Freddy Adu Available

[auncivilized]

MAYBE EARL AND JIMMY CAN GET MORE INSIDER NEWS FROM OUR FORUM LOL

Mais Futebol: Freddy Adu has been given the full liberty to find a new club by Benfica as Aris Salonika no longer require his services

[Oblio2]

That would be a good signing......

[Oldtimer]

no thanks. he's failed everywhere he's gone, since DC.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

technically decent but a small guy with a big paycheque and an ego to match, itd be a gamble

[Yohan]

technically decent but a small guy with a big paycheque and an ego to match, itd be a gamble
probably very hard to motivate himself at MLS. still haven't realized he's quite not good enough for Europe yet

[Pachuco]

I think it would be a smart move for him to come back and try and revive his career here in the MLS. The guy hasn't been a regular starter since he left the MLS. His number of club games is pretty limited in the past years.

I think you can safely say Adu's been the biggest flop to come out of U.S soccer and maybe one of the biggest flops...period. I remember when the U.S media would call Adu the next Pele ;)

[Suds]

I think it would be a smart move for him to come back and try and revive his career here in the MLS. The guy hasn't been a regular starter since he left the MLS. His number of club games is pretty limited in the past years.

I think you can safely say Adu's been the biggest flop to come out of U.S soccer and maybe one of the biggest flops...period. I remember when the U.S media would call Adu the next Pele ;)


he sure did get a fair bit of media hype

I think, in the case of Freddy, it was a situation of an above average player in an average league. Once he went to other leagues he quickly became average at best.

If he was motivated (big question there) to play in the MLS long term I'd give him a look ... (but not a "trial" :D)

[Chevy]

no thanks. he's failed everywhere he's gone, since DC.

A journeyman footballer...at 21.

This kid has been bouncing around for years, maybe some stability for 3-4 would help him. But stability isn't exactly our strong suit, is it?

[ensco]

I actually think Toronto or Vancouver is the right answer for him. He's an MLS player, but given the media hype/history in the US, I bet he'd be most comfortable up here.

Of course no point discussing the odds of his coming here, given our management vacuum. What would/could we say to a guy like that?

[MartinUtd]

A journeyman footballer...at 21.

This kid has been bouncing around for years, maybe some stability for 3-4 would help him. But stability isn't exactly our strong suit, is it?

Actually 21 or just his version of events? Dude could be 30 by now.

[jloome]

Actually 21 or just his version of events? Dude could be 30 by now.

Sports Illustrated actually disproved this by going to Ghana and finding his original birth certificate.

[J .]

Id take him in a heartbeat.

[Detroit_TFC]

Personally, I find it a sad tale. He was not well handled at DCU, the move to RSL was disastrous. He didn't learn good work ethics, and now he is a European failure and lost his place in the USMNT. If he had landed in a Prem or Bundesliga youth program things may have turned out differently. I would hope a youngster with huge potential coming into MLS right now would have a better development track with the academies.

[jloome]

This is going to sound totally wacked because it goes against conventional wisdom. But I think Adu continually gets a raw deal because of the hype.

I've seen a few of his games overseas. In every one of them, he's been the most effective guy on the pitch. But then we hear he dogs it in training, or he has a bad attitude and that coaches don't like him, that he won't work on certain things.

So is this really a talent issue? Or is this a string of three coaches in a row who refuse to be sassed by a 21-year-old who makes twice what they do?

If he came at a regular MLS wage, I'd sign him. And I'd ignore the rest of the conventional wisdom and play him as a striker. Kid would drive defenders nuts. Don't care about his size. Lots of small strikers have bucked the odds over the years on strength of technique.

[Milky]

Adu is MLS's greatest con to the world of football. Remember how he was supposed to help the US win the 2010 World Cup? Yeah. Our Edu was 1000X better.

[babone]

The kids has a nose for the net, kinda thank he would have done more had he spent more time with Benfica then on loan. i watch all of Benfica's games and kinda get a feeling that had ne not been fron north America he may have been treated better.

He showed up for training camp this year and almost never trained with the first team, don't think Jorge Jesus likes the kid for some reason

[Mikey]

technically decent but a small guy with a big paycheque and an ego to match, itd be a gamble

LOL. We already have that position filled as DP.

[prizby]

everytime i have watched him, he has shown great flair and ability on field...he is also a wide player and i don't understand why he hasn't succeeded...i also think the same about giovanni dos santos

[billyfly]

Does any MLS team still own his rights or first right of refusal etc?

[Roogsy]

I haven't heard of his rights moving from RSL after MLS sold him to Benfica. So I am guessing they still hold them? I am not familiar under what circumstances player rights move from their last teams.

