Adu to Monaco on loan

[BethlehemFC]

Originally Posted by Adalon

he seems like a nice lad as well, cares for his family, could be a great ambassord for Ghana's football

You don't mean to play for Ghana do you?

He already is a US citizen and plays (has played) for the US at the youth levels.

[Adalon]

i know, but if he has any hear he should try and premote ghanaian football around the world, as its his mother country!!!!!

[revolutionfan]

Metros find Adu's weakness


By MICHAEL LEWIS
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS


Freddy Adu (r.) will have to develop more strength to excel in MLS.

BRADENTON, Fla. - During the first half of the MetroStars' 1-0 preseason victory over D.C. United yesterday, 14-year-old phenom Freddy Adu was given a stark reminder of what professional soccer was all about.
He tried to cut inside MetroStars defender Chris Leitch, who knocked him to the ground. Leitch received a yellow card, Adu a lesson of how physical the game can be.

As wonderfully talented as he is, Adu has a lot of growing up to do, not necessarily mentally, but physically. He's only 5-6 and 145 pounds. He wants to be at least 150 by the start of the season.

"After today's game I need to work on my strength," Adu said with a smile. "That's not going to happen overnight. ... I have to work a little bit harder so that come April 3 I can physically compete with these guys."

No one has to remind him that there is room for improvement. "I have to improve on every aspect of the game," he said.

Adu was critical of his performance.

"I didn't think I had my best game," he said. "I didn't play that well, to be honest. But you know, I did a few things such as moving the ball really well and creating for my teammates."

The MetroStars did a decent job of containing him as defender Tim Regan and Leitch limited Adu to a handful of touches in the first half.

In the waning minutes of the half, Adu had a free kick that was cleared and a shot from a severe angle and a weak header saved by goalkeeper Zach Wells.

"Knowing how talented he is, I didn't want to have him show what he can do with the ball," Regan said.

Leitch treated Adu as "just another player.

"He didn't do much," Leitch added. "I kind of sat back and gave him an extra step. ... All the talk about him and all the media pressure, you expect him to get the ball at his feet and take people on every now and then. He played simple."

[BethlehemFC]

Originally Posted by Adalon

i know, but if he has any hear he should try and premote ghanaian football around the world, as its his mother country!!!!!

Agree with you there. He's so well spoken he could only help.

[MUFC]

It feels like hes 30 the amount of talk about him and he hasnt done anything. I feel sorry for the lad as so much pressure is put on him at a young age, he could just burn out before 20 years old.

[Pferd]

hey hes physically bout the same as me. im about 5' 5" 150 lbs

[revolutionfan]

Originally Posted by revolutionfan

"He didn't do much," Leitch added. "I kind of sat back and gave him an extra step. ... All the talk about him and all the media pressure, you expect him to get the ball at his feet and take people on every now and then. He played simple."

He's not going to blow away MLS in his first year like some think....

[MUFC]

I wish him the best of luck but i hope less pressure is put on him. IT could really ruin his career when hes being linked with moves to chelsea, man utd, madrid. Its his attitude which will be important for the next 4 years to decided how good he becomes.

[revolutionfan]

MLS is not the place for him to devolop. He needs a team with more coaches, youth and reserve sides. These can only be found in Europe. Look at the young players that have come into MLS. I can only think of one that reached his potential. Just look at Santino Quarenta.

[Frank Cunha]

60 Minutes Airs Adu Segment Sunday 26/03/04
This Sunday, March 28th marks a historic moment in the world of soccer when 14-year-old D.C. United forward Freddy Adu of Major League Soccer, the youngest professional player in modern American team sports history, is featured on CBS' news magazine "60 Minutes." The segment is the first-ever soccer story that 60 Minutes has produced and will be reported by seasoned co-editor Lesley Stahl. The program airs at 7:00 PM ET/PT.

Among those included in the segment are legendary soccer icon Pelé, U.S Men's National Team Manager Bruce Arena and D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen, remarking on Adu's adjustment to life as a professional athlete and the challenges that lie ahead for the soccer phenom.

