Ugh. I do not get Galavision. I got to watch the Mexico/Jamiaca match the other day though on the spanish channel I get.
I know it sucks. ESPN should have covered the tournament.
Ugh. I do not get Galavision. I got to watch the Mexico/Jamiaca match the other day though on the spanish channel I get.
I know it sucks. ESPN should have covered the tournament.
This Adu guy looks like a legend already...Futbol Mundial had a thing about American football and they showed a goal he scored for a schoolboy USA side (might have been U-17s...?), went past a load of players and drilled it in, quality.
Howard has a decent reputation as well.
USA are in the top ten in the world, aren't they?
I think we are tied for 10th or something like that.
I am anxious to see Adu move to the Men's National team and be up there with Donovan.
At 13? And I thought the English were being hard on Rooney!
What's the highest level Adu has played for USA at? I know he reached the U17s, did he get any higher, like U19s or U21s?
The mighty Blackburn take on some chumps called DC United tonight.
8-0 to the rampant Rovers. Yorke with all 8.
Well he is not moving up yet or anything. I just can't wait until he is older and does move up. They expect him to join MLS at 15 when he graduates high school. So really after that we move up to the national team. Not sure what level is playing on now for the US though.
Physically he's probably capable, he's big, strong and very fast...but mentally, a 15 year old surely can't handle a full season of professional football? He must be a really incredible talent.
We have had some 16 year olds play in MLS. They were not starters or but they played as reserves. I am sure it will be the same for him. But then again people think he is the next big thing in soccer so who knows.
He starts for the U-17 team currently. Last I saw of the team, they performed sub-par at some tournament in Korea which was a combination World Cup anniversary and tune-up for the U-17 World Championships.
PS: If it makes you feel any better, JMil, it would appear it's going to storm like crazy all day and well into the night. So I'll be sitting in a very wet seat in the pouring rain...in the fifth row.
You still suck though. I would still love to go rain or shine. Hell I have almost frozen to death at a Ole Miss football game.
OMG. Let's pretend that game never happened.
How bad was it? I have not seen a score yet.
Edit: Just read about it. Heartbreaker for the US. They said the Brazilian goal to tie it was offsides though. Oh well. Bad thing is that it was the U-23 team for Brazil and the only guy with World Cup experience was one of the guys that scored. Now the winner of the other semi-final will go to the Confederations Cup in 2005.
Last edited by MTR; July 24th, 2003 at 9:29 AM.
There are questions over his real age.Originally Posted by Infamous
He might look good at 13, 14 whatever, but that doesn't mean he'll follow on to be brilliant at senior level.
I'd come up with a similar example of a gifted 13 year old, but I forget the guys name. He used to be on Fantasy Football ages ago, and they did documentaries about him going on trials on Ajax and being brilliant. Can't remember his name though, because he's a nobody.
Sunny something. Little wanker with shit hair.
That's the dick. Where is he now?
No one knows. Even the kid who did the MacDonald's ads at least made it with Charlton.
SO Freddy Adu could be an 18 year old posing as 13, and even if he is 13, we have to wait and see how could he'll be.
Personally, I think you have to realise that there is a huge step up from U17 to even U21. I mean, Ireland had one of the best Youth teams around for a while there.
Kaka, the dude that scored, never played in the World Cup. He was picked for the squad but never played.
In the previous round did anyone see his goal where he went past two/three players and then curled it wround the goalie. Top stuff.
I saw Kaka's superb strike
Kaka, Diego, Robinho...the future of world football
Robinho, my god... during warm-ups I was like "If I didn't know this was an U-23 team, I'd think one of the players brought his kid." Then the wee one starts and I'm like. He's like a really tan Leetah
PS: Word has it Ewerthon should have been called offside before taking the shot the bounced off Keller to Kaka for the tie.
