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Freddy Adu

Personal information
Full name	Fredua Koranteng Adu
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder / Striker
Team information
Current team	Real Salt Lake
Number	11
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:29, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Fredua Koranteng “Freddy” Adu (born 2 June 1989 in Tema, Ghana) is a Ghanaian-American soccer player for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.

At the age of 14, Adu became the youngest professional athlete in modern American team sports history when he signed a professional contract with Major League Soccer, the top league of the United States soccer pyramid. Adu is ragarded by many as one of the most exciting young players in the world. Adu left Ghana with his family in 1997 and is now a resident of Potomac, Maryland. In 2003, he became a U.S. citizen.

Biography

Childhood

Adu grew up in the port city of Tema in Ghana, where he played football barefoot against men three times his age. When he was eight, his mother won the Green Card Lottery, and he and his family moved to Washington, D.C.. Soon thereafter, he was discovered by a local soccer coach and began playing with boys several years older. Adu attended The Heights School for several years, a private school in Potomac, Maryland. While playing with the U.S. Olympic Development Program in Italy in successive annual trips, he played spectacularly in two tournaments. Adu was noticed by Italian soccer clubs, including Inter Milan, who discussed a six-figure offer for him that was turned down by his mother on the advice of his agents.

At age 12 in January, 2002, Adu joined the IMG Soccer Academy, U.S. Soccer's full-time residency program in Bradenton, Florida. He made his professional debut in Major League Soccer in early 2004, at just 14 years of age, and now plays for the United States Under-20 national team.

Adu played for the United States in three tournaments in 2003, the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates and the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands.

Professional career

In order to allow Adu to play close to home, MLS assigned him to D.C. United on 18 November 2003, working a deal with the Dallas Burn, who owned the top pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. Dallas was compensated with a player allocation. Having already signed with D.C. United, Adu effectively became the first player selected in that draft, two months before it officially took place. D.C. United had previously signed American youngsters Bobby Convey in 2000, aged 16, and Santino Quaranta in 2001 at 16 years and four months — each at the time the youngest MLS player.

On 3 April, Adu came on in United's first game of the 2004 season against the San Jose Earthquakes as a second-half substitute, making him the youngest player to appear in United States professional sports since 1887. The next youngest was fifteen-year-old Joe Nuxhall, who played Major League Baseball in Cincinnati in 1944. On 17 April, at the age of 14, Adu scored his first professional goal in the 75th minute of a 3-2 away loss against the MetroStars.

In his first season as a pro, Adu complained about playing time and finished the year with five goals and three assists, while playing in all 30 regular season games. Although briefly a starter, Adu was relegated to a substitute when D.C. United acquired central midfielder Christian Gómez mid-season, and it was in this role that he appeared in United's MLS Cup victory. He played in three of DC's four playoff games, coming off the bench each time; he tallied one assist in the postseason.

Adu was criticized from a number of different angles in his first season as a professional. Some soccer commentators have suggested that Adu is too young to be playing professionally and that he needs more time to develop mentally and physically amongst players his own age. Yet his first two years in the MLS were punctuated by notable accomplishments, including being awarded player of the week and goal of the week multiple times. Continued development, especially of his defensive skills, helped Adu become a starting midfielder during the 2006 season. In addition, Adu has been chosen to take spot kicks during DC United's two penalty shootouts and has not missed. He has been selected to the MLS All-Star team twice, once as a commissioner's choice and once as the coach's. He was selected to the MLS 2006 semifinals Best XI by SoccerAmerica magazine. Even still, many believe that Adu's ability to play at a high level in the MLS.

On December 11 2006, D.C. United traded Adu and goalkeeper Nick Rimando to Real Salt Lake in exchange for a major allocation, goalkeeper Jay Nolly, and future considerations. Adu made his debut for Real Salt Lake on April 7, 2007, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas.

