To get away from that hellhole known as Salt Lake and into beautiful Lisbon, Portugal and play top-flight European football. I'm very happy for him
This is great for Salt Lake. You can't get so many good players that can help you NOW, not later. SHOPPING SPREE for next season most likely.
It's very interesting that his salary didn't increase at all. That tells me that either: A) He was overpaid in MLS B) MLS has comparable pockets to Europe...when it needs to C) Benfica hasn't been impressed with his peformance at Salt Lake D) All of the above Now the question is - if his salary didn't increase...why is he going again? Better quality of play? Let's hope he doesn't spend any significant amount of time on the bench there.
Did his current salary include housing, car and bonuses? I would take the deal if it were offered to me. Cheaper life + better lifestyle in Portugal over Utah for the same large sum of cash + chance to play in champions league
Let's take a look at this deal: Same salary: $550,000/year. Most MLS players can expect to double or even triple their salary by jumping to Europe. Relatively modest salary compared to what other talented American players are making in good clubs in the EPL - upwards of over $1,000,000/year. Going to a club not on par with the better clubs in the EPL. Benfica is currently ranked #44, barely ahead of Rangers and Toluca, and below Celtic, Blackburn, Pachuca, Tottenham, Newcastle, etc. In the latest Fox Soccer club rankings, it didn't make the list of the top 35 in the world, ranking it below 2 other Portuguese clubs and even 1 MLS . Going to a league that averages 10,636 fans per game - less than MLS which averages 15,504! Going to a league ranked #13 in world's strongest leagues by IFFHS - below even the Uruguayan, Paraguayan, Chilean, Colombian, and Mexican leagues. And we've seen plenty of articles this week where top Mexican players have been saying MLS is comparable to the Mexican league. How much playing time will he receive at Benfica? We shall see. What does this all mean? It means that, if this was supposed to be a "big step up" to a rich, powerful European league that is way better than MLS, then I'm not convinced. In fact, this really sounds more like a lateral move in a lot of ways, not just in salary but also perhaps in quality of play. The one thing it has is that it's "European", which instantly impresses the Europhiles over here, even if there's no merit to it. Let's face it - Freddy has been a huge disappointment in MLS. While he's had good games (like all players do), he's arguably failed to truly dominate any MLS match that he's ever played in (like he has in Under-20 World Cup). In that sense, he's been somewhat of a failure in MLS...and an overpaid one at that. The folks at Benfica surely aren't stupid. They're under no illusions that Freddy will probably make only a minor impact at best at their club. He'll truly struggle just to keep a starting position at Benfica - not shine there and set himself up for a jump to Arsenal or Liverpool. Benfica's a "second-tier" club (behind "first-tier" clubs like Liverpool and Real Madrid). And Freddy's getting a "second-tier" salary over there.
i think that the big question is if he will get much first team action with benfica. i honestly know next to nothing about the portuguese league so i am clueless. anybody have any idea? i hope he is a starter or at least a top substitute. anyways, good luck freddy. you've earned it.
The money appears to be a little bit better than what he was getting here, but only a little. However, he is with one of the bigger names in European football. Granted, Benfica isn't currently what it's been in the past, but it is one of the big clubs of Portugal, one which draws big crowds and one which regularly plays European football. It's not as if he's going to some club in League 2 in England. If he performs, he'll be headed for a club in one of Europe's "big leagues" in no time. And really, since he signed with MLS three years ago, that's what he's always stated as one of his ambitions -- to play for a big European club. HOWEVER, he'll be going to an environment which is even more bottom-line oriented than MLS. His "development" will take a definite back seat to wins and losses. If Fernando Santos plays him at a "non-preferred" position or not at all in the name of getting results, he'll have to adjust, not the other way around. Of course, that's obviously how it should be in a professional environment, but given the suggestions from the fanboys that Nowak and Ellinger and Kreis should've been catering to his desires, maybe it wasn't so obvious.
Everyone is entitled to their own but you are mistaken as to what a move to Benfica means for Freddy. You need a big dose of perspective.
Fair enough. I certainly hope the best for him, and it's a wonderful opportunity for him. He's got tremendous talent, and he could be the first American to reach a top club. But if anyone thinks he has "made it" already with this jump, he still has a long way to go, at least from what I can see so far. In fact, I argue that, despite the European-ness of his new club, it seems to be almost a lateral move in some ways. We'll see how he does there.
Dosnt S.L. Benfica have a huge attendance by themselves? All of the big 3 outdraw the rest of the league by alot.
They get 39,000 per game. Hopefully he can have a stint like Diego at Porto, who's now at Werder Bremen and was named player of the year.
MLS has had mixed success with developing young American players. He really wasn't going anywhere with the way he was playing, I'm kind of glad to see him go because I want to see if another program can make him develop into the player we all thought he might be. If he would have kept wallowing in MLS, he'd be like an Edson Buddle or Eddie Gaven but with a huge salary and the millstone around his neck of being the failed 'bust' prodigy of US soccer. I am not complaining about MLS's record with developing players here or the level of play or anthing like that, just recognizing that it just wasn't working for the purposes of Freddy Adu's development. For some, MLS is a great springboard, for others not so much. It's time to part ways, hopefully Freddy will grow up when he finally realizes that what he was complaining about at DC is just everyday business when it comes to playing competitive pro soccer. Nobody has a place on the field just handed to them with having to prove something first.