PPS: McBride fractured his orbital... Good, I say. If he was just cut or something and made Arena bring Mathis in, I'd be pissed. That was the turning point, even though it came while it was still 0-0... Mathis sucked hard all game, just as he has his entire career with the National Team. I don't give a fuck if you're good in MLS; he's been horrible in every US game I've seen. And yet he gets huge cheers for no reason. Don't make Bruce think he's good, you bastards. Argh. All problems in the world can be traced back to Clint Mathis. Fucking Mathis.
I am confused now. After the semis all reports said that Mexico would move on to the Confederations Cup in 2005 win or lose against Brazil in the Gold Cup final since Brazil was an invited guest.
Now they are saying if Brazil wins then Mexico must play the winner of the third place game between the US and Costa Rica to determine who goes the Confederations Cup.
They need to make up their mind.
Granted I am glad that US still has a chance to be the CONCACAF champion despite not winning the tournament.
Last edited by MTR; July 26th, 2003 at 3:30 PM.
What exactly is this Gold Cup?
Is it bigger or smaller than the Copa America, or is it the same thing?
It is the tournament to crown the CONCACAF Champion. Same thing as Copa America.
Basically the top teams in CONCACAF plus a couple invited guests play a tournament to crown a CONCACAF champion.
US won it last year and lost to Brazil in the semis this year in OT. Brazil plays Mexico in the tournament final while we play Costa Rica(and former coach) in the third place game.
Isn't Copa America the club championships, like the Champions League?
Nah, that's the Copa Libertadores.
I think.
I thought that but the other day when I was actually watching a Gold Cup game between Mexico and someone in the quarters on the spanish channel they kept flashing a Copa America logo.
Yep, I think Sam's right.
So Copa America's just for the countries in the CONMEBOL federation?
Yeah, Copa America is the CONMEBOL championship.
Gold Cup is CONCACAF.
U.S. Open Cup is the North American club tourny.
Nike U.S. Cup is just US Soccer's annual invitation tourny.
I believe that's all of them.
What Dan said right after I go looking around trying to sort it all out.
Copa America does invite guests from CONCACAF like the Gold Cup invites guests from CONMENBOL.
I do believe Japan played in a Copa America. So I guess it's open to Asia as well.
Okay so maybe the extend out further then.
Anyway I went to the official CONCACAF site to see what the deal is with the championship.
If Mexico beats Brazil then they are champs.
If Mexico loses to Brazil and we lose to Costa Rica in the third place game, Mexico are the champs.
If Mexico loses to Brazil and we win the third place game then Mexico and the US have to play a game a later date to determine the CONCACAF Champions.
Kind of confusing but it makes sense that we still have a shot at the title since we were knocked out by a invited guest.
Which begs the question... why invite countries outside of the continent? Europe doesn't invite Nigeria over for the summer, so why does North America do so for Brazil? Mind you, Europe has 50+ teams...
Probably for money and probably to make things a little more interesting. If you don't bring Brazil or other teams in periodically you get the same old match ups year after year. The US actually got its first and only win over Brazil in the Gold Cup back in 1999.
Two questions....
Why invite them if they can't win?
How is it decided who to invite?
You invite them to make the tournament more prestigious. You invite them because the only way to get better is to compete against the best. You can win fifty tournaments a year against the Mozambique's and Canada's of the world, but where does it get you? Nowhere. By the same token, the teams accept the invite for the same reasons. For example, the Brazilian team that entered the tournament this year is basically the team that Brazil will send to the Olympics. This is their training.
Plus, on the realistic side of things, the federation wants to make money. There's no way you're going to draw almost 40,000 at the Orange Bowl despite local television broadcasting the game if you're showcasing US vs. Canada. Let's face it, the majority of soccer fans in America are not American, or at least hold their heritage very highly. A team like Brazil brings thousands of fans, not to mention draws the Americans and other casual fans who want to see the world's best. If you have a tournament with a bunch of losers, you're going to draw far far fewer fans than this year's tournament has and will draw. A tourny like Euro 2004 doesn't have to worry about that, because of the quality of the entrants and the relative nearness of the entrants. When you've got a federation made up of around twenty countries total, only three of which aren't seperated by water, fans are a bit of a problem.