International career

Adu was invited to his first U.S. senior squad by coach Bruce Arena in January 2006. On 22 January 2006, Adu became the youngest player to compete for the United States Men's National Team, when he replaced an injured Eddie Johnson in the 81st minute of a friendly against Canada. Adu did not play for the United States again in 2006 and did not make the final 2006 FIFA World Cup roster. According to Arena, his "best chance of making the World Cup Team was playing regularly for D.C. United," though he started for United 16 games in the 2005 season.
In January 2007, Adu captained the United States U-20 national team as it qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

Talks with European teams

On 9 November 2006, Manchester United confirmed that Adu would be attending a two-week trial with them at the end of November. After this trial, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson praised Adu and stated that they would monitor him with the possibility of signing him when he turns 18.

His former coach (Peter Nowak) stated that it would be better for his development if he would go to one of the top clubs in the Netherlands, such as Ajax Amsterdam – which has an established youth academy. Nowak argued that it would be better for Adu's development if he avoided the physical 'top' European leagues until he established himself as a regular player. He also believes Adu is better suited to the technical style of play in the Eredivisie (highest league in The Netherlands).

In February 2007, Adu took part in an interview with Real Madrid's official website, admitting that he "dreams about playing for Real Madrid" one day. (http://www.realmadrid.com/articulo/rma37615.htm)

Personal life

Adu dated American pop/R&B singer JoJo from May 2005 until September 2006. A Washington Post article in November 2006 reported that the couple split after one year. Jojo mentioned on American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest that she and Adu were still good friends. Freddy's younger brother is also a soccer player. Fro Adu has agreed to join George Mason University for the upcoming college season.

Career statistics

Professional club goals

References

1. "Much Adu about £5m as Chelsea close the net on teenage prodigy". The Times. 2006-02-07. Retrieved 2006-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/03/freddy/ Who's Next? Freddy Adu At 13, America's soccer prodigy has the world at his feet
3. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2003/03/03/freddy/ Who's Next? Freddy Adu At 13, America's soccer prodigy has the world at his feet
4. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A59390-2001Aug24?language=printer A 12-Year-Old's Amazing Feat. Soccer Prodigy Adu Is Courted By Italy's Famed Inter Milan
5. "Looking back: Unforgettable in every way". mlsnet.com. 2005-05-11. Retrieved 2006-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. "FC Dallas use shootout to boot out D.C." mlsnet.com. 2005-08-24. Retrieved 2006-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562138332 MLS: Freddy Finds a Home
8. "Ready for Freddy! Real Salt Lake acquires teen phenom Freddy Adu from D.C. United". mlsnet.com. 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2006-12-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. "Match Tracker: FC Dallas v. Real Salt Lake". mlsnet.com. 2007-04-07. Retrieved 2007-04-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. "Arena tells Adu his best chance to make U.S. team is to play regularly for D.C. United". ESPN. 2006-02-06. Retrieved 2006-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. "Adu has to wait on Man Utd future". BBC. 2006-12-01. Retrieved 2006-12-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. "Ghana: Freddy Adu: Cautioned". AllAfrica.com. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2006-11-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
13. Amy Argetsinger (2006-06-02). "Freddy Adu Celebrates a Sweet 17". Washington Post. p. C03. Retrieved 2006-11-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
14. date = %5b%5b2006-11-22%5d%5d "Kramer's Tirade, Adding Insult to Inaccuracy (subtitle = LOVE, ETC.) author = Argetsinger, Amy and Roberts, Roxanne". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Missing pipe in: |title= (help); Missing pipe in: |url= (help)
15. "Fro Adu steps out from under his brother's shadow". 2007-14-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External link

• Real Salt Lake Freddy Adu Profile

Template:Persondata

• Ghanaian people
• Ghanaian footballers
• 1989 births
• Living people
• American soccer players
• D.C. United players
• Real Salt Lake players
• Naturalized citizens of the United States
• Ghanaian-Americans
• United States men's international soccer players