Freddy Adu Linked with Move to Benfica
By: Bob | July 23rd, 2007
Think back to a time when David Beckham was merely a distant, unobtainable star in the MLS universe. It was a time when the league was desperate to latch on to the next big thing even if the next big thing was a small 14-year-old from Ghana. The media circus soon followed and the next thing you knew Freddy Adu was going to save soccer in the United States while presumably finding a cure for cancer, stopping global warming and feeding us all chicken noodle soup.
If the reports are true, the Freddy Adu era in MLS is about ready to come to an end. Adu, now 18, is evidently on the verge of signing a deal that would send him to Benfica in Portugal. This would be a good move for Adu. The Portuguese league is one with a high level of competition and where young players are often given an opportunity to develop. Benfica is a solid club that has a good coaching system. Escaping the purgatory known as Real Salt Lake won’t hurt.
These facts will likely be lost in the shuffle as people evaluate Adu’s MLS career. In 98 games with DC United and Real Salt Lake, he scored 12 goals. He hardly dominated and at times was outmatched by his older, stronger opponents. In short, he did not save American soccer and we’re still waiting for that cancer cure.
From my perspective, his stint in MLS has not been a failure. It has enabled a 14-year-old kid grow into an 18-year-old adult who will be given a shot by a top tier European club. It has helped his game to grow to the point where he is able to be one of the better players in the U-20 World Cup. In other words it has taken Adu to the place where he should be at this point in his career. That place might not be where the media and marketing folks want it to be, but it still ain’t bad. The final chapter on his career is a long way from being written.
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Comments
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The only problem with this move is that American soccer fans will never get to see Adu. Benfica games aren’t on tv often.
Posted from
United States
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He must go! He’ll be absolutely ruined in MLS. If he hasn’t already been…
Posted from
United States -
I doubt this will happen, word is just that Benfica inquired, and the price asked 5 million euros seems extremely unlikely. Plus with Benfica he might have a chance at learning a few things, but he would have a lot of competition from other players the same age from the academy. 5 million, or even 1 million would be far too much to invest in a player probably not ready for the main team, and as a substitute teen striker Benfica has already got Yu Dabao, who just debuted and is already popular with fans from playing in the youth teams. I don´t see what use Benfica would have for Adu unless he came free or very cheap.
Adu will probably be a lot more useful in the english/scottish leagues, marketing wise he will be far more valuable for an english speaking team and for english league prices 5 million euros is cheap.
Posted from
United States -
I actually think Adu is more suited to Southern European football than he is to MLS football. I’d like to see him move, although I’d rather see him go to Spain. Atletico Madrid or Sevilla maybe. But what do I know.
Posted from
United States -
Perhaps, question is if any of those teams want him. Benfica has been buying experienced serb defenders and Argentinian strikers in their earlier twenties for one million euros each, and promising teenage portuguese wingers and youth world champion Brazilian central defenders again for about a one million each. For Benfica or any spanish club, will have to spend its money wisely and there is a lot of cheap teenage talent. And experience in the american league will not be seen as being better than being trained by big serb, argentinian, brazillian clubs. And he is probably too old to be sent to the academy for a couple seasons. The kid might still come, but it´s unthinkable that he would cost more than Bergessio or Sretenović, or even Coentrão or David Luiz.
Posted from
United States -
As a Benfica fan I must say I’m willing to see Adu on the move. He’s a hot prospect and I think he’ll have the place to develop in Benfica. Greetings
Posted from
United States -
Unless, of course, Benfica is essentially interested in being put on the map for US fans – in which case Adu makes a lot of sense. Benfica has a very large global fan base for the size of the country (Portugal is a mere 10 M people), and the US market is very tempting. You’ll see a lot more Benfica jerseys on US youngsters next season if they sign Adu, for sure.
Posted from
United States -
Benfica marketing department being sucessful at marketing to foreigners? wish so, I doubt it. Benfica has lots of fans abroad ( pre season in Switzerland usually, games in Paris looking like home games) due to portuguese communities abroad. Maybe that will change, Adu for what you tell me has lots of potential in the USA; and Benfica already has a promissing chinese player, just promoted from the youth team, called Yu Dabao. China and the USA, hope Benfica´s marketing department is up to it and the kids do good.
One problem with Adu regarding marketing, the kid seems to have a huge endorsement from Nike in the USA, and currently Benfica is sponsored by Adidas. I guess Nike won´t be likely to help pay his salary then – and his salary is a problem, he seems to earn a lot in the USA and messing Benfica´s salary structure is looking worrying to me. Specially if the kid comes with an attitude when there are others (for example, young popular players like Manuel Fernandes and David Luiz) way ahead of him in what they have earned for Benfica.
2 million dollars for him sounds like an acceptable price, but not sure how much of it is risk taking. Benfica is bringing on 2 players from Atlético, the two argentinians, hopefully Belleti, and none of them is that experienced, while there is still quite a bit of money available. There might be more surprises.
Posted from
Portugal -
It would be a great acquisition for Benfica if we could get him.
Moving here would allow him to learn A LOT.Also, dont worry that Benfica matches arent shown; if Adu did move, im sure that american tv channels would make an effort to show every match (no matter which team he was playing for)
Posted from
United Kingdom -
great move for adu…. he will still be crushed by fc porto!
Posted from
United States
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