Adu will make his long-awaited professional debut on Saturday, April 3rd with the kickoff of MLS' ninth season in the much-anticipated match against the 2003 champion San Jose Earthquakes at RFK Stadium at 4 p.m. ET live on ABC Sports.

[Frank Cunha]

Everyone has advice for 14-year-old debutant Adu



WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - With his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut just days away, everyone has a piece of advice for Freddy Adu.

His mother, team mates, coach Peter Nowak, MLS Cup MVP Landon Donovan, even Pele, to whom he is being compared, have all offered guidance to the 14-year-old American prodigy who is due to make his much-anticipated professional debut on Saturday in front of a national television audience.

"I've looked up to (Pele) ever since I started playing this sport, I had to savour it," Adu said of the advice he had received from the Brazilian.


"He told me to just keep my head and play because a lot of people are going to demand a lot out of your time and want a piece of you, but as long as you keep head on the field and just play and do what you need to do to get better and help your team win, that is the most important thing."

With the approach of the league season's opening match in Washington between Adu's team, D.C. United, and defending champions San Jose Earthquakes, the demands on the teenaged forward's time have increased.

He faces constant requests for interviews and photographs, promotional duties for his team and the MLS plus responsibilities to a growing stable of sponsors who include Nike and a soft-drinks company.

This week Adu, who will become the youngest professional player in modern American team sports history when he takes to the field against the Earthquakes, is being featured in Vanity Fair and Sports Illustrated magazines and will be profiled on the CBS television programme 60 Minutes.

SOCCER SAVIOUR

The player, whose family emigrated from Ghana seven years ago, is being hailed as the saviour of U.S soccer and lives with comparisons to the National Basketball Association's (NBA) newest teenage phenomenon LeBron James.

But if the burden and pressure of those expectations weigh heavily on Adu's slender shoulders they are undetectable in his voice as he excitedly looks forward to his first game in a United jersey.

"I guess we (James and Adu) are kind of in the same situation except I'm not making $90 million," said Adu, who will be the MLS's best-paid player, earning $500,000 in salary and bonuses.

"I don't really think of it like that. I just want to go in and do what I need to do to help my team win and to better myself as a player. Everything else will take care of itself.

"I'm not coming out here to become the saviour of American soccer," the teenager told a teleconference.

"I've been waiting for this moment for the longest time and it's finally here. I'm not nervous, I'm just anxious; I'm anxious to get out there to play and have fun because when I'm on the soccer field that's when I'm at my happiest."

Nowak, who played in the German Bundesliga, knows something of the pressure Adu is about to face, having made his own professional debut as a 15-year-old. He has tried to shield the youngster from the distractions as much as possible.

"You cannot compare my debut with Freddy's debut," said Nowak. "I told him be yourself -- be Freddy -- not the saviour of U.S. soccer.

"He's supposed to be a young kid who loves the game and playing soccer.

CAREER DREAMS

"Freddy is going to play, show what he can do on the field and then everyone is going to respect the way he plays.

"It's a lot of pressure, of course, but Freddy is very smart and he understands what his role is on this team.

"I would say I never saw a player like Freddy at his age in my life. But we'll still evaluate his talent and we still need to work on a daily basis because we want to make sure that Freddy is going to get better and someday that he has all the tools to be one of the best players in the world."

While Adu has yet to play his first professional game he has already mapped out a career and, like every other teenager, he has dreams to be fulfilled.

Coveted by clubs on both sides of the Atlantic, Adu said he would eventually like to try his luck in one of the world's top leagues, playing in either England or Spain.

"I follow all the other leagues but I watch mostly the English and Spanish leagues. I primarily enjoy watching the English league because I think it is the most exciting in the world," said Adu.

"One day when the time comes I would love to end up in England or Spain, hopefully one day I could be playing for a team from there."

[Soccerdad]

anyone else see him on 60/min last night? Seems like the real deal, well spoken, smart, ...................

[Soccerdad]

I watched it, the real deal, smart kid, weel spoken.......lets hope he just gets to play now

[Frank Cunha]

I miss it, I moved to a new location, they finally got my Dish hook up again,

[Soccerdad]

has upcoming commercial with Pele for Pepsi that is going to be a winner.