FREDDYYYY... ADUUUUU... When the 14-year-old soccer phenomenon's name gets called for the first time this Saturday at 4 p.m., the soccer nation will hold its collective breath, and rightfully so.
The 5-foot-8, 140-lb. Ghana native has already played for every level of the national team except the senior one. He has been featured on CBS's "60 Minutes" and named the U.S. Soccer 2003 Chevy Young Male Athlete of the Year. The "football" nation, especially the one in the United States, will rely on this wonder kid more than any athlete in the history of soccer.
For all of you "casual soccer fans" out there, I hope that you will tune in, or better yet, head on over to RFK Stadium (accessible via Metro) and see history unfold. If you have never seen a soccer game, I repeat, turn on the TV and catch the game.
You are fortunate enough to live in the city in which soccer history will unfold. This weekend, D.C. United, which drafted Adu, has marketed him to the fullest and will put him on display.
I'll be honest, I've only read articles and seen a few short video clips of Adu, but the stories that were told in these articles were amazing.
In one of the videos I saw of him, he took a pass from a midfielder, turned while keeping possession of the ball, then took on multiple defenders and finished by scoring. (By the way, the competition was the under-23 U.S. men's national team). Keep in mind this is a 14-year-old who didn't even go through a full four-year high school.
Adu, who plays midfield, expects to take a few hits from older players who are jealous or just looking to rough him up, but by all standards Adu is just as heralded as Lebron James.
A few months back Adu signed a contract with Major League Soccer that made him one very rich kid. The deal, worth $500,000 per season for four years, all guaranteed, didn't even include his endorsements. Although the teen is excited to start the season, you can see that he is cautious, knowing little about the journey he is about to begin.
The future of U.S. soccer rests on his shoulders and there is nothing he can do about it but be excited, which is just how he is. The soccer community expects Adu to be the next Pel?. He did a photo shoot with the former worldwide soccer star, and the two produced photos that seem like a match made in heaven. You have the young Adu beaming with the older Pel?, who is holding him up.
In the end the only thing that can be said is to take advantage of the opportunity that has been bestowed upon you as AU students. Make sure that you get out to RFK at some point this season to see a game. Adu will certainly put on a show worth remembering, and don't forget that he is a 14-year-old "kid." Enjoy!
