Thanks for the link, dcc. I had been waiting to hear this news. Good to see Bruce is on top of things.
I've told you a million times to quit exaggerating. No one is "so desperate" to get this guy naturalized, we aren't "dependent on a 14 year old for our footballing success" (we have had some success recently, IIRC) and this comment about "over-bearing patriotism" makes me wonder who the touchy one is. Back when Landon was in Brandenton there was a pretty big buzz around here too - "future of American soccer", etc. We're just being fans - having some fun and excited by the prospect of the possibility of a true prodigy who has stated a desire to play for the U.S. in the World Cup. Some people are saying he could be a once in a lifetime type player - and that's exciting in any sport.
A lot of kids sign pro contracts at younger ages in Europe. They don't play for the first team, but the team holds their rights while they grow up and mature playing for the academy or reserve side. I know Arsenal signed a seven year old when I lived in the UK.
Re: Re: Re: Bruce working to expedite Freddy's citizenship I'm as happy as anyone else that the US team did well, and that the MLS played a part in the success. However, it remains my opinion that the MLS is a minor league, and that at the end of the day our players better off playing in Europe. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, my impression is that the MLS is making it difficult for its players to transfer and that, in so doing, the MLS is taking some risks in the longrun in its signing of young talent by not demonstrating more willingness to move its star players overseas when those players express the interest to go. Would it be good for Freddy to play in the MLS for a while, as opposed to Europe? Probably. If his goal is to play someday at the highest level (namely Europe), should he let his fate on such a transfer be determined by the MLS? Far less clear to me. If he has options for signing in Europe, he certainly ought to be considering them, even if it means playing with their youth teams or being loaned to the MLS.
I have a hard time believing that we are in the top few hundred of US youth soccer knowledge. Many more people have to know about Freddy than that. You're point is a good one though.
I was just venturing the opinion that it isn't wise to pin one's hopes on such a child (for any nation!), rather than stating that he is and will be the only thing the US has to offer. I have since been told that (despite there being a few threads on the subject, and the national team manager getting invovled in the situation, and several journalistic haemorrages regarding this boy) the success of Freddy isn't that important. Fair enough, you know more about the subject than me. Which is why I was on here in the first place, in order to learn more by asking questions and by throwing potential situations into the mix. Did I really have to put the word future in there?? (re-reading my own posts actually reveals I did use the word 'future') And I do apologise if slight hyperbole is beyond some people's comprehension. The touchy ones are still those who have the habit of letting their "over-bearing patriotism" get the better of them. It's healthy to admit to flaws occasionally, it's even healthier not to jump down someone's throat when all they have done is enquire about a situation that has precisely no coverage whatsoever over here. But overall, I understand about you being fans and just having fun, enjoy it. After all if he's half as good as he's meant to be, he won't be staying long into his playing career unless MLS ups it's wage cap.
"And of course one day, I'd like to be on a U.S. team that wins the World Cup." This brought tears to my eyes and of course RELIEF!
I am no expert on the citizenship timeline, but I think I have about as much a chance of expediting Freddy's status as Bruce does. Also, I didn't think those under 18 could become citizens alone. I thought his mother had to gain citizenship, which he would then get automatically as a minor child of a citizen.
I don't think anyone's pinning their hopes on him. But the kid is gifted and if he wasn't Internazionale wouldn't have come looking to sign him. I see no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to sign a professional contract just as long as his mother is professionally counselled by a financial advisor, etc. on how to invest money for the 'just in case' situations. In fact that money might help out his family a whole lot. And if he wants to be a footballer then let him be a footballer. Of course I'm biased as a fan but seriously, the kid's probably set in stone on what he wants his profession to be. And he's proven that he's a cut above most players two years older than he is. His stated goal is to make the 2006 U.S. WC team, and he's going to need to be a professional to do that.
Very pleased to read that he wants to be on a USA team that wins the World Cup and is shooting for the next world cup. Keep it going Freddy! Is it just me or does Freddy need to have Steve Sampson take the reigns of the citizenship problem? Come on Steve, help the Bruce out and show him the real inside ropes to this issue.
I guess I understand where Maczebus is coming from, there has been a great deal of fawning over this kid to a point where some might believe US fans are "pinning our hopes" and "desperate" and other such adjectives. My experience even on BS.com, which is generally a reactionary and highly emotional board, is that we are not pinning our hopes on him, nor are we desperate. I'm certainly not. But I bet I could find a few posts here and there that might give one that impression. If so, I think only a handful of fans are in that boat, certainly not a number that will put undue pressure on the kid, though. On the other hand, I am extremely anxious to see this kid in action, having heard so much about him, yet never having seen him in game action. Probably almost everyone on this board is similarly in the dark, having not seen him play. This is probably the biggest reason why the talk about this kid is so filled with inaccuracies and false hopes. With Donovan currently setting the table for him, I think Adu could find that five or six years down the road, he actually does have the hopes of the nation pinned on him in a big way. But he'll have to make that approach to the US public on the basis of MLS and US National team play, not simple soccer media or internet board hype.
