Return to Sender

According to Aris Salonika's press secretary Freddy Adu will not be a part of Cuper's next season's team. Adu who had a loan deal until the end of next season, failed to impress Hector Cuper, despite some more regular playing time at the end of the season.

According to information that was given to me, the USMNT scouts traveled to Greece to observe both Adu and Eddie Johnson, but were unimpressed by Adu's progress, as opposed to Johnson's who earned a call up to the WC. Cuper has expressed Adu's lack of intensity in training and tactical understanding as one of Adu's downfalls.
Adu who made a name for himself at youth levels because of his raw talent, has now hit a major roadblock as he failed to step up to the next level in his maturity as a professional.

So what's next?

He could come back to Portugal and go on another loan deal(where he has failed before), or he can very well go back to his roots in the MLS, where he will most likely be used as an "attraction" for a league who needs to take advantage of the WC fever to bring more fans to the stadiums.

Nonetheless this will prove to be another headache for Rui Costa who will have to deal with another issue

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Freddy Adu on loan to Beleneses.

As twitted earlier, Freddy Adu is on the way to Belenenses on a 1 year loan deal.
For those of you that don't know Belenenses all that well, Belenenses is the less known Lisbon team.
They are currently 7th with a win, a tie and a loss. Last year they finished in the relegation zone, but because of Estrela da Amadora's financial problems, which caused them to be relegated to Portugal's third flight, Belenenses remained in the Liga Sagres.

With Benfica not being able to find a team that would pick up Freddy's high wages, the team opted to leave Freddy close to home to follow his development, rather thean sending him somewhere else, for another period of adaptation. Staying at Belenenses, will not only give a chance for Freddy to adapt to the Portuguese league, but it'll also provide him with a chnace to play more, how much he plays it's really up to him, as he can definitely be an important player for this team.

Belenenses is a fairly young team with an age average of 22. There are a lot of young players with considerable talent but they lack maturity to fight a place in Europe, but with the right coach, it's very possible that they have a good campaign and do better that the 15th place of last year. Benfica's budding young midfielder, Fellipe Bastos is also on loan at Belenenses, and looks to become a fixture in the team from Belem.

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Freddy Adu Returns

After landing in Lisbon this morning, Freddy Adu met with Benfica and Rui Costa to learn his fate. Little is known about what was discussed, but Freddy Tweeted:"training with Benfica tomorrow.I'm excited and can't wait wait to start training. I'm not 100% if I'm staying or not. I want to but u never know".

I would be surprised if we see Freddy training with the main squad tomorrow, as JJ has not shown any interest in Freddy.
There are a lot of fans that would like to see Freddy stay, myself included, but the truth is that right now the squad is busting at the seams with players.


There are currently 6 forwards on the squad, and none of them on the verge of being on the transferable list.
In reality Freddy has very little room in this squad, the only way i can see him staying is if JJ pegs him as a role player, but without seeing him, and with the 6 forwards already in the squad i highly doubt Freddy will even be considered for a role, as little as it may be.

Add to the fact that Benfica will only be able to register 25 players with UEFA for the Europa League, 8 of which must have either:
a)have come up through the Benfica's youth system,
b)Been with Benfica for three years before their 22nd birthday
c)both of the above both with another club in Portugal

And you can see how limited the chances are for Freddy.

From Freddy's Tweet(filled with excitement), it's easy to assume that he will be training with the main squad. What many don't know is that behind the scenes, there is a group players that are also training, but away from the team. Makukula, Marc Zoro, Binya, Jorge Ribeiro, Balboa and Luís Filipe, among others, have all been working out at the Caixa Futebol Campus. All of these players are on the transfer list and continue to work out away from the team while waiting for placement. This is perhaps where Freddy is going to end up despite his excitement.

Despite secretly hoping that Freddy makes the squad, realistically the space is very limited, and i am more inclined to think that Freddy's future will go through another loan deal with an acquisition clause at the end of that deal. He will most likely end up in the Eredivisie, where a lot of US players have had success.
His salary is considerable for another Liga Sagres team to take on, and Benfica will be looking to get away from paying his wages by loaning him out to a team who will be able to afford Freddy's wages.

