Former prodigy shows maturity for the U.S.
Freddy Adu took a hiatus from his Twitter account when he joined the U.S. national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. But the social media network — and soccer bars around the country — lit up with his name when he began to warm up on the sideline of Wednesday’s semifinal against Panama in Houston, mostly with apprehension and disbelief.
“I was out at a pub, and I heard the moans and stuff,” D.C. United assistant coach Chad Ashton said. “And immediately I was like, ‘This is what the game needs, this sort of guy.’ I’m really happy for him to come on and change the game.”
Adu certainly deserved to be trending after his first international appearance in more than two years, helping create the only goal in the 1-0 U.S. victory with a stunning cross-field pass to Landon Donovan and proving he’s still capable of magical moments with the ball at his feet.
| Gold Cup final |
| United States vs. Mexico |
| When » Saturday, 9 p.m. |
| Where » Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. |
| TV » Fox Soccer |
As the U.S. prepares for a gargantuan showdown at the Rose Bowl in the Gold Cup final against Mexico, the 22-year-old Ghanaian native, who was raised in Montgomery County, is starting to cast aside the label of overhyped prodigy that has been his burden ever since he signed with D.C. United at age 14.
“In a lot of different ways I took it for granted before,” Adu told ESPN.com. “But when you haven’t been here for a while and you get a chance to be here, you really appreciate just being around the guys and being on the national team.”
Adu’s call into the U.S. camp last month after a productive loan to Caykur Rizespor in the Turkish second division was greeted with skepticism in part because U.S. coach Bob Bradley had only seen Adu play in Turkey on the Internet.
But Adu has shown Bradley and the U.S. coaching staff that the attitude and sense of entitlement he had grown notorious for bringing with him into national team camps was gone, replaced by a long-sought maturity and focus — thus, no tweets.
“From the start of this camp, Freddy has made progress,” Bradley told reporters after the game. “So the opportunity [vs. Panama] was earned on his part. You could see him getting sharper. You can see confidence coming back.”
For those who know and have played with Adu, the support has never wavered.
“As soon as the game was over, I texted [former D.C. United forward] Jamil [Walker], and he was happy for him as well,” said United midfielder Clyde Simms, who played with Adu in 2005 and 2006. “I thought it was great. I’m glad he got a chance, and I felt like it didn’t really surprise me, his performance. Freddy can play.”
