Kid rock

Is Man U targeting an American soccer prodigy?

Of all the things Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson might have been pondering on April 23 -- how to solve Real Madrid that night in Europe's biggest match of the year to date, whether he should start or bench David Beckham, or how to take the next step in his psychological warfare with Arsenal nemesis Arsene Wenger -- the last thing you'd expect to be on Ferguson's mind was a 13-year-old American soccer player.

Then again, Freddy Adu is not your typical 13-year-old American soccer player.

Let me explain. The day before, as part of a media op with American outlets in advance of Manchester United's four-game U.S. tour in July, Sir Alex was told by a Men's Journal writer, Josh Dean, to "keep an eye" on Adu, the budding star of the U.S. under-17 national team. (Adu was profiled in Sports Illustrated's March 3, 2003 issue.) When we arrived back at Old Trafford on the day of the Man U-Real Madrid match, Dean was pulled aside by the Man U communications director and put on the phone with ... Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Boss said he had made a call to one of his scouts after hearing the Adu tip, and now he was looking for a phone number so that Man U could contact Adu's parents. "I'm very serious about this," Ferguson told Dean.

Though Dean didn't have the number, I volunteered to call Arnold Tarzy, the Adu family's most trusted confidante. And in what is likely to be my first and last foray into the international player market, I passed along Tarzy's number (with his approval) to Man United.

Who knows if anything will come of it? But perhaps something will. Keep in mind, Ferguson first brought Ryan Giggs to the Man United youth team when Giggs was a 13-year-old phenom, too. Yet even if young Freddy never wears a Red Devils jersey, it's astonishing that he would be on Ferguson's radar just hours before such an important match.

Eight random things

1. Whoever came up with the Don King-worthy slogan for the U.S.-Mexico match on May 8 (La Revancha En La Cancha, or "The Rematch on the Field", to mark the rivals' first meeting since last year's World Cup) needs to stand up and take credit for a sweet bit of showmanship that American soccer could use more often.

2. Finally saw Bend It Like Beckham the other night -- in Spokane, Wash., of all places, which shows the power of film in American culture. Think about it: What other medium could cause Yanks who know nothing about world soccer to utter Beckham's name? Talk about a helpful teaser for the Man United tour. Even better, the film rocks, though I'm still coming to terms with the fact that my wife (who's half-Indian) looks almost exactly like the star of the movie when she puts on her own Beckham jersey.

3. College hoops and my Europe trip have kept me from focusing on MLS and WUSA to this point, but have no fear, I'll be on the case for SI and in this space with twice-monthly columns the rest of the summer. I will say, though, that I drove by the Home Depot Training Center, the Galaxy's new stadium, outside L.A. during the NCAA Tournament -- and was seriously impressed.

4. More movie talk: How crazy is it that another soccer movie (Shaolin Soccer, a Chinese kung fu/soccer film) is set to debut in American theaters soon?

5. Gotta feel some sympathy for Colorado Rapids coach Tim Hankinson after the player around whom he built his midfield (Frenchman Gilles Grimandi) turned tail and skedaddled home without playing a minute of league action. Think he wouldn't mind having Carlos Valderrama back?

6. MetroStars insiders tell me GM Nick Sakiewicz was so incensed at getting fewer questions than new coach Bob Bradley at a preseason media op that he called a staff meeting to vent. Now that we see Sakiewicz's job is on the line -- he has been working without a contract for three months, according to ace MetroStars beat writer Ives Galarcep -- we don't know how to feel. We'd certainly miss the antics of Big Nick, who once promised to cover the fines of his team for any yellow cards they drew in a game against the Chicago Fire, a team then coached by ... Bob Bradley.

7. Even more movie talk? Freddy Adu confidante Tarzy tells me that after SI's Adu story came out in February, the Adu family was approached by a U.K.-based screenwriter, Kathleen Stone Sorley, hoping to cast Adu in Liverpool Leopard, a $17 million movie set to shoot this summer in England and South Africa that will reportedly feature several current and former Liverpool greats and a cameo by Nelson Mandela.

The story, which won top prize among 3,900 entries for Best Dramatic Screenplay at last year's Houston International Film Festival, depicts the fictional tale of Simon Matembo, a soccer prodigy from the Zulu tribe who is discovered by a Liverpool player on vacation in South Africa. Simon eventually signs with Liverpool and plays against Manchester United in a Cup final attended by Mandela.

Alas, Adu won't be making his silver-screen debut. Filming takes place in July, when Adu will be deep in training for August's under-17 world championship in Finland.

8. The early choice for Comeback of the Year isn't a player, but rather former MetroStars GM Charlie Stillitano. His humble start-up, ChampionsWorld, stands to make a killing after brokering July's Manchester United tour, which will almost surely sell out three NFL stadiums in Seattle, New Jersey and Philadelphia (and perhaps the L.A. Coliseum as well). The only area where Stillitano whiffed was the TV rights. It's a shame that with all the buzz the tour is generating, the only place to watch it on TV is FOX Sports World instead of a mainstream net like ESPN.

Separated at birth?

Got a most excellent suggestion from Nathan Wall of Wagga Wagga, Australia, who nominates a couple of guys who wore out their welcome in high-profile jobs:

Former North Carolina coach Matt Doherty and former Ireland (now Sunderland) coach Mick McCarthy.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH? Doherty McCarthy

See you in two weeks!

Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl keeps you up to date with the world of U.S. soccer at SI.com. To send Wahl a comment, question or story idea, click here.

 

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