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New Loan Deal For Adu?

Today's "A Bola" reports that Adu might me going on another loan deal in order to gain experience.
According to "A Bola", Rui Costa wants the 20 year old to gain more experience.
Adu spent last season at Monaco where he could not make an impression on Ricardo Gomes. 89 minutes of playing time, all of them off the bench, and none of them this year(2009), can't possibly be looked at as a successful loan spell, from anyone's prespective.

If his loan deal to Monaco was done with the intentions of giving the youngster more playing time, then Benfica must feel the only thing they accomplished was not having Freddy on their books for a year.
Certainly not what Benfica expected from Freddy, but how much has Freddy matured from his spell in France?
I'm sure Rui Costa has gotten reports from former Benfica captain Ricardo Gomes, but are those positive enough to have Freddy report to pre-season camp?
I'm sure that the new coach will like to get a good look at Freddy and see if he can fit anywhere in his plans for this team, but that is as uncertain, as the new coach himself.

Then there's the timing factor, with the US participating in the Confederations Cup to at least the 21st of June(if they fail to make it into the second round), Freddy will most likely miss the beginning of training camp, which is scheduled for the 29th of this month, as Benfica will grant him anywhere from 10 days to 2 weeks off after the Confederations Cup is finished.
I believe missing the first two weeks of training camp is a crucial factor, and will put Freddy at an disadvantage to make an impression, and ultimately the team.

There's a few possibilities....

Freddy may very well go through another loan spell, and i wouldn't rule out a return to the MLS until the end of the season, as long as MLS is willing to pick up his salary.(MLS opens up their registration window July 15th through 8/14)

There's also the possibility of Freddy being used as a bargaining chip in a possible acquisition of a player from the domestic or international markets, I don't think Benfica would sell Freddy, but they could very well include him in a deal and pay for part or all of his wages. If he stays in Portugal, he will most likely not have and option clause at the end of the season, if he goes anywhere else he might have a similar clause he had this year at Monaco, 5 million.

Despite the reports, I think it's a bit too early to speculate on another loan deal, but it's certainly something that can become a reality. You also have to consider Freddy's handlers, I am sure they are just waiting to hear from Rui Costa as to what intentions Benfica has for Freddy.
Don't be surprised if they start knocking on doors looking to change Freddy's situation. Despite what Freddy may say, and the humble attitude he demonstrates, he can't honestly be happy being bounced around, especially when you are not getting playing time. At 20, you just want to play, being involved in bureaucracies is the last thing you want to be in.

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ça va Adu?

After going on loan from Benfica to AS Monaco, Freddy Adu is finding it hard to get the playing time he wasn't getting at Benfica. It's been 3 months, and Freddy has logged in only 144 minutes. 69 minutes in Ligue 1, all off the bench, and 69 minutes in the League Cup, those coming as a starter.
It's hard to even think Freddy would be getting anymore playing time at Benfica this season. With the front line being over crowded as it is, going on loan to AS Monaco, was probably the wisest move, not only from Freddy's point of view(he probably didn't have a choice) but also from Benfica, who bet on this time as being a maturing time for Adu.

Espn's Soccernet has a nice interview with Freddy Adu, where he talks about his first 3 months.

Here are some of the quotes that i found interesting:

I am happy with my progress, I don't play a lot and I regret it but I can feel that I have progressed. I am training better, I have built better habits on and off the field,

"Better habits on and off the field" - There was some talk of Freddy being out late, and that being seen as one of the reason's why he fell out of favor with Chalana, by stating that he has developed better off the field habits, Freddy is perhaps confirming these rumors?

I am lucky to be in a group in which many players speak English, so the language barrier is very small compared to Benfica. There the culture shock was very hard, in the beginning especially. And then I started to learn Portuguese and things became better. But here in Monaco, I am doing just fine.

Guess what language Freddy speaks with Ricardo the coach? - Portuguese.

