Dubbed the next Pele, Adu took the pitch for D.C. United 20 years ago in one of the most-hyped moments in American soccer
It is too easily forgotten – by this generation, at least – how significant of a figure Freddy Adu was in the American soccer landscape. Here was a teenager who was being compared to Pele, and being marketed as the next big hope for MLS and U.S. Soccer.
The sporting world didn't have to wait long for the moment to come. Adu made his debut in D.C. United's first game of the season, coming off the bench in a 2-1 win.
And so a phenom was given life, in a world before YouTube compilations, Twitter scouts, and even worldwide accessibility of the sport. All eyes turned to a 14-year-old who was nowhere near ready for the magnitude of the moment thrust upon him.
Still, it was a landmark moment in American soccer, with fans in the country getting a first look at a player that would come to define the game in North America. GOAL takes a look at that unforgettable moment 20 years ago in latest edition of Throwback Thursday.
What happened?
In the 61st minute of D.C. United's season opening win over San Jose on April 3, 2004 at an uncharacteristically packed RFK Field, a scrawny 14-year-old Adu got loose on the sideline. Alecko Eskandarian – who had scored the crucial second goal in the first half – jogged off the pitch and with a big hug for the hyped teenage prospect, became one of the more consequential substitutions from a game in U.S. sports.
Adu was first properly involved in the 66th minute. The crowd rose to its feet. Adu came close to giving them something to scream about, all in three touches. The first corralled a pass, the second took the ball out of his feet, and the third played a perfectly weighted ball out to winger Dema Kovalenko. A better cross from him to a wide-open forward, and Adu would've had a pre-assist on his professional debut.
The teenager was sparingly involved otherwise. He had the softest of penalty shouts waved off in the 84th minute. All said, it was an agreeable debut, but one in which he failed to make an impact.
AdvertisementWhy it mattered
Where to start? At 14 years, 306 days, Adu became the youngest player at the time to debut in any professional sport in the United States. He would later become the youngest goalscorer in MLS, and youngest debutant for the USMNT.
But that day, that cameo, had far more of an impact for the game stateside. Adu became a marketing gold mine for MLS and various brands that he was attached to.
Adu had already appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" and spoke about his ambitions to play in the Premier League. Whether or not that ultimately factored into him failing to live up to the considerable hype that was created for him is debatable, but it was exciting at the time to envision what could potentially be.
From those who were there
Ray Hudson, then the D.C. United manager, recounted trying to keep Adu away from the spotlight, saying in an interview with "He was a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t the braggadocios type; he was a bit shy if anything. But he had this wonderful personality. He had extreme confidence on the ball, with a real sharp ability. His first touch, control was extremely good. He didn’t particularly elaborate in the days that I saw him. It wasn’t like you were watching the new Messi. It wasn’t like he would slalom through two or three players. He didn’t try that."
Adu himself later recalled the fame in an interview with : "The dream was always to become a professional soccer player. I achieved it so young, I was living the dream, I loved it… it was an amazing time."
USA Today ImagesWhat came next
It all steadily went wrong from there. Adu's stats in his first MLS season make for agreeable reading; five goals and three assists at 15 is nothing to sniff at.
But then the European move happened, a move to Benfica initially, and with it came the fall from grace. Adu later admitted that he never put the work in he needed to, and a child prodigy turned from the next American great into a warning as to how badly it can all go when a player is given so much, so young.
Adu ultimately played for 15 clubs and made 17 appearances for the U.S. national team. He will always be remembered as one of the biggest "what-ifs" in American soccer history.
Adu's story also often serves a one of caution for those in similar positions who have followed. Cavan Sullivan appears to be up next. The Philadelphia Union academy product has already broken Adu's record for the youngest MLS debutant, and is bound for Manchester City in three years. The next next Pele might already be here. He'd do well to learn from the lessons of the previous one – 20-plus years since his debut.