Especially when it's North America and Football isn't the top sport in North America.
Couldn't bear to let this drop off the first page...
Convey signs with Tottenham. Great move. Convey has become a great compliment to Eddie Lewis already, and is young enough that this can really help him. Probably the best choice of National Team MLS players to go overseas.
U-17 Championships started; US plays tomorrow. New house has satellite which has Galavision on it, so I can finally watch some soccer. Very much looking forward to seeing Adu in motion. Not sure how much success US will have, seeing as Korea took it to us 3-0 a few months ago.
You have obviously no idea who Tottenham are, do you.
The poor little bugger will probably injure himself in a freak training accident with Darren Anderton, causing him to break his leg. In a moment of Tottenham physio genius he will be told to run it off.
....yes, the tottenham team are probably the most injury prone about, on account of them hiring their physios from Burger King. And yes, they did actually tell a player to run a broken leg off.
Last edited by Triple-X; August 13th, 2003 at 6:24 PM.
I think Convey to Tottenham is a good move as well. I brought this up in the English Football thread but the discussion did not go far before they all start arguing over who has the best team and all that for the upteenth time.
Would I be right in thinking Convey's an attacker? If so, I think that Spurs isn't the right club for him. They've got Keane, Kanoute, Postiga and Zamora, so Convey would very rarely get a chance in the first team.
Plus, well, you know... it's Tottenham
He is a creative midfielder. He does not score a lot of goals. He helps create chances. I do not expect him to be a starter right off the bat but maybe down the line though. He has played in almost every national team game this year and he starts for the team he is leaving in MLS.
Ah right then. Just the fact that he was the youngest ever MLS scorer made me assume he was a striker. I suppose that with Poyet out for Spurs there is a much greater chance of him getting a game or two and hopefully impressing. Hey, he could even save Hoddle's job.
P.S. I got in the main event!
Main event? What's up with that? Just kidding. Way to go.
Sorry for any confusion on his position. He was in his second season before he scored that goal by the way. He has played for MLS for 4 years since he was 16. He only has like 7 or 8 goals.
I hope he gets some action. They were impressed with him after playing some matches against his MLS team this spring so maybe they are looking to put him some and see how he does.
Adu had a hat trick yesterday for the U-17 team in the U-17 World Championships.
MTR, any idea o who Kenny Cooper Jr. is, what type of striker he is etc.
I don't think I have heard that name. Let me look around and get back to you on that.
OMG Adu.
First goal was everything you expect from the hype. Splits three defensemen, gets the keeper to come out, easily dodges the keeper and just slots it in net.
Second half he was marked close and hard and it looked like it frustrated him to no end.
Lots of good looking kids on that team, but Adu? 14?
I found this article on Cooper from a Dallas paper. But all I can tell you.
Boys soccer player of the year
04/13/2003
By TODD BOYD / The Dallas Morning News
Kenny Cooper, Jesuit
Senior, Forward
Kicking out of the shadow cast by his father has never been a problem for Jesuit's Kenny Cooper.
Sometimes, when Ken Cooper Jr. meets people, they ask if he is kin to the Ken Cooper who played goalie for the Dallas Tornado and coached the Baltimore Blast.
"I love it," Cooper said. "It is great that people recognize the name."
The next obvious question is why the younger Cooper doesn't play the position at which his father excelled?
"I never wanted to be a goalkeeper," Cooper said. "It is much more fun scoring goals than trying to stop them."
The SMU signee finished his high school career with 13 goals for Jesuit (13-0-2). He scored goals in victories over the area's best teams: Lake Highlands, Coppell, Duncanville and Richardson Pearce.
After a trip to England two years ago, Cooper was offered three academy contracts.