Last season at Benfica, you were playing superbly at the beginning of the season before suffering a loss of form. What happened?
I went through a season with three different coaches, it is not easy. I was playing very well at the start then I went away with the national team for a World Cup qualifier. When I came back, Jose Camacho was not there anymore and I wasn't in the new coach's plans. I basically didn't play after that.

Your dream as a footballer, what is it?
My dream is to play for one of the top European clubs, the top five. Tottenham are also one of my dreams, since I supported them as a boy. My objective is the Premier League which is for me the best league in the world.

The proverbial opening the door.

So far it's been tough going for Adu in France. Monaco is in 10th place and Adu should at least be logging in more minutes for a team in the middle of the table. It's too early to tell whether Monaco will exercise the option over Freddy, or if Benfica will bring him back. I'd like to think he will be back, i miss seeing him in our colors, but i much rather know that he is developing and maturing and getting some playing time.. Coming off the bench is a start, there are 7 other players that sit on the bench, only 3 get the chance to go in, being in that group is already a good thing.

Click to enlarge

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Adu to AS Monaco

Benfica has just confirmed on their website that Freddy Adu will be going on loan to AS Monaco. At the end of his loan period, Monaco will have the option to buy Freddy, for an undisclosed amount.

If you read this blog on a reg, you know how much i am against this move. I strongly believe Freddy has a spot in Quique's squad, and it's a shame that Benfica does not think so.
I much rather have liked seeing Adu playing for a middle of the table team in the Liga Sagres, to get experience, but we can't forget that this is Nike's American Soccer poster boy. What exposure would he have playing for a middle of the table team? Monaco finished 12th last year, but is a club with a decent European reputation.
In my opinion, the French Ligue 1 is a little below the Portuguese Liga Sagres, but the exposure for Freddy will be there in the form of playing time, despite Monaco not competing in any European competitions this year.
The other thing i have written about, was the fact that Monaco would be able to handle Freddy's wages, something that a team in the Liga Sagres would not, hence lifting that obligation from Benfica, who at this point is still looking to acquire 2 more players. From what i understand Freddy was making around 500Gs a year, that payroll room will come in handy.

I have to say it's a sad day for me to see Freddy go this way, his brief stint at Benfica, and his sudden disappearance from the call up sheet, continues to be a big mystery to many, myself included. As a Portuguese living in the US, having Freddy at Benfica brought on a sense of pride, and i was pulling very hard for Freddy to be successful, just like many other Benfiquistas living in the US.

From this point on there's no turning back, I don't know exactly what the value of the buy out will be, but if a club puts a player out there with those conditions, the message that the club sends is very clear - We don't need you, go out there and whore yourself out, so that you can make us some money.
It's as clear as day, and regardless on whether Monaco will exercise their buyout option come next June, how many players have returned from such a period and the club took them back with open arms?
Diego Souza is the most recent example, he was one of the best players of the Brasileirao, Gremio could not come up with the money at the end of the option period, yet, Benfica kept him on the hook, until they got the money they wanted.

To conclude, I wish nothing but the best to Freddy, and hope he can continue to mature and grow as a player, so that he can achieve his potential and meets a lot of what's expected from him.
I have very little hope that we can see Freddy in a Benfica jersey again.

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At Last.... Aimar

#PHOTOs -Francisco Leong AFP/Getty

Benfica officially introduced Pablo Aimar today.

According to the values reported to the CMVM (Portuguese Stock Exchange Authority) Aimar cost Benfica 6.5million euros and has signed a contract valid for 4 years with a rescission clause of 20 million.

Also involved in the deal was Fabio Coentrao, who didn’t even have time to smell the tulips.
As you may recall, Benfica had sent Coentrao to Feyenoord on loan for this upcoming season just a few days ago, but the young winger got a different set of orders last night, as he was about to sign the loan contract with Feyenoord.
There’s no word yet, on whether he will be going on loan to Zaragoza, or if he will be a Zaragoza player, but I have to believe he will be a Zaragoza player, being that the values first talked about for Aimar were in the high 7s. In the post right below this one, I alerted to the possibility that a player(s) might be thrown into the Aimar deal, to make the deal stronger, and I guess that is what happened.

