So Freddy Adu, has hit another country on his world tour. This trial is at AZ, and there is very few players in USA soccer history who are as decisive as Freddy.

When Freddy was forced upon the scene in the States the sport was very different. We didn’t have as many teams as we do now, there were teams in Miami and Tampa in the MLS, and there wasn’t an academy system. And 14 year olds weren’t being drafted playing in the major leagues. More on that later. For those who are wondering why Freddy has landed in AZ, their technical director is former DC United player Earnie Stewart, who knows Freddy from their days at DC United, and Earnie will take American National Team players, he had Jozy Altidore before he went off to Sunderland.

Freddy was forced upon the American soccer community at 14 because the sport was looking for their next great player. At 14 he was “drafted” by DC United, and put right into the first team, without going overseas to learn the sport in an academy. DC United was managed by Bruce Arena, who had been a successful career in college winning titles. He knew how to develop young talent. It wasn’t long before DC United had given up on Freddy (Bruce left for the US National Team), he was traded with current US National team third goalkeeper Nick Rimando to Real Salt Lake, in 2006. During his three year career with DC United 2004-06 he played in two All Star games, and generally being a young under-developed player. He would play only one year with Real Salt Lake before being transfer in 2007 to Benfica, who would then loan him to AS Monaco, then to Belenenses, to Aris, and his final was to Rizespor in Turkey.

With his European dreams smashed, and becoming a journeymen Freddy gave the MLS another chance, coming back as a DP to the Philadelphia Union, (Designated Player, the MLS has a salary cap, they can pay three players above the salary cap, paid by the league). His return to the MLS was also deemed a failure and was transferred by the Union to a Brazilian second division club Bahia. Freddy, saw three coaches in a month get fired after he came in, and shortly after that he was free transferred by the club on November 7, 2013.  By February of the next year Freddy was on trial with Blackpool, who didn’t sign him, and Stabaek of the First Division in Norway who is managed by former USA National Team Manager Bob Bradley. Since the record is that Freddy didn’t stick at any club, he’s at AZ now looking to hold on.

The kid who was nicknamed the “Next Pele” is still only 24, and if someone got a hold of him, righted his mind, could turn him into a decent player. Adu has talent, he’s a good to decent free kick taker, and has some passing ability. Also with some of his trials he’s picked up some defensive skills. The two major problems with Freddy is he’s very small, and very immature. He believes the hype surrounding himself, and carries himself as a well known player who has made it. Even though he hasn’t.

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