"I thought it best to come back and get my high school degree," Cooper said. "Going to SMU and playing will be even better. I have no regrets."
Notable: Finished with 13 goals in 15 games. Signed with SMU.
If you could be anyone for one day, who would it be? "Ken Cooper Sr. He is a great person and a great father and has all the values I strive to have."
Well United have offered him a contract. It's United or go to college.
Interesting. Seems like he wants to head to SMU accorrding to the article I found but really when it comes down to it I think especially in soccer it is better take a pro contract and skip college. The NCAA level of play is not that great really.
Looks like Reyna will be signing with Fulman and get back into the Premiership.
Looks like Adu may be pro soon.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlin...274617&cc=5901
Well I am sitting here watching the WUSA Founders Cup III. I am enjoying the game a lot. It is 1-1 at half. Granted I think the PK in stoppage time was a bad call but what can you do.
Washington Freedom vs. Atlanta Beat. Neither team has won the Founders Cup. Both have lost it and now one will win it.
Some US National Team members are on the field today and have missed camp heading towards the women's world cup. Hamm being the most noticable one.
I am going with Washington today though. I want to see Hamm win a Founders Cup.
One hell of a game. OT win for the Freedom on the golden goal early right after the red card.
Damn that was a great game.
I hope the american networks show the champions league....
Because Newcastle United are out in the qualifying stage they're subbish ahahah. Tune in and see, what fox sports or something. Its great. Laugh with me.
Do you have to gay up my thread?
I think you can catch games if you have satelite or digital cable.
Theres a pretty interesting article in this months World Soccer about the MLS.
The young American lad failed to secure the work permit necessary to sign for Tottenham.
Claudio Reyna has signed for Manchester City.
That sucks Convey could not get a permit to work.
Nice to see Reyna back in the Premiership after his other team was knocked down to division 1.
The fact they you consider laughing at a main rival team losing to an eastern european pub side and losing out on 20 million pounds something unfunny and gaying up the thread. Just shows the lack of passion that americans have in football, which is why you suck at it. I only asked if you people got the champions league, I recommended watching the newcastle match on whateevr network shows it over there becuase the American fans might enjoy it, I won't bother next time.
Well if you knew shit about me you know that I am very passionate about soccer. Most people around here know that. You are a complete fool yet think you are fucking god of football knowledge. This thread is not about English football. You know where that thread is. This is about American football and really your post did not add a damn thing to that discussion. So I made a smart ass remark about it and answered your question at the same time.
Ok right, I go over to America and I realise that everyone hates soccer, and I think to myself why, I can't understand why people could hate such a great game. Then I finally meet people who know about it and I ask if they know how John Spencer is doing in the MLS. "Yeah man he's setting the league alight".I looked up his stats there and that looks pretty accurate. "Perhaps the greatest Discovery Player to ever join the league," Ok, John Spencer was always a good nippy wee player but if he can make such an impact it must be a pretty shitty league. He couldn't even do that in his last stab at the SPL with Motherwell.
The US women start defense of their world title tomorrow while the Women's World Cup opens up today.
The US is in a group of death having the 5th ranked and 7th ranked teams with them in their group. Should be fun to watch.
I wouldn't have thought they get much exposure to top class football over there. The way some of them talk, it seems the majority of what they get to see is MLS, amateur teams and little kids playing kick and run in the park. None of which are particularly high in quality or entertainment.
Well we don't get to watch much top notch games unless you have satellite or something. I have seen some great games from champions league and what not on a rare occasion on cable.
MLS is not the same quality but I have seen some good games there but I have seen some awful games that I have turned off as well. I love it when the World Cup comes around so I can see some good international games because well not all the friendlies we play are good games since the US sometimes plays shit teams.