After completing the customary, medical exams today(his second one this week) Aimar will join his new teammates on the practice field on Friday.

Pablo Aimar has the qualities to become the best Benfica acquisition (with the exception of Rui Costa) of the past 10 years. Let’s hope he can remain injury free and can be consistent. I wish him nothing but the best, Welcome.

I can't help but to give praise to Rui Costa, who, despite still being a rookie at his new functions, was instrumental in Aimar's signing. He will make mistakes, and he will learn from them, but one thing is for sure, Rui Costa wants the best for Benfica. In a list of the biggest Benfiquistas of all time, Rui Costa would figure in the top 10. Let's give him time, the benefit of the doubt and the same support we have given him over the years.

From the practice field…

Both Fellipe Bastos and Nelson, who had been absent from the practice field yesterday, returned today at full strength. Nelson complained of muscular pain in his thigh, while Fellipe Bastos stayed in the gym to nurse a sprained ankle. Most of the “internationals” should be reporting to camp as early as Friday, with the last arrival being Cardozo, who has been authorized by the club to report on Monday.

Returning should be, Luisao, Marc Zoro, Katsouranis, Petit, Nuno Gomes, Maxi(arrived in Lisbon today), Mantorras, Freddy Adu and Jorge Ribeiro, who will most likely be introduced as a Benfica player between today and Monday.

That is the list of returning players, the biggest question mark falls on Freddy Adu, who is part of the USMNT Olympic team, I haven’t seen an official training camp schedule issued by the USSF yet, but from what I understand, the team will be entering camp this coming week in California,(Stanford U), then flying out to Hong Kong on Friday(7/25) where they will play 2 tuners(Cameroon and Ivory Coast Olympic squads) before they open the tornament agains Japan August 7th.

Little is known as to where Freddy will end up this season, with the transfer window closing up on August 31st, Benfica will have plenty of time to make a decision based on their needs. As it stands right now, the front line is loaded, the middle of the park is loaded, but the left wing needs depth.

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Feeling Froggy

According to several media sources, a representative of AS Monaco, will be in Lisbon with the purpose of convincing Benfica to loan Freddy Adu. Not too long ago, Monaco's coach, Ricardo Gomes, publicly claimed that Adu was too expensive for the club, which leads me to conclude that the move would involve a loan period and not a sale.

I've written it here once before, and i'll write it again, if Benfica is to loan Adu, it'll be an incredible dumb move.
If in fact the whole purpose of Freddy going on loan is to give him an opportunity to play more, then why send him to another country, where he will have to go through the whole adaptation process again?

Logically, it makes no sense to me, but if you think dollars and cents, Monaco is very capable of paying Adu's wages for the year, and that would be the only way Benfica would let him go.
Loaning Adu to another Portuguese club, and have that club pay for his wages for the year, is something that would be very rare in Portugal, as most clubs, can not afford that type of an expense.
With Adu going on loan, and subsequently having his wages paid by another club, Benfica would free up some of their payroll.

We can't forget that, at this time it's all about Aimar, every effort is being made to bring the Argentine to Benfica.
We'll wait and see how the process plays out, but if you ask me, if in fact a Monaco representative is in Lisbon, conversations are already underway, and may very well reach a conclusion soon.

Word of advice to Benfica - see if you can include Marc Zoro in the deal, i heard he is one of Benfica's top earners, and he already speaks French.



"A Bola"(Portuguese)
"Tutto Mercato"(Italian)
"ASM Foot"(French)
L'Equipe

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It's Adu time

There's been a lot of talk about the future of Freddy Adu at Benfica. It seems that almost every week there are articles in the Portuguese media placing Adu out of Benfica. From England to Italy, and now France, Freddy has been one of the favorite targets of speculation by the Portuguese media, perhaps rationalizing that there will be no room for Freddy in Quique's squad, and ass-u-me that Benfica will ship out Freddy to a club where he can further mature. Both England and Italy's interests have "died" down, today it was Monaco's turn to publicly claim that Freddy Adu is too expensive, and does not figure in their plans.