The way he is going to get citizenship is if his mother gets it, which would automatically give it to him since he is under 18. Since they've only been here since 1998 apparently, you'd think they would be a long ways off. However, I talked to my pal W. and apparently when they stopped by the White House, BA and W. had a chat about some kid named Freddy and his brother Fredua.
FOr those not in the know, ther's reason to be optimistic of this kid. Last yewar, as a 12-year-old, he played in a national junior tournament. Ed Johnson, a 16-17 year old top prospect with the Dallas Burn in MLS, had two goals in three games. No one else in the tourney had more than two goals. Except Freddy. Freddy had four goals in three games. As a 12-year-old. Playing against kids who were a good deal older. I'm not putting myhopes on the kid, but he seems to be regarded as the best player ever at his age in this country. Doesn't mean he'll pan out, but there's no reason not to be a little excited about him.
Instant Citizenship I am no expert on the citizenship timeline, but I think I have about as much a chance of expediting Freddy's status as Bruce does.>>>>>> Well, I guess either of you could marry him.........
1. Yes, there's some question about his age. 1, he's big for his age. 2, he's from Ghana, where record keeping is sketchy, and where youth teams are great, but the players don't turn out to be much. Could be a pattern. 2. maczebus, you should check out some college basketball message boards, and see how "fans" discuss 15, 16, and 17 year old kids. You'll have a nervous breakdown. The Adu case is nothing in comparison. 3. I find this story interesting, in light of Chris Bergin working on a story that MLS is going to lose a young star, and there's nothing they can do about it. Since it's Chris, there's a pretty good chance it's an English team, which means Quaranta (the only young player who won't need a work permit.) But even then, he'd have to have a min. release clause or something in order for MLS to have no say in the matter. The other possibility is a player not already in MLS. I quickly thought of Adu. Which ties in with this...I would think if he moves to Milan or Amsterdam, and is out of the country, that would hinder his citizenship quest. But if he gets his US passport before going overseas....
do any of you kow ghanian footballers. ha! if you where african you would understand how much. players lie about there age. and how skilled they are. I can promise you there are more then a 100 peles in african ecspecial west africa. but the thing is .nobody knows them. unless you live there.. ghania kids are the most skilled in the world. but when they get older....... i know a ghanian player. that is gonna be a sen. in high school next year..and is sopossed to be 18 years old teen.. but he ussed to play for the ghanian 17 tteam 5 years ago . that would mean he was 12 when he played for them.. but he wasent. in most of africa. there ages are differt. and when they come here(usa) they can be any age they want..as long as they are close..to there real age.....so poeple jsut lie about there age so they can get in to schools and stuff for education. or work and stuff it happens all the time. i am sure this kid id good. but there is thousdays of kidds just as good... he is just lucky to have been seen.. i dont hat.. i just know the truth
freddy keep sampson away from the nats.- I've seen Freddy play and he does exist, watched him tool on some NCAA Div.1 players in training camp. Of course, they resorted to hacking him, but he had a handful of goals in the two games I saw.
I believe you need 5 years of residency to be eligible for citizenship, so if they arrived in 98, that would make them eligible in 2003.
Sampson's problem was with player management not finding or the development of talent. This is why he has been successful as, basically, the Director of Player Development of CYSA-South. He doesn't always coach teams, thus the chance to screw up the players heads is virtually nil. His ability to find talent in US Soccer circles is among the best. His ability to lead a group of players is among the worst. Regard Adu...US fans may be high on the kid, but my guess (I'm not privvy to conversations at US Soccer House or Arena's converstations) is that US Soccer is just covering the bases by doing two things... 1. Adu is training with the U17 team in Bradenton last I heard. 2. US Soccer is making sure the application process is handled as best as it can be. To me this doesn't mean US Soccer thinks that they have found the player that will lead the US to a World Cup title. It just means they are being professional about the process of making Adu a US citizen and potentially a good soccer player. If you all you had to do was play soccer and fill out paperwork - play the waiting game too - until you became a US citizen (or citizen of any country) and you end up with all the money in the world (win a World Cup), would you make sure all of your i's were dotted?
Well, if as the article says, the kid is really 5' 7" can we at least agree that he's not dominating through size? 5' 7" is not excessivbely big for a 13 year old, and if he's actually a year or two older, it's even les a factor. And, if you take into consideration that he's playing against U17s these days it appears, he may be smaller than most guys on the field.
Not to be the voice of reason or anything, but does it really matter how old the kid is? I mean, if he has the ability to play professionally and even at the level of the USMNT, and he WANTS to play for the US someday, why shouldn't he?