[billyfly]

Its why I ask. Its hard to know with MLS.

I hope our new GM (whoever he is) knows...

[Ossington Mental Youth]

I haven't heard of his rights moving from RSL after MLS sold him to Benfica. So I am guessing they still hold them? I am not familiar under what circumstances player rights move from their last teams.

id have thought that had expired (see hunter freeman), maybe im wrong

[deltox]

i think they expire after 2 yrs

[Roogsy]

Hmmm...so rights expire?

MLS is so weird.

[Suds]

ok, so not much doubt about Feddy's skill - or at least upside

but it seems his career to date has shown he has not fit in or there have been questions as to his attitude, work ethic, etc.

is this the kind of player TFC wants to bring in and take a chance on? especially with all the problems we've be hearing of over the years? (granted many being rumour)

[Yohan]

if Adu was to come back to MLS, he'd have to go through allocation draft thing bc he's a former USMNT player. though exception made if he is loaned through Benfica

[oxygenatedbrain]

Rights are not retained if a player is sold for a fee...and I think the league would have to rule on whether or not Adu can still be considered part of the MNT player pool, which is the standard for allocation...

[TorCanSoc]

I remember Adu's first game. I think Peter Nowak was coaching, I remember DC doing well or leading or something like that. I remember the crowd ancy to see Adu come in, and Nowak caved. The entire league was waiting for his first minutes. Late in the game, comes and and had some fantastic moves. Mine, and everyone's, thoughts were this kid is spectacular for a 14 year old. But man is he getting bounced off that ball.

But you know what I think kids of his skill are all over Europe, but they're not put into a first team, asked to carry the league, and do the national talk show circuit. Crazy. Coulda woulda shoulda.

Still has skills in my opinion.

[babone]

If???? and that a big if this happened I would consider it a major steal and to be honest in TDot with fans like this I think he would explode!

[poppamidnight]

Well - we did sign Mista as a DP -
And we are holding JDG as a DP -

.... no longer means anything to me - MLSE has the $$$ to throw at him as a gamble - so be it...

I've lost faith in our/MLS (in general's) rate of quality DP's being brought in,

Hence, it's no longer a really "earth-shaking" decision when a club brings in a DP

Bring him in -
He's better than any attack we have now

[babone]

FYI... Benfica owns 70% of the players rights and MLS owns the other 30%

[billyfly]

There you have it. There are so Benfiquistas in Toronto, I am sure they will let us have him.

[babone]

I'm not gonna lie to ya, I'm a benfica boy! But if the sport is to grow in this country then TFC needs to become the place kids want to be. I think I may be shot for this but I would rather have a young Freddy Adu the an older Dero. 1 year lone for Freddy then pick him up on a free transfer in 2011.

His deal with Benfica ends next june.

[Juanito]

I would love to have him here. Maybe coming back to MLS is just what the doctor ordered. Landon had a go three times in Europe before he was considered a success. Adu had too much working against him. He was hyped as the "Saviour of American Soccer" and all that and I think Europe had a bone to pick with us "Colonialists". I think they went out to make an example out of him.

Sign him up, he's still young. He can be an incredible player for us.

[Glenchen29]

Some team in MLS should sign him as a DP sell 10'000 shirts and market the hell out of him and watch him do nothing! Classic story!

[TFCRegina]

I would love to have him here. Maybe coming back to MLS is just what the doctor ordered. Landon had a go three times in Europe before he was considered a success. Adu had too much working against him. He was hyped as the "Saviour of American Soccer" and all that and I think Europe had a bone to pick with us "Colonialists". I think they went out to make an example out of him.

Sign him up, he's still young. He can be an incredible player for us.

It's not even that. He wasn't finished growing when he started playing professionally. DCU took a gamble on a high school kid, who did well when he was in high school, and then flattened out as he aged. He didn't improve with time, he's just another classic example of a high school bust (sorry, just been reading Moneyball lately)

[J .]

I wouldnt declare a 21 year old a bust just yet

[Damien]

Did he make an impact at RSL? I can't even remember...

[Yohan]

Did he make an impact at RSL? I can't even remember...
no. IIRC he went to RSL when he knew that at the end of MLS contract, he'd be going for Europe

[ag futbol]

He's questionably 21 IMO.

Donovan might not have been a success in Europe his first time out but he played waaayy further up the food chain than Adu ever has.

His development was mismanaged (he never should have signed with MLS) and now he'll probably never amount to much. I'd gladly find another alternative to throw money at.