Benfica's season will start on Tuesday with the customary medical exams, and there is no doubt in my mind that Freddy Adu will be there, as excited as he was last summer when he first started his Benfica adventure, but a lot more maturer and much more versed on what it is to be part of a professional soccer team.

With a year under his belt, Freddy has grown as a player and as an individual. Living away from his family for the first time, in a foreign country no less, was a coming of age for Freddy, a step towards adulthood. On the field, his growth was visible to the naked eye, and if there were any doubts about that growth, both Freddy and USMNT coach, Bob Bradley, have been public about his growth and maturity on the field. Freddy has been a permanent fixture on the USMNT, and has earned call up, after call up, regardless of whether he got much playing time during the second half of the season or not.

There are no sure things in life, and realistically, despite my own beliefs, it's too early to tell whether Freddy will make the squad or not. If you ask me, i won't hesitate in saying that he will, but I'm not Quique.
With a new coach, new methods and new style of playing, there are a lot of variables that are thrown into the equation. If the only prerequisite was talent, Freddy would be in.

From what i understand, the squad will not go over 25 players,(it might even be around the 23), but it won't be until the 3rd week of training camp, that the final squad will start to take shape. Which brings us to another issue, with both Freddy and DiMaria being part of their Olympic squads, which would see them out on international duty, as early as the end of that 3rd week(end of July), for a good 4 weeks(depending how deep their teams go), how will this affect Freddy's chances? After all, his exclusions from Benfica's game call up sheets, came after his Olympic Qualifying national team duty. Sure there are many theories out there on why Freddy was excluded from the game rosters, but it all tracks back to that month long absence.
No one on the outside really knows what happened, and with the exception of Chalana claiming that Adu was being left out because of a technical option, there's nothing concrete that explains his omission.
Putting aside the theory that, in his first year, Freddy had a contract stipulation that would see him getting a hefty bonus if he hit the 20 game mark(he played 19), Freddy has a lot to prove to Quique, as he was clearly not part of Chalana's plans in the second half of the season.

One thing is for sure, you can count on Freddy working as hard as he's ever worked, to impress Quique and to win a spot on the team. Behind him, are the novelties of playing for a big club and living in a different country. Proving his worth, on a fresh clean slate, is all that should be on Freddy's mind.

The final roster deadline is August 31st, plenty of time for Freddy to impress Quique, have a good Olympic tournament and make the team. Although the time in which Freddy will be absent is a time when Quique will be fine tuning the team, so a crucial time, whether that will hurt his chances or not, remains to be seen.

Personally, i think he will make the squad and double both his appearances and goal output this year. He is only 19, and Benfica would be the dumbest club in the world to let a talent like Adu go. As far as the loan option, i believe that Freddy is too hot of a commodity to go on loan, but i wouldn't rule out a domestic loan. I think an international loan would not make any sense, as Benfica would be putting a youngster through another adaptation period in another country, which would be detrimental to his development. International loans usually happen when a team is trying to market their player to potential buyers, and this is not where Benfica is with Freddy Adu.

Freddy has publicly stated that he intends to remain at Benfica and his agent has told media inquiries, that Freddy is happy at Benfica and wants to remain with the club.
Come Tuesday, you can bet your ass he will be ready to go, 1 year under his belt and adaptation behind him, it's Adu time!

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Quique is Watching

#Photo Credit (AP Photo/Juan Manuel Serrano)
From what i saw in the first half, i have to say that Freddy Adu had a very good outing, showing touches of class and intelligence. Does anyone doubt that Quique Flores was not watching this game?

In the meantime, in Thursday's(6/5/08) "A Bola" there is a a small article that claims that Benfica might be considering on loaning Adu to another team in the Bwin in order for Freddy to gain more experience, a move that, according to the article, Freddy is receptive to. Don't believe everything you read is what i say, and at this time of the off season, there's all kinds of stories going, anything to sell papers, even if that story happens to be in the more reputable of the 3 Portuguese Dailies.

