Much ado about Adu

Spotlight doesn't deter highly touted U.S. youth player

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Ticker) -- A small crowd of scouts, a camera crew or two and more than one journalist gathered Sunday at Nova Southeastern University ... for a youth soccer practice.

They all showed up hoping to catch a glimpse of "the next big thing," a player that U.S. national team manager Bruce Arena calls the real deal.

When they finally see him, the moment happened so fast that even the camera crew was not sure they got it -- it's a 40-yard pass over the entire opposition that finds a lone, ranging striker, who coolly finishes past a keeper who looks as if he doesn't know whether to yell at his team or keep his mouth shut.

It's a great move, the kind one expects from players with a decade of experience in the game.

It came from a 13-year-old kid.

Ghanaian-born Freddy Adu, a soon-to-be naturalized American citizen, is playing years above his age, demonstrating a maturity that had Inter Milan reportedly offering a six-figure salary for him (it was declined) and the U.S Soccer Federation trying to shield him from a hungry soccer world eager to jump on the bandwagon.

On Feb. 13, his mother, Emilia, was expected to become a U.S. citizen. The next day, Adu was expected to be able to apply for a passport, making him, as his under-17 coach John Ellinger slyly puts it, a nice Valentine's gift to a lot of the guys on this team.

If all goes as planned, he will suit up and start in Guatemala on March 5 against Jamaica as the under-17 side attempts to qualify for the Youth World Cup in Helsinki this August. Born on June 2, 1989, he will be 14 when the tournament starts, making him the youngest player ever to wear an American jersey.

In America, youthful tennis players, gymnasts and figure skaters are not uncommon. But top-level soccer players, despite the omnipresence of the youth game, are rare. Even players like Landon Donovan or DaMarcus Beasley, both of whom made the leap from the under-17s to the 2002 World Cup, are considered remarkable.

Adu has already attracted more than his fair share of attention, so much so that U.S. Soccer has tried to implement a media blackout on the youngster. Agents are calling his family's house day and night, to say nothing of the Federation of itself, and one apparently tried to secure permission to bring in a set of international stars to coax Adu to sign a pro contract.

The reasons are clear. "He is one of a kind, an elite player," said Ellinger, his coach with the under-17s.

Peter Mellor, a former pro in England with Sunderland who now serves as Ellinger's assistant says, "See him against the full team and watch him go past some senior internationals and you say to yourself: 'He's not a handful, he's two handfuls."

They are not exaggerating.

Adu possesses the vision of a player many years his elder, and the ability to shift gears on a dime. Against poor opponents, he is like a specter, coasting in and out, forcing players away from him with small fakes that create space for him to do the real damage. Against serious opposition he is devastating, taking his game to the next level with explosive speed and unerring passing.

So it's funny to find that, for Adu, all of this is a bit... unexpected.

"I came to the USA for school," says Adu. "I had no clue this would happen."

The self-described little guy grew up as the local sporting goods supplier to his Ghanian neighborhood; his American relatives kept him in steady supply of soccer balls.

As a youngster, he says, "The older kids let me play with them and go get the ball. Later, they started making me play with them. When I first came over to the USA, I played in a tournament in Washington. I guess I played well enough because all of a sudden I was told I could go somewhere with this."

Adu, who comes off as mature beyond his years, is unflappable. "Is playing with people years older than me a hassle? Nope. I'm just one of the guys to them," he added.

His teammates agree. Eddie Gaven, who just became the youngest player ever selected in the MLS draft has one word for him: Amazing.

"He's growing up fast," concedes Ellinger, who admits to worrying about it. "But, you know, kids can grow up fast in other environments that aren't as good as this one. Here, it's sports and education and the parents see the kids. The hard part, though, is the social adjustment."

But even though Adu says that the attention doesn't faze him, both his coaches and teammates are wary.

"I think it's been hard on him," says Gaven, who partners with Adu up top. "But he's handling it real well. I don't see it really affecting him here, but I'll tell you I don't know if I could do it."

"Without a doubt in my years as a player and as a coach he is the best 13-year-old I've ever seen," says Mellor. "But remember, you see 'great' players at 14 whom you never see at 15, so this whole thing is important to keep in perspective."

Ben Olsen, himself a former youth star turned national team stalwart, says Adu is outstanding talent with a lot of weight on his shoulders.

"That's the real burden," says Olsen. "You get to where he is, and there are some big decisions to be made by someone so young. The reality of his life is that that happens. I've talked to him a few times and he seems to have his head screwed on straight. That's the best thing for him. "

Said Mellor: "The important part now is how we at U.S. Soccer manage him."

"We have to protect him from the publicity and keep things balanced for him. As coaches we have to help him to deal with the accolades."

As for Adu, the lesson learned so far is how to settle in. "I used to be the guy on top," he said. "When you are in a setting like this, you have to learn to have the humility to play with everyone. You have to be part of a team."

And is he?

"Sure. They still sometimes call me 'little guy,' but I know I'm one of the guys," he concluded.

 

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