Anyone got any links to Freddy Adu videos? My mate wants to see his stuff
Do a search and see what you can find or see if Dan knows any links.
http://www.sportsline.com/soccer/story/6792763
Basically FIFA wants to do a World Club Championship. They did one in 2000 and want to do it again and do it every 2 years. European clubs are against it.
But this could be something good for the US especially if MLS is involved and has a good showing.
WTF! US turned down an invitation to play in Copa American next year. Dumb move in my view. If they want to improve even more then they need to play top teams internationaly and well the South American teams are top teams for the most part.
Don't they play pretty weakened sides for this sorts of things or am I thinking of something else?
The copa America is the South American equivilant of the European Championship so it is not really weakened sides. IMO the USA should have accepted the invitation to play in it but I am sure whoever made the decision has a good reason.
As far as I know they don't play weakened sides for Copa America. The US has played in the tournament before I think. I am sure there was a reason but I still think it was a dumb move. We don't have WC qualifying until next June beacuse we don't have to play earlier rounds and I am sure that MLS could spare their players for a tournament like Copa America.
Now Brazil and Columbia or whoever we invite to the Gold Cup tends to send their U-23 or whatever teams to play us.
Playoff time in MLS. They changed formats yet again this year.
This time the first round is a home and home series with most goals scored wins and moves on to the next round. Most leagues that do this have a rule most goals scored away win if there is a tie. Well not in MLS because heaven forbid they do anything like the rest of the world.Instead the second game goes into OT and then PKs if needed. Higher seeded team gets to play the second game at home giving them advantage if it goes to OT or even PKs.
The conference finals are just one game winner take all. And the MLS Cup is one game winner take all.
I have never undertood MLS and their playoffs. For a while it was best out of three every round except the MLS Cup which was just one game. Then they did this thing that the first time to five points won the round except for the MLS Cup.
Now they are doing something somewhat like other leagues do around the world only to not share the same tie breaker. Granted I have always hated that tie breaker. Personally I think that if it is tied after two games then a third game on neutral territory should be played.
And I have always hated just having the MLS Cup for the final. If you are going to play multiple games in the other rounds then play a home and home in that as well or something like that. Granted that comes from the American in me that is used to seeing finals of any sport be a best of 7 series for the most part except in on the college level.
Anyway the Galaxy had a terrible regular season after winning their first MLS Cup and barely made the playoffs but they hope to repeat so we will see. Personally I want to see San Jose and Donovan win.
Ok, I have a question, why are The US ranked 12th in the world? I know that they are getting better and better and soon enough with Adu etc. coming through I think they could be up there with the big 5 from Europe and Argentina and Brazil. In a few years time. But where have I been these last few years, I havent really noticed the US do particuarly well, the World Cup last year for example. So why are they ranked 12th in the world?
Costa Rica are 19th as well, I dont know what thats about, but I spose thats for another time....
We were as high as 8 after the World Cup. But we have not played many friendlies and we did not do hot in the Federations Cup and lost the Gold Cup. I think top was too high but 12 is not bad we have done well the last few years.
Yes, but are you better than Cameroon, Denmark, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Ireland, Slovenia and Belgium, who are all ranke below you?
Then again, we ARE ranked 6th.... That doesnt really make sense either.
Adu has said he wants to go to United... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ll/3237303.stm
Well remember the FIFA rankings are based on a formula so you can easily argue some teams are better than others but the rankings do not reflect that. But also keep in mind part of the rankings is based on the last 2 or 3 World Cup performances on top of international tournament and friendlies and such. The US has gotten way better and have been some top teams and gone toe to toe with others and just came out on the losing in by a goal.
Well he is probably going to end up spending time in MLS though but I would love to see him head over to the Premiership.
Ahhhhhh yes... fair enough.
I think he will go to Real or Utd, seeing as he probably has the choice of going to any club in the world, and those two are the biggest, so that makes sense. Then again, we do have the cash to attract him..... But I dont see him coming to us.....
Eat it, you limey bastards.