[[NBF]]

Funny story, he was the boyfriend of a 14 year old singer named JOJO. NO one knows whether hes as old as it says on his papers, he could be 3 or 4 years older but no one knows. The guy is worse than Franck Ribery.

[babone]

His maturity has been the problem every where he goes. the dude got a sense of "Do you know who I am" and he really hasn't done much if anything at all.

He wasn't starting for Salt Lake, and if it wasn't for the world under 20 performance Benfica doesn't spend a penny.

BUT I will still take a chance, he had some glimpses in his first season at Benfica.

You never know.

[jloome]

;1192371']Funny story, he was the boyfriend of a 14 year old singer named JOJO. NO one knows whether hes as old as it says on his papers, he could be 3 or 4 years older but no one knows. The guy is worse than Franck Ribery.

Repeating myths that are proven full of shit and then using them to suggest a guy's dating a kid?

That's stupid and irresponsible.

As stated earlier in this thread, Sports Illustrated travelled to Ghana years ago, found his original birth certificate and verified its veracity.

Grow up, dude.

[Jeff s]

The kids has a nose for the net, kinda thank he would have done more had he spent more time with Benfica then on loan. i watch all of Benfica's games and kinda get a feeling that had ne not been fron north America he may have been treated better.

He showed up for training camp this year and almost never trained with the first team, don't think Jorge Jesus likes the kid for some reason

Jorge didn't like him because Adu was laughable in Portugal. Everytime he came on it was embarrassing. He ball hogged but couldn't beat a single defender. And when he did make a pass, it was even worse! He struggled to complete a pass.

I say pass on this kid. He wasn't even that great in MLS. He was a bench player here, he failed in Europe. Why are we making it sound like it will be the best buy ever in this clubs history?

[Whoop]

^^
Adu never played a minute for Jorge Jesus.

Adu's development at Benfica was hindered when Camacho left in the spring of '08. Camacho liked Adu. In fact it's been said that the coaching staff at the time was impressed with him and his work ethic. I remember at the time he was saying all the right things and doing all the right things. That 07-08 season was his best season in Europe. But when Quique came in, much like most people, he decided to clean house and Adu was loaned to Monaco. Sometimes when you lose your biggest supporter, you're screwed.
Also doesn't help that Benfica signs dozens of young players only to loan them out left, right and centre.

[babone]

Freddy and Di Maria both went to Benfica at the same time Freddy for 3 MIL and Di Maria for around 7. Not tough to figure out who was the better buy.

[Whoop]

Fans wanted to run DiMaria out after that first season too.

[Jeff s]

I didn't say Adu played for Jorge, I just said he didn't play Adu simply because he didn't deserve it.

Adu was given his chances at times for Benfica and he blew every chance. Even the clubs that received him on loan didn't want him by the end of it. Monaco stopped playing him, and whats more sad is that he only played about what? 3 whole games (as a sub) for Belenenses? The same season they got relegated.

When he went to Benfica, he was a bench player for RSL. And its like what they say, DC gave RSL Adu for a reason. Adu only shows up for the junior world cups where he shined against other, young, non developed defenders.

I would rather look into the academy more. The Oscar Cordon kid imo should be looked at.

[Whoop]

Don't disagree that Adu isn't for TFC.

[babone]

Totally agree with the Academy, I think the kids will play harder and contribute more if they get the chance.

[maninb]

Yeah just what we need is a another mid-level has-been....

[deeznutz]

Well we did sign Vitti......

[Yohan]

And now Adu is on trial at FC Ingolstadt in German 2nd div

[RoyalMidfielder]

Freddy Adu is a piece of shit and an egotistical jack ass.

The reason people say he has a poor work ethic is because he goes out clubbing and chasing Portugese/Greek tail until 4 AM when he has practice the next day. The guy is an absolute moron. The media may have over hyped him but he ruined his own career due to his poor habits.

He also has an ego bigger than Terrel Owens. Look at his Twitter account. He acts like Ronaldo except he's an international laughing stock.

Most U.S. fans now hate him.

[maninb]

^Agreed and there's good reason to believe, since he's never produced a verifiable birth certificate, that he's 4-5 years older than he says he is.....

[Davenport]

Freddy Adu is a piece of shit and an egotistical jack ass.

The reason people say he has a poor work ethic is because he goes out clubbing and chasing Portugese/Greek tail until 4 AM when he has practice the next day. The guy is an absolute moron. The media may have over hyped him but he ruined his own career due to his poor habits.

He also has an ego bigger than Terrel Owens. Look at his Twitter account. He acts like Ronaldo except he's an international laughing stock.

Most U.S. fans now hate him.

Well said RM...he's crap.