Continue reading to read the full article(Portuguese only)


Freddy Adu pode 'rodar' noutro clube nacional
Empréstimo equacionado para dar mais rodagem europeia ao norte-americano de 19 anos Jogador estará disponível para esse cenário
Por

fernando urbano
FREDDY ADU é visto internamente como um jogador de potencial bastante assinalável, mas ainda com algumas limitações que não lhe permitem discutir a titularidade na equipa, principalmente na próxima época, para a qual se adivinha um significativo acréscimo de qualidade no plantel.

Posto isto, a SAD equaciona emprestar o norte-amerciano, de preferência a outro clube nacional, para que este ganhe mais bagagem competitiva. E como isso só se conquista com muitos minutos, os encarnados entendem que o melhor para o esquerdino de 19 anos (cumpridos na segunda-feira) é rodar noutras paragens, onde possa alinhar em quase todos os jogos.

A hipótese, apurou A BOLA, também agrada a Freddy Adu, que em múltiplas entrevistas tem afirmado o desejo de jogar mais. Não ficará, pois, incomodado, se mudar de posto na próxima época, até porque em termos contratuais nada mudará: o camisola 30 (que herdou de Fabrizio Miccoli) continuará vinculado ao clube, na expectativa de vir a ser um valor acrescido a médio prazo.

1,5 milhões de expectativas

Freddy Adu foi contratado na época passada à Major League Soccer (a federação de futebol norte-americana é quem negoceia contratos dos clubes agregados) por 1,5 milhões de euros, tendo assinado um contrato válido até 2012. Considerado um dos melhores jogadores do Mundial sub-20, organizado no Canadá, em 2007, na Luz o esquerdino somou 486 minutos em 21 jogos (média de 23 minutos por jogo) e marcou cinco golos. Apesar da sua condição de suplente, Freddy Adu é um dos jogadores mais acarinhados pelos adeptos.

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Adu returns...

Benfica won today's exhibition match against a select team from Cape Verde.
the 2-0 score line was obtained by Adu(5m) and Mantorras(90m)

Here's the starting 11 chosen by Chalana:

Moreira in goal; Maxi Pereira, Binya, Edcarlos and Léo were the back four; Felipe Bastos, Nuno Assis, Freddy Adu, and Rodriguez formed the midfield diamond. Di María and Cardozo teamed up the front line.

Also getting some playing time were:

Yu Dabao for Cardozo at the 64m
Pedro Correia for Adu at the 74m
Mantorras for DiMaria at the 90m



You don't have to be Carnac the Magnificent to guess what is probably going through Adu's mind.


-END-

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Chalana adresses Adu's absence

Chalana adressed Freddy Adu's absence for the first time since Freddy returned to Portugal, from qualifying the U.S. for this summer's Olympics.
Speaking to the media in the customary pre-game press conference, Chalana was questioned about the absence of Adu from the game roster for this weekend.

Here's the translated quote

Adu participated in a tournament and then was a few days without training, and when he arrived he wasn't in the right condition, and had to recuperate. Players that aren't part of the game roster, have to respect those decisions. It's part of soccer. To my knowledge, there aren't any players that sign a contract which stipulates that they will be starters or part of the game roster. I don't know anyone with such aggreement.

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Chalana finally breaks the silence in regards to Adu, the statement is somewhat vague, as it doesn't fully explain how a player of Adu's caliber is no longer an option. It's not like Freddy hasn't proved himself either, which makes Chalana's choice a bit of a head scratcher. Most fans have shown their indignation towards Freddy's absence, and there were a few speculations made by the fans to justify his sudden absence.

The first one, was that Adu had a clause in his contract which would see him getting a considerable bonus if he reached a certain pre-determined amount of minutes or goals. I don't think Freddy has played enough minutes to turn that speculation into a truth. He has scored 5 goals, but that seems like a very low number to even threaten any type of pre-established plateau.

The second one, was that Adu had gotten in trouble with the club, due to some off the field habits, namely late nights. Not too long ago, I read on a comment box for another blog, 2 different individual comments in which the authors claimed they had seen Freddy at a Lisbon club late at night, one at 1.30am and the other one at 3.30am. Both comments describe Adu sitting at a VIP table with drinks in front of him, in the aforementioned club. It was a Thursday night, Benfica had a game the following day, Freddy was not called for the game, so in essence Freddy had the next day off.
I'm not one to judge his behaviour, and i'm not really sure of the etiquete for a professional, not to mention my unfamiliarity with the club's policies, but i think an incident like this - assuming Freddy was in violation - would have been a good enough motive for disciplinary action by the club, not to mention the media would have been all over it.