*buys six years worth of Metrostars vs. United tickets*
He won't stay for six years. MLS will loan him out at some point. But I could be wrong.
Smart move to tie him up 6 years because there is no way Europe's elite will wait for him to turn 20 and be a free agent before signing him.
By the time he's 17/18, there is going to be one hell of a bidding war for him. The MLS are going to make some serious money out of him seeing as Chelsea & Real Madrid are supposed to be prepared to pay upwards of £35m for Wayne Rooney, the nearest thing we've got to Adu in England.
That's maybe a good comparison, though.
The kid's 14. He's good, but he's not that good. Not yet, anyway.
Rooney came in on a great fanfare. As did Owen a few years ago. At the moment, Owen is certainly no better than the third best striker in the league. Rooney's scored about twice this season.
Liverpool are mid-table, and Everton are hovering above the relegation zone.
The point here, I suppose, is just not to count your chickens.
I will pay close attention to MLS come April though, I'll give you that.
I've seen some of the kid playing, and he's damn good.
I didn't believe all the hype about Adu either until the USA U-17s played a warm-up game against a young Blackburn team up at our training ground in the summer. He managed to single-handedly destroy our lads (amongst the best in the country), who won their league last season.
http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/Natio...802165608/view
Can see him fetching the MLS about $60m in a couple of years.
...oh, and Cristiano Ronaldo....
Well, next year, we'll see. The point for discussion is not whether or not he's better than Blackburn players of the same age, of course he is, it's whether he's going to get better, and whether he's ready to play at the top level.
He's 14, they were 17/18
Scary stuff. Although Americans can't review football
Adu signs for DC united, I'd post the link but you have to fill in a form thing before you get to the aricle.
washingtonpost.com
Teenage phenom Freddy Adu of Potomac stunned the world soccer establishment yesterday by spurning more lucrative offers from established European professional teams to sign a six-year deal with Major League Soccer and stay home to play for D.C. United.
Many soccer observers expected Adu, 14, and his family to ignore the overtures of the eight-year-old U.S. league and sign with one of two aggressive English Premier League suitors: Manchester United or Chelsea. Instead, Adu, whose family moved to Maryland from Ghana after winning an immigration lottery in 1997, joins a league still striving for mainstream popularity in this country.
"This is a great day not just for MLS, but for soccer in America," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. "We have arguably one of the top young players in the world making a statement that he is making a commitment to help grow the sport in this country."
Adu becomes the latest sports phenom to play in the Washington area. Two years ago the Washington Wizards drafted high school player Kwame Brown with the No. 1 overall pick and teammed him with legend Michael Jordan. The Washington Freedom signed soccer standout Mia Hamm and the Washington Capitals brought in star forward Jagomir Jagr. But Brown has been a disappointment and Hamm has produced the only league championship in the group -- and her league folded soon thereafter.
Professional teams increasingly seek younger and younger players and sign them more on potential than established success. The most prominent example at the moment is NBA rookie LeBron James, who was drafted No. 1 out of high school by the Cleveland Cavaliers this spring and plays at MCI Center tonight against the Wizards.
Despite Adu lacking a professional resume, the pursuit of the teenager was a half-year saga in which clubs from around the world sought him. By age 11, Adu had received an offer from Italian club Inter Milan and he already has drawn comparisons to Pele and attracted large crowds while representing the Unites States at youth events in South Korea, Finland and Guatemala. Adu, who skipped a grade in middle school and is on an accelerated academic program, is expected to join D.C. United fulltime after he graduates from high school in May. He trains and resides in Bradenton, Fla., with the U.S. under-17 national team.
Adu, traveling to New York for a news conference to announce the signing today, was unavailable for comment. Sources close to him said he and his family chose MLS because he can play in top-flight games near his home right away while promoting the sport in this country and being accessible to the U.S. national team.
