U.S. 🇺🇸 Men's Soccer: What ever became of prodigy Freddy Adu's 🇬🇭 🇺🇸 once promising career?

Credit: 2O

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At one time in the not too distant past, Fredua “Freddy” Koranteng Adu had the potential to be a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field playing for a top flight major European football club somewhere on the globe. Some soccer analysts had even reckoned Adu as being the second coming of the legendary former Brazilian striker Edson “Pele” Arantes do Nascimento, and had placed the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s future success squarely on his and former U.S.standout striker Landon Donovan’s shoulder’s, respectively. Blessed with a low center-of-gravity, cat-like quickness and excellent vision, the left-footed diminutive attacking forward/midfielder was a potential nightmare for opponents’ defensive lines, game in and game out.

Originally hailing from Tema, Ghana in West Africa, Adu was determined at a very young age to improve his humble living conditions and escape poverty through soccer. Amazingly, he began his soccer career in Ghana playing against opponents twice or three times his age. In 1997, Adu’s mother won the United States Green Card Lottery and his family migrated from their native Ghana to Potomac, Maryland, U.S.A. Barely eight years old upon arriving in the U.S.A, he began attending Sequoyah Elementary School in Derwood, Maryland, U.S.A. It was during a tournament hosted by the Potomac Soccer Association that Adu’s skills and potential was recognized by the Potomac Cougar’s head coach Arnold Tarzy. Adu left such an impression on Tarzy that the Cougars coach tracked him down, and within forty-eight hours of the tournament Adu had joined his team. Tarzy became Adu’s supporter and friend as well as his coach. “When I’m out there on the field, I’m in a whole different world.” According to sportswriter Rick Reilly, Freddy Adu “can do things with a soccer ball that make you wonder if it’s not Velcroed to his feet.”

Adu would eventually become a U.S. citizen in February of 2003. The following year, the young phenom would make U.S. professional soccer history when he was selected by D.C. United on January 16, 2004 in the 2004 M.L.S. (Major League Soccer) SuperDraft; his signing made Adu the youngest American to ever play professional sports and the highest-paid player in the league at the time. Adu missed most of D.C. United’s training camp in early 2004 because he was still in high school. Due to his excellent academic performance (earning straight A’s) and the U.S. Soccer Federation’s accelerated academic program, he was able to graduate from The Heights School, a private school in Potomac, Maryland U.S.A in March of 2004 (three years ahead of schedule). At age 14, Adu also became the youngest American ever to sign a major league professional contract in any team sport. On April 3, 2004, he became the youngest player to appear in a M.L.S. game when he came on as a substitute in a game against the San Jose Earthquakes. On April 17, 2004, he became the youngest goal scorer in M.L.S. history, scoring a goal in a 3–2 loss to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars.

In August of 2003, the hype surrounding Freddy Adu reached new heights. Adu had just helped the U.S.’s Under-17 team qualify for the 2003 F.I.F.A. U-17 World Championship held in Finland (various host cities) . In group play (Group D), Adu was a crucial boon to the U.S. effort, scoring three goals (16′, 89′ and ’90+2 penalty) in a 6-1 victory against South Korea. He also scored a goal (89′) in a 2-1 win versus Sierra Leone on August 17, 2003. Adu’s momentum however, could only carry the U.S Under-17 team so far, as they ran out of steam in a 3-0 quarter-finals loss versus Brazil on August 24, 2003 in Tampere, Finland. Brazil would go on to defeat Spain in the final of the tournament 1-0, on August 30, 2003 in Helsinki, Finland. On January 22, 2006, he became the youngest player to earn a cap with the U.S. Men’s National Team at 16 years and 234 days; he came on to replace an injured Eddie Johnson in an international friendly match 0-0 tie against Canada at Torero Stadium in San Diego, California U.S.A.

Other highlights of Adu’s career include when Manchester United (English Premier League) expressed interest in him in 2006, offering the young prospect a $3 million contract. In November of 2006, Adu had a trial with Manchester United but was unable to gain a work permit in time to be able to play in any competitive matches. Unfortunately, he was only able to train with several players from the Manchester United academy during his two week stay with the powerhouse English club. Due to his mother’s advice and a $1 million advertising deal with Nike, Adu turned down Manchester United’s appealing offer and opted to remain with D.C. United. Other notable feats of Adu’s career include that he was the first player to ever score a hat trick (three goals) in both the F.I.F.A. Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, respectively. First he scored three goals against South Korea at the U-17 level in 2003, and three more against Poland with the Under-20 U.S. national team in 2007. In total, Adu represented the United States in five international youth tournaments: the 2003 F.I.F.A. U-17 World Championship in Finland, the 2003 F.I.F.A. World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates, the 2005 F.I.F.A. World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, the 2007 F.I.F.A. U-20 World Cup in Canada, and the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Between 2004 and 2018, Adu had played for no less than 14 soccer clubs, including spells with Portuguese giant Benfica F.C. (Primeira Liga) and Caykur Rizespor (Turkish Super Lig Second Division). His longest stint with one club was with Benfica FC (between July 2007 and August 2011); his shortest stay with Serbian club FK Jagodina (between July 2014 and December 2014). Adu joined the expansion Las Vegas Lights F.C. (M.L.S.) on a trial basis prior to the 2018 season. He played with Las Vegas Lights F.C. until the end of the 2018 season and was released by the club thereafter.

In conclusion, Freddy Adu’s career can be characterized as another classic example of tremendous unrealized potential. Granted that Adu had a huge headstart in his career by signing a professional contract with D.C. United at 14 years of age, you would have thought that he could of had a much more distinguished and successful soccer career. Not to mention that he was gifted with speed, excellent balance, good work-ethic and vision. I must admit that I never would have imagined that I would hear Adu’s career being likened to that of a journeyman’s career; I had anticipated that much higher accolades and achievements would be attributed to Adu. Perhaps mentioned in the same breath as the former French midfield maestro Zinedine Zidane or Italy’s former midfield wizard Alessandro Del Piero. Adu could indeed have become the “next Pele” if the stars were aligned, so to speak.

Below are some Freddy Adu career statistics:

Freddy Adu youth career statistics – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Freddy Adu senior career statistics – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Freddy Adu U.S. national team statistics – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Freddy Adu goals/career highlights – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Freddy Adu highlights and skills compilation – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Freddy Adu interview commentary – meeting with Pele – Freddy Adu signs contract with M.L.S.’ D.C. United at 14 years old – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Freddy Adu M.L.S. tribute – top five youngest goal-scorers In M.L.S. history – 🇬🇭 🇺🇸

Sources: Wikipedia–https://www.en.wikipedia.org, Encyclopedia of World Biography–https://www.notablebiographies.com,
United States Olympic Committee–https://www.teamusa.org, YouTube–https://www.youtube.com