next three years. He would wrap up his career playing with American second-division teams, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Las Vegas Lights between 2015 and 2018. He would attempt one last comeback with a Swedish team in 2020, but couldn’t make the roster.
Source: OccupyGh.com
Source: OccupyGh.com
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