The other possibility i had considered was the timing of Freddy's absence.

Let's look at the chronology:
3/2 - VS Sporting (Adu's last appearance on the game roster)
3/3 - Freddy leaves Benfica to join US training camp in Bradenton, FL.
3/6 - Loss to Getafe - Uefa Cup first leg
3/9 - Benfica ties last place Leiria
3/9 - Camacho leaves Benfica, citing that he can no longer motivate the players and that he can't understand why the players show such lack of motivation.
3/9 - Chalana is named interim coach until the end of the season.
3/12 - Benfica is elimnated out of the Uefa Cup by Getafe, following the 1-0 loss in the second leg.
3/16 - Tie vs Maritimo
3/17-3/30 - Benfica enjoyed a period of time off during this time period. A time in which Chalana completed his transition, perhaps a time for bonding between the players and the new coach.
3/27 - Freddy returns to Benfica, Freddy did not play in the final game of the Olympic qualifying tournament(3/23) as he was given extra days to spend with his family during the Easter period. Despite being authorized to be absent until friday 3/28, Freddy reports one day earlier. On the first couple of training sessions Freddy did specific work(fitness mainly), work intended to get him back into playing condition.
3/30 - Benfica beats P.Ferreira at home by the score of 4-1, in what was considered the start of Chalana's reign.

I think the time between 3/17 and 3/30 was a very crucial time for Chalana and the team. Camacho had publicly questioned the team's motivation upon his exit, and Chalana took advantage of the players bruised egos to bond with the team. On one of the first times he adressed the media as head coach, Chalana defended the team and told the media that the players are motivated and united, a statment that contradicted Camacho's exit words.
Those 2 weeks, were very important and seen as a right of passage for the team, with Freddy being out, it's very possible that when he came back, he was on the outside looking into this newly formed group, a group that was eliminated from the Uefa Cup but rebounded with a good performance vs P. Ferreira with a line up in which Chalana's "hand" was evident. The performance against P.Ferreira was a clear improvement from the Camacho era, and seen as a positive change by the fan base. Chalana has used the same nucleous since then, leaving out Freddy.

At this point that is the only logical explanation i can find, for Freddy's absence, i don't believe his work ethic has changed, on the contrary, i think he is working harder than ever. His situation is very common in soccer these days, some players just fall out of favor with certain coaches, for one reason or another.

With 3 games left, and a new coach on the horizon, there's a lot of hope for Freddy. We also can't discount that Freddy is only 18, and the first year in a new country is always chalked up as time taken to adapt.

Benfica made a serious investment in Adu and have big plans for him, i very much doubt he will go anywhere.

Freddy Adu has not put on a game jersey since 3/2, almost 2 months.

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Freddy Looking for a new agent

Freddy Adu is looking for a new agent. Up until this point, Freddy was represented by WMG who signed Freddy when he came into the MLS at age 14, but Freddy is looking to go in another direction by signing with another career management group, possibly IMG.

What could this mean for Benfica?
With new management, Freddy will delineate objectives he would like to achieve, and it'll be up to that firm to help him. If Freddy signs with IMG, you can bet that IMG will work very hard and aggressive to make a significant impression on their new client. Exiting Benfica at this point, might be something that Freddy has in mind, and it'll all depend on what he feels from Benfica.
Despite not playing much this season, only Benfica really knows what their intentions will be for Freddy. Benfica invested in the future when they acquired Freddy, and their future may very well have been planned with the intentions of Freddy being one of the main players on the team. The question really is, if this is the case, and if Freddy knows this, in which case the thought of leaving Benfica might be very remote. However, no one really knows what is going on with Freddy and Benfica. With this change, there is a risk of Freddy leaving, but that will all depend how the club has treated him on a personal and professional level.
His sudden disappearance from game rosters, is definitely something that has to be bothering Freddy. Whether his exclusions have been explained to him, and he accepts them, is another story altogether.
Many have already speculated that, like a few others before him, Benfica will "throw away" talent that will later blossom somewhere else.