Where was Benfica ranked #44? The UEFA club coefficient has them ranked 19th in Europe, while Portugal's league is ranked 6th in Europe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_coefficients#Club_coefficient
I don't think anyone thinks he's made it yet. But Benfica is a big club and them paying a few million for an 18-year-old American should be evidence supporting Adu's ability rather than evidence indicating any sort of failure.
What kind of situation is he going into regarding first team action? How many are ahead of him on the depth chart and who are they? Will he be spending time on a reserves team?
Assuming he'll be in the midfield, he has to deal with Petit, Rui Costa, and Nuno Assis, along with Kostas Katsouranis and Manuel Fernandes who are defensive midfielders. Petit is still at the top of his game, and Kostas had a very good first year with Benfica. Nuno Assis has just gotten back from a one-year doping ban. Rui Costa is 35 years old and on the second year of his end of career stint with Benfica, and who knows how well he'll do at this point. Manuel Fernandes was a good Benfica player who is returning from a rather forgettable loan spell in England.
From what I've read on the Yanks Abroad forum from posters who follow the Portuguese Liga, Benfica play a 4-4-2 formation without wings. Apparently Adu would have to win the attacking midfield spot from an aging Rui Costa, who could also slot back into a central midfielder position if need be, or from Nuno Assis. He would also be competing for that position with the two new Argentinian youth signings Andres Diaz and Angel Di Maria, who like Adu had a standout performance in the U-20 World Cup this year.
LOL, that's hilarious that you just blatantly left out the HUGE caveat that he'll be nearly assured of Champions league football EVERY season and be playing alongside the likes of Rui Costa. And I love how you're able to look into your crystal ball and already determine that he will only make a minor impact and "struggle just to keep a starting position" It's possible, ever so slightly, that as long as he's making a livable wage, that he could care less about the salary. Maybe he's more concerned about making a name for himself and proving to himself that he can compete in Europe. But alas...that's not how we do it on BigSoccer. If he's going across the Atlantic to play against tougher opposition for the same money, it's a failure. Benfica aren't stupid, they see his production at RSL AND THEY SEE HIS PRODUCTION AT THE U-20 WORLD CUP. The kid has serious talent and they're going to cultivate it. Instead of joining the "I-hate-Adu" bandwagon, how about we cheer him on and wish him luck?
im just stoked that he's playing in portugal!!! and goal bonuses tells me they want him up top, i wouldn't be surprised if he starts although hefty competition awaits him just not for porto the portuguese league is heavily underrated, lets not forget, benfica made the final 8 of the champions league the year barcelona won it (2 yrs ago?), porto have won the champions league with jose mourinho and tim howard's so called gaffe (man u never had a defense that year), and a 3-0 demolition in the final, sporting made the uefa cup final 2 yrs in a row before la liga took a stranglehold on the competition, although it has been a feeder league for many years, its level of play and history do prove otherwise
Rather forgettable loan spell? man of the match vs Liverpool, man united, chelsea, arsenal, tottenham, watford, reading in a span of 5months in which he missed 2 due to injury...having numerous teams ranging from inter milan to man united offering 12 million dollers for his services only for benfica to thankfully deny and ask for 16 is forggetable? Everton fans were begging to sign him.. He left portsmouth who was in 6th position at the time to go to everton who were 11th at the time..funny how when he switched clubs evetrton came 6th narrowly missing out in 5th while portsmouth plumented..shows enough his importance. Manuel Fernandes is regarded is one of the top prospects in the world, at 19 dominanting riquelme vs villareal gettng motm in the CL and scoring one of the goals of the season in europe in that match, and also getting motm vs liverpool in our 2-0 win keeping gerrard and xabi in his back pocket with gerrard saying hes the best young box to box midfielder hes seen giving him his jersey. Manuel Fernandes is really our only hope this season and will be gone by next summer, no one can replace simao..adu and di maria are nowhere near close enough to replicate the feet of 3 time player of the season and 3 time 20 goal scorer.
dont forget there are alot of top quality teams outside of the big 3. Boavista made the semi finals of the uefa cup the year porto won it, with leixoes a second division team at the time making it to the round of 16 Braga made it to the quarter finals of the uefa cup losing to tottenham 3-2 in both legs. Alot of coaches already consider Braga as rounding out the "big four" Belenenses is another top club with sold 2 of their top players for 5 million and 3 million respectivly abroad to france. The league lost some of its best players the past 4 years. Ricardo Carvalho 20 million to chelsea Paulo Ferriera 20 million to chelsea Miguel- to valencia on a free Jorge Andrade Tiago- 15 million to chelsea, 12 million to lyon, and trecently 13ish million to juventus Anderson- 25 million to man united Nani- 20 million to united Simao- 20 million to athletico madrid Fernando Meira- 7.75 million to stuttgart..captained them to be german champions the past season Deco- 20 million+ quaresma to barcalona Ricardo- 4 million to real betis Pepe- 30 million to real madrid Cristiano Ronaldo- 12.75 million to man united Maniche- 18 million to athletico madrid Diego- 4 million to werder bremen Hugo Almeida- 4 million to werder bremen Gabriel heinze- former sporting Among others. But we still have alot of superb players in our league..porto alone is feared in the CL, and were unlucky to lose to chelsea, they were a quaresma post away from eliminating them..in what probably would have been one of the best goals in history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp5xwB9NOyo&mode=related&search= and Im sure you all heard about the football factory of sporting and some of the fantastic young players they even now have on their squad