The legend grows (r)

yeah, i about choked on my spaghetti when I read this. A citizenship-day present for mama maybe.

heard an MLS gm recently say of freddy, "he may not be ready to start on a given team, but he doesn't look like he doesn't belong on an mls FIELD, either."

 

the first goal he scored came against thorton, with gray, curtin and c.j. brown in a 3-man back line. i would say that is young or inexperienced back line. that is damn impressive for a 13 year old kid. god i hope he keeps a level head and continues to get better...

 

Adu, Adu 2 - Chicago Fire 1

This is a remarkable result! I have seen 20-22 year-old non-professionals play against professional teams in many situations. Most hope for a dream day to leave a mark on such a match up, to score a goal, earn a notice in someway for their play. It rarely happens and if it does it is not usually as dramatic.

This result for the "child" Adu is absolutely incredible.
Chicago Fire 1 - U.S. school boys 2 (Adu, Adu)

Regardless of circumstance this result is really an eye opener.

 

[R] Adu vs Fire (serious)

U.S. School boy; Adu, Adu - Chicago Fire 1
12 Feb; 2 goals & a win!

This is a remarkable result! I have seen 20-22 year-old non-professionals play against professional teams in many situations. Most hope for a dream day to leave a mark on such a match, to score a goal or earn notice in someway for their play. It rarely happens and if it does it is not usually as dramatic.

This result for a "child" is absolutely incredible.

Regardless of circumstance this result is really an eye opener.

 

Just so people know....this wasn't really the real Fire team, it was some people on trial/college kids/those coming off injuires.

By still, Adu is one talented SOB.

 

I played against the Milwaukee Wave when I was twelve and scored... not like it was a real game though. Seriously, the hype seems to be on point in the case of Freddy Adu. All of those Fire players are darn good, I assure you (I have played vs two of them), and for Freddy to score twice (one on a PK) is pretty stunning. I would expect the U-17's to hold their own vs the Fire reserves, but the fact that they won goes to show that Freddy would have no problem playing in the A-league for sure, and probably the MLS for that matter, RIGHT NOW! Thirteen-year-old girls can play professional women's tennis, but NEVER does this happen in a sport like men's soccer. Either he is really sixteen, or he is really the next Maradonna or Pele. Obviously we all hope the latter is true!

 

As Arena has said, Freddy "should be pushed into older age groups." It sounds like he did fine against mostly U-20's and U-23's; however, the web site gives Ashe more credit for the first goal and doesn't say what caused the PK.

I noticed that the article describes Heath Pearce as a player who is under evaluation. Are the Fire seriously thinking about signing him, or is he just prepping for the U-20's?

 

actually....

Fire Lineup: GK-Zach Thornton (Henry Ring 31), D-Kelly Gray, D-Jim Curtin (Heath Pearce 46), D-C.J. Brown (Chad Dombrowski 46), M-Justin Mapp (Ryan Futagaki 46), M-Jesse Marsch (Ryan Mack 46), M-Logan Pause, M-Craig Capano, M-Evan Whitfield (Amos Magee 46), Nate Jaqua (Derk Droze 46), Damani Ralph (Phil Swenda 31).

plenty of rookies but also plenty of starters - in any event, very impressive

 

[R] Adu vs Fire (serious)

Very impressive, indeed.

Any time that a American teenager (of any defined age) scores twice against an MLS side, then he's come of age, no pun intended.

Make no mistake about it-- based on this performance, and this performance alone, Freddy Adu is the real deal.

I'll make a bold prediction here: Provided that he continues to make an impact within the next four years, in examples such as these, Freddy Adu will be on the USA World Cup squad (although by no means guaranteed to be in the starting XI) in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. And yes, even at the age of 17. (His current age has been officially verified as 13, right?)

I'll admit that I had been a bit skeptical before, but if Freddy continues to put forth efforts such as these, then we're all going to be in for quite a treat.

Cheers,
William

 

having seen alot of college soccer games i can safely say... none of those players are anywhere near world class. they're marginal at best.
not saying young mr. adu isn't the great saviour of US soccer... but don't base it on the fact that he tore up a few recently drafted college kids.

