Freddy bids Adu to MLS
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by Tyduffy
It is all but official, the most high profile player in the history of American soccer will finally be making his way to Europe. 18 year-old Real Salt Lake and US U-20 midfielder Freddy Adu will sign a 5-year deal with Portugese Superliga side Benfica for a reported 1.5m Euro ($2 million) transfer fee. He missed Real Salt Lake's Saturday matchup against New England after receiving permission to travel to Portugal to negotiate a contract. He had previously been linked with English sides Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, as well as Scottish side Celtic.
Adu burst onto the international scene at age 13 playing for the U.S. Olympic Developmental Program and winning the MVP award in an Under-14 tournament. He was offered a six-figure deal to sign with Italian giants Inter Milan, but decided to turn down the offer. He became the youngest player in MLS at age 14 with D.C. United, and is currently playing in his fourth season for Real Salt Lake, after being transferred during the off-season.
Adu has shown flashes of brilliance, particularly as an international, including his recent impressive performance as captain of the US team at the U-20 World Cup. However, he never became the consistent and dominant force that was expected of him at MLS. Speculations of his poor form have ranged from his own immaturity, the unrealistic expectations and pressure placed upon him, and the poor quality of competition in MLS.
The move to Portugal should prove an excellent opportunity for Freddy. He will have the opportunity to develop and hone his game in a high level European league, but, at the same time, without much of the media scrutiny he would have received at home or if he had gone to one of the "big three" leagues in Europe. With Benfica at or near the top of the table, it is likely that this would afford Adu the opportunity to prove himself against the best in either the UEFA Cup or the Champions League.
Freddy Adu once seemed to be the Tiger Woods of soccer, an American who was truly one of the world's elite superstars and could make the sport popular in the U.S. Four sub-par years in MLS later, his future hardly seems so bright. No one really knows what to expect from Adu at this point, and few would predict the greatness once predicted for him. However, with his inherent techical ability, he still should have the potential to develop into a good player in Europe. It won't be an earth-shattering impact, but it would still be a major step forward for American soccer.