DC United is hoping the acquisition of Adu will help rejuvenate a club that won three league championships in its first four seasons but missed the playoffs the next three years and barely snuck in this year. United has averaged about 17,000 spectators per game over its eight-year history playing at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, but attendance has gradually slipped in recent seasons.
"Everybody is intrigued by him, from all of our fans to people who don't necessarily follow the league or soccer," said Kevin Payne, who oversees United's operations on behalf of Los Angeles-based Anschutz Entertainment Group. "The talent is unmistakable. It's not just his skills with the ball, but his feel for the game. But now he will be playing against men -- men playing for their livelihood. It's a big, big jump."
The arrival of a teenage prodigy is nothing new for United, which has been stockpiling underage talent for several years. But the acquisition of those young players did not attract nearly as much widespread attention, or bring about the profound expectations, as the signing of Adu.
Midfielder Bobby Convey and forward Santino Quaranta signed with MLS when they were 16; Convey has been in the league for four years, Quaranta for three. The team also drafted 17-year-old midfielder Justin Mapp in early 2002, but traded him to Chicago last winter.
"Obviously it's going to present some interesting challenges," Payne said of the Adu signing. "There's enormous attention on him and we want to manage this in the right way. We understand he's a young man and we still want him to be a 14-year-old kid."
Adu is one of the youngest athletes in American history to sign a professional contract to play a team sport, and could become the youngest athlete to play a professional team sport in over 100 years. He turns 15 on June 2 -- the MLS season begins in April -- while pitcher Fred Chapman made his major-league debut in 1887 at age 14 years, seven months and 29 days.
Soccer has traditionally been a tough sell in the United States, despite its global appeal, and Adu is considered to have the talent and engaging personality needed to break barriers in much the same way Tiger Woods elevated the game of golf. He has already scheduled his first solo national television appearance: a guest spot on "The Late Show With David Letterman" tonight.
Adu is considered very marketable, to both the league and advertisers, and, by playing in the United States, Adu is also in a better position to play and train with the U.S. national team, which is hoping to galvanize support after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
Sources said the framework of Adu's contract with MLS was solidified Monday night and the final details were hashed out yesterday morning. Adu nearly agreed to terms with Manchester United last month, sources said, but a planned visit to England was put off at the last minute due to a major shakeup in the management of Manchester United and Chelsea. Adu's agents also negotiated with teams from Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, according to sources.
Adu, who signed a $1 million deal with Nike this year, will now get to live and train at home, will be a symbol for his league and has the opportunity to begin playing in top flight games much sooner here than he would abroad. Adu might have run into difficulty playing for a European team before his 18th birthday anyway, given rules prohibiting non-European based youngsters from playing for foreign teams without a European passport.
Adu has spent considerable time away from home the last two years, traveling the world to play games, and his mother, Emelia, has stressed the importance of family and education throughout this process. His younger brother, Fro, attends Georgetown Prep and the family shares a close bond.
"I think the family feels very comfortable with us as an organization and as individuals," said MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis, who spearheaded the talks for the league. "We were not pressuring him or his family at any stage to do anything they were uncomfortable with. I think a lot of people have been in their face trying to throw money at them or make something happen when the timing wasn't right. We've been very respectful of the family and their desires."
Financial terms of the contract were not available -- it is believed to be worth several hundred thousand dollars a season -- and there remains a strong possibility that Adu would be traded to a European team; MLS would benefit handsomely from its percentage of the transfer fee should that occur.
Many within U.S. Soccer believe Adu will be on the team that represents the United States in the 2006 World Cup, assuming the Americans qualify, and the possibility remains that he could participate in the Olympics next summer as well. Adu became an American citizen earlier this year and is the youngest person to represent the U.S. in international soccer.
Adu has practiced with D.C. United numerous times over the last few years and is well acquainted with the players and coaching staff. He has performed well in practices and scrimmages with the club, and Coach Ray Hudson said over the summer that he believed Adu had already developed enough to play in MLS.