 

I'm as interested as anyone in Freddy Adu, but I'm certain that the Youth Teams forum is an infinitely more appropriate place for this thread.

Give him a few years, of course, and they'll probably have to open up a "Freddy Forum" just for him...

 

To me one of the more telling stories of this article is the fact that Freddy already is taking the PKs for the U17 team!

 

Adu is amazing!
Anyone have the rest of the lineup for the 17s.Pretty impressive to keep the fire to 1 goal.

 

Vs. Fire

I remember Beasley scoring 2 for the Fire vs. an MLS team when he was 16, almost 17, in a Florida scrimmage.

This accomplishment is far, far different Freddie's stated age is 3 years younger than Beasley was. An eternity in youth soccer time.

On the face of it, I'd say that if Beasley's feat signalled the arrival of a World Cupper (which, in hindsight, it did), Freddie's feat tells you that the next Pele has arrived.

And no, I'm not joking. Not really. Betcha Ryan Giggs or Figo or Zidane would have had their butts kicked playing against the Fire as 13 year olds.

 

Jeff Bradley's recent column came to the same conclusion. Apparenltly even the great Mr. Adu was well outclassed by the US Nats during a recent scrimmage.
He does seem like he'll be the real deal, though. Just not this year.

 

The one thing that I think is great is the # of games our U-17s have been getting lately against full professional (and national sides). There are not a whole lot of teams stateside in their age ranges that they can play and get better with, so hopefully all of our young guns are learning a ton in these day in day out games against quality competition.

And this was still just a scrimmage people, we all know he's real good, but let's keep the unfulfillable prophecies to a minimum. He's not the next Pele. He's the first Freddy Adu.

 

Prophecies

Well, strictly speaking, I can't quarrel with that.

Still, I can't overemphasize the sheer ridiculousness of a 13 year old succeeding against grown men. I'm wracking my brain, and I can't think of any comparable example in any professional sport.

If Adu is 13, he'll be the greatest player in the world by the time of the 2010 World Cup. I don't think that's an unreasonable belief given the complete absurdity of his accomplishments.

 

thanks beineke - i missed that totally on the first read (for OBVIOUS reasons).

I think Rongen has arranged for a lot of the college players do some training with MLS teams before the U20 camp begins (today, the 13th). I would expect it's a matter of looking at him with an eye toward future drafts, selections. But I imagine if i comes in just impresses to the fullest, something could happen more quickly.

 

NJ Guy - the back four typically has been - left to right

Germani (Delco kid), Brandon Owens (UCLA bound), Jonathan Spector (Man United bound) Adrian Chevannes (Clemson bound)

Brian Grazier is the D-Mid, going to St. Louis U.

don't know if they were in yesterday, but I would expect so, with the qualifiers now 2 weeks away.


re the bold prediction on Adu, get in line man!

 

Pele was about 17 years 8 months old in WC 58 in Sweden

Freddy will 17 on, I believe, the day before the Finals in Germany start. Or roughly Wayne Rooney's current age.

 

To me it looks like the first goal was scored against a back 3 of Gray, Curtin, and CJ Brown with Thornton in the net. Missing Boca but the rest looks like the starters for Chicago right??

Pretty impressive.

 

Re: Prophecies

That's an absolutely unreasonable belief. I hope you are right though.

 

Nostradamos

Yeah, me too.

Let's make an analogy. The mile run. I was a good high school miler -- not great, but good. As a freshman, I ran 4:47. The kid down the road from me was better and ran 4:36; three years later, he won the California state championship. The all-time U.S. high school freshman record is, I dunno, maybe 4:20.

Well -- metaphorically speaking of course -- Freddie's running about a 4:02. Does that mean he'll be the best U.S. miler ever (again speaking metaphorically)? Better than Jim Ryun?

I'd say yes. OK, maybe it's an absolutely unreasonable belief. But this is an absolutely unreasonable situation. Strange times call for strange viewpoints.

 

Re: Nostradamos

I predict that Freddy will become the next American soccer star to opt for med school. After he finishes high school next year, he could enroll in one of those seven-year programs and get his M.D. by age 21.

... he may be a prodigy, but he's no Doogie Howser.