http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Nov18.html
Soccer Star, 14, Chooses D.C.
Spurning Europe, Freddy Adu Joins United
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 19, 2003; Page A01
Teenage phenom Freddy Adu of Potomac stunned the world soccer establishment yesterday by spurning more lucrative offers from established European professional teams to sign a six-year deal with Major League Soccer and stay home to play for D.C. United.
Many soccer observers expected Adu, 14, and his family to ignore the overtures of the eight-year-old U.S. league and sign with one of two aggressive English Premier League suitors: Manchester United or Chelsea. Instead, Adu, whose family moved to Maryland from Ghana after winning an immigration lottery in 1997, joins a league still striving for mainstream popularity in this country.
"This is a great day not just for MLS, but for soccer in America," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. "We have arguably one of the top young players in the world making a statement that he is making a commitment to help grow the sport in this country."
Adu becomes the latest sports phenom to play in the Washington area. Two years ago the Washington Wizards drafted high school player Kwame Brown with the No. 1 overall pick and teamed him with legend Michael Jordan. The Washington Freedom signed soccer standout Mia Hamm and the Washington Capitals brought in star forward Jaromir Jagr. But Brown has been a disappointment; Hamm has produced the only league championship in the group -- but her league folded soon thereafter.
Professional teams increasingly seek younger and younger players and sign them more on potential than established success. The most prominent example at the moment is National Basketball Association rookie LeBron James, who was drafted No. 1 out of high school by the Cleveland Cavaliers this spring and plays at MCI Center tonight against the Wizards.
Despite Adu lacking a professional résumé, the pursuit of the teenager was a half-year saga in which clubs from around the world sought him. By age 11, Adu had received an offer from Italian club Inter Milan and he already has drawn comparisons to all-time great Pele and attracted large crowds while representing the United States at youth events in South Korea, Finland and Guatemala. Adu, who skipped a grade in middle school and is on an accelerated academic program, is expected to join D.C. United full time after he graduates from high school in May. He trains and resides in Bradenton, Fla., with the U.S. under-17 national team.
Adu, traveling to New York for a news conference to announce the signing today, was unavailable to comment. Sources close to him said he and his family chose MLS because he can play in top-flight games near his home right away while promoting the sport in this country and being accessible to the U.S. national team.
D.C. United is hoping the acquisition of Adu will help rejuvenate a club that won three league championships in its first four seasons but missed the playoffs the next three years and barely sneaked in this year. United has averaged about 17,000 spectators per game over its history playing at RFK Stadium, but attendance has gradually slipped in recent seasons.
"Everybody is intrigued by him, from all of our fans to people who don't necessarily follow the league or soccer," said Kevin Payne, who oversees United's operations on behalf of Los Angeles-based Anschutz Entertainment Group. "The talent is unmistakable. It's not just his skills with the ball, but his feel for the game. But now he will be playing against men -- men playing for their livelihood. It's a big, big jump."
Adu isn't the first teenager to join United. Bobby Convey, 20, and Santino Quaranta, 18, signed when they were 16 and both are still with the club.
"Obviously, it's going to present some interesting challenges," Payne said. "There's enormous attention on him and we want to manage this in the right way. We understand he's a young man and we still want him to be a 14-year-old kid."
Adu is one of the youngest athletes in American history to sign a professional contract to play a team sport, and could become the youngest athlete to play a professional team sport in more than 100 years. He will turn 15 on June 2 -- the MLS season begins in April -- while pitcher Fred Chapman made his major league debut in 1887 at age 14 years 7 months 29 days.
Soccer has traditionally been a tough sell in the United States, despite its global appeal, and Adu is considered to have the talent and engaging personality needed to break barriers in much the same way Tiger Woods elevated the game of golf. He has scheduled his first solo national television appearance: a guest spot on "The Late Show With David Letterman" tonight.
Adu is considered very marketable, to both the league and advertisers, and, by playing in the United States, he is also in a better position to play and train with the U.S. national team, which is hoping to galvanize support after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
Sources said the framework of Adu's contract with MLS was solidified Monday night and the final details were hashed out yesterday morning. Adu nearly agreed to terms with Manchester United last month, sources said, but a planned visit to England was put off at the last minute because of a major shakeup in the management of Manchester United and Chelsea. Adu's agents also negotiated with teams from Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, according to sources.
Adu, who signed a $1 million deal with Nike this year, might have run into difficulty playing for a European team before his 18th birthday anyway, given rules prohibiting non-European-based youngsters from playing for foreign teams without a European passport.
Adu has spent considerable time away from home the last two years, traveling the world to play games, and his mother, Emelia, has stressed the importance of family and education throughout this process. His younger brother, Fro, attends Georgetown Prep and the family shares a close bond.
"I think the family feels very comfortable with us as an organization and as individuals," said MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis, who spearheaded the talks for the league. "We were not pressuring him or his family at any stage to do anything they were uncomfortable with. I think a lot of people have been in their face trying to throw money at them or make something happen when the timing wasn't right. We've been very respectful of the family and their desires."
Financial terms of the contract were not available -- it is believed to be worth several hundred thousand dollars a season -- and there remains a strong possibility that Adu would be traded to a European team; MLS would benefit handsomely from its percentage of the transfer fee should that occur.
Many within the U.S. Soccer Federation believe Adu will be on the team that represents the United States in the 2006 World Cup, assuming the Americans qualify, and the possibility remains that he could participate in the Olympics next summer as well. Adu became an American citizen this year and is the youngest person to represent the United States in international soccer.
Adu on Lettermen, Wednesday night
