How Freddy Adu Became a Man

Filed in archive US Soccer on August 3, 2007

With his $2 million move to Benfica, the MLS Freddy Adu experiment is over. And it has to go down as a disappointment. Despite his obvious talent (have a look at his work in the corner for the USA U-20s against Brazil) he never really turned it on, either for DC United or for Real Salt Lake.

Maybe it was the over-hyped expectation. It doesn't matter how good you are, a 14 year old can't be expected to compete in a league like MLS. It may not be the most technical league (it definitely isn't) but it is very physical. In fact it's exactly the wrong league for a young flair player with a big reputation who's looking to impress.

But MLS survived the experiment of gambling on Freddy, and now they have a replacement. Beckham is a fully formed player and a fully formed celebrity, more accustomed to handling the limelight and expectation (if not the ankle injuries.) And Freddy survived the experiment. Just about. If it wasn't for his magnificent showing at the U-20 World Cup then maybe Benfica wouldn't have come in to offer him some European football. But they did, and hopefully he'll go on to impress in a league hungry for fresh talent after losing the likes of Anderson, Nani and Simao this summer.

Most importantly, his experience in MLS may have a long term positive effect on Adu. It may have served to force maturity on him earlier. How many other 18 year olds have been kicked about in a professional league AND in the media since they were 14? At an age when most players are just starting to garner attention, Adu already has 4 years of experience to call on.