Read the full article here
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Adu for Ronaldinho

In an effort to find a new number 10, Benfica and Barcelona have agreed to swap Freddy Adu for the out of favor Ronaldinho. As you may know, Ronaldinho is currently going through a very tough time in Barcelona, being excluded from first team practices, and having already hinted that he wouldn't be with the "blaugrana" next year.
With this move, Benfica would get a worthy substitute for Rui Costa and Barcelona would put together the most impressive future generation together, with the likes of Messi, Bojan, Giovanni and Freddy Adu.
Benfica will pay Barcelona 15mm for 75% of Ronaldinho's pass.

April Fools - it was good for a laugh, honestly I much rather have Freddy on our team, despite the little he has played.



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Freddy On Fire!!!

#Photo - Bill Waughn - AP

Freddy Adu was once again the focal point of US's success. Scoring two goals from set pieces and being a constant danger to the Canadian defense.
Throughout this tournament, Freddy has been the leader of this young U-23 team that will be in Beijing. He is currently THE player at the forefront of new emerging talent out of the US. Having scored in every game he has played so far, Freddy has dominated the opposition and has shown why Benfica spent 2mm on him this past summer.
He is a player that can not be discounted off the Benfica squad, and that will quickly find his way on to the starting 11, as early as next season. Freddy has made a tremendous leap in maturity level and also in his game mentality, a change that is being reaped first hand by the US national team.

click on the link below to read the live commentary of the US Game.


Live Commentary Courtesy of Nick Giffen in simulcast with Nicks' own blog soccerticker.blogspot.com

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Adu strikes again!

#Photo - Doug Benc - Getty Images

Freddy Adu score his second goal in as many games, this time to help the US get past Panama, by the score of 1-0.
Freddy scored from the spot in the 42 minute, after Altidore was taken down in the box.
Freddy was once again the most dangerous man in the US squad.

Click on the link below for a ticker of Freddy's performance, courtesy of one of our readers Nick Giffen



Freddy Adu Game ticker:

30 seconds in - Freddy sends in a good cross from the left side that just misses the head of a teammate, and Panama has to clear for a corner. Freddy makes his mark on the game early.


10 minutes - The USA has been unable to find Freddy's feet other than the early cross and one other time along the sideline.


20th minute - From the right side of the box, Freddy does well to get a little space, and chips in a ball that is headed out for the corner on the right side. Freddy plays a short corner, and it is played back to him, and he beats his defender with a beautiful Cruyff cutback move, and the defender can only trip him for a free kick. The ensuing free kick is sent in dangerously by Freddy, but Panama eventually clears.


30th minute - Freddy plays a nice ball to the right side that springs Eddie Gaven on the side of the box. Freddy continues his run, and Gaven centers back to Adu who is about 10 yards from goal, and Freddy whiffs on the right footed shot. He was under a bit of pressure and it was on his weak foot, but could have done better.


33rd minute - A cross by Gaven is sent in, and headed down in the box. Freddy is the first to the ball and gets a touch to it, and falls down in the box. The ref blows the whistle...but for a foul on Adu. He said Freddy came in with a bit of a high boot. A no call would have been better, no foul, no PK. But the ref blew for a foul on Adu.


42nd minute - Jozy Altidore gets free on a 1v1 breakaway. He rounds the keeper and is brought down by the goalkeeper and earns a penalty. Freddy Adu calmly steps up and hammers it into the far right for a goal! Great penalty, the 'keeper guessed correctly, but had no chance. 1-0 USA.


53rd minute - Freddy does well with his right foot to earn a free kick from about 22 yards out. Teammate Stuart Holden takes it and misses a few feet wide.


55th minute - On a USA throw in, Freddy is just standing there, and a Panama player punches him in the chest for no reason. The refs miss it and Freddy is down for a few minutes