"I have no doubt he would fit into any MLS team in any MLS game on any given Saturday," Hudson said in July. "He would fit in like a hand in a glove and not let you down."
That's what MLS hopes as well.
"To all those people who underestimate Major League Soccer and underestimate the soccer movement in the United States and the value of that movement," Garber said, "this proves we are serious about this sport and we are serious about growing our league on the world stage as well as on the domestic sports scene ...
"Soccer in America has such enormous potential. Even though we, like all league, have our challenges, we have been making a lot of progress, and we're looking forward to Freddy being a part of our future growth."
Staff writer Steven Goff contributed to this report.
That's the way to be up to date...
PS: LanDo scores two in MLS Championship game, solidifying his role as America's premiere player. Not that there was ever any doubt.
First man to score more than one goal in the MLS Cup as well.
And this time he was allowed to drink after the win unlike a couple years ago.
Well first off we have it pretty easy qualifying-wise for the WC as I have stated in other threads and too lazy to cut and paste it all.
Next is this:
Blackburn is interested in McBride from the US. Cool. I always like to hear about Americans headed that way. Here is the article:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlin...285294&cc=5901
The Glasgow Rangers appearently decided not to offer Mathis another American a contract. His MLS contract expired and he was working out with them. He also worked out with Leicester before heading over to Scotland.
I am reminded of a little ditty...
You are my Landon
My only Landon
You make me happy, when skies are gray.
We have Clint Mathis
But he's an asshole
Please don't take my Landon away
In other words, fuck Mathis. I hope the MLS doesn't resign him, let alone someone in Europe. Whereas McBride is the fucking man, and could get on with anyone, especially after he came into Everton last year and started busting heads.
Blackburn have on our books a 16-year old American striker called Will Johnson. He came over from Chicago this summer and has been banging in goals this season for our youth team.
Scores a variety of goals but is most noted for being a poacher. Pops up in the box to tuck things away but has scored a few belters from distance too apparently. Very much in the Robbie Fowler/Andy Cole mould.
One to watch.
I had a stattracker on for the US U-20 team playing in the quarters of the World Championship against defending champ Argentina. US was up 1-0 in the 60th minute on a Convey goal. Adu got the assist. But in stoppage time the defending champs scored a goal to tie it and force over time where they scored a golden goal about 10 mintues in. From the sounds of the play by play the US was more or less dominated but still managed to get that early lead and almost win. Not a bad showing at the world championships. I think 6 of the players are from MLS including Convey and of course Adu will be in MLS next season.
DeMarcus Beasley, is he any good? and yeah that Will Johnson guy sounded good, while I was manager of Blackburn on CM4 I noticed him... they seem to rate him highly anyway.
Beasley has bag fulls of raw talent and is lightning quick. I'd compare him to a young Andrei Kanchelskis.
Been linked with a few English clubs but I'd say he's better developing in MLS before moving.
Beasley is good and will only get better. He has been with the national team for a while now.
Skysports.com can exclusively reveal that Fulham have sealed a deal for American defender Carlos Bocanegra.
The Chicago Fire stopper has been looking for a club in England for the past few months and now a move to Fulham has been agreed.
The MLS Defender of the Year has had his work permit granted by The Home Office and he is now free to finalise his move to Loftus Road.
"The player has been granted a permit to play in England for Fulham," a Home Office spokesman told skysports.com.
The Whites have agreed a deal for the defender, who had also been linked with Leeds United, after his contract expired with Major League Soccer in America.
Fulham manager Chris Coleman has already brought Bobby Petta to the club during the transfer window and now he has bolstered his defensive options with the arrival of the 24-year-old US international.
Bocanegra did not automatically meet the criteria laid down by The Home Office, but a players' panel gave the move the green-light after concluding he was of sufficient calibre to play in England.
He any good?
Hmmm...I would say he is probably not too shabby if he was defender of the year.
I saw that Mathis signed with a team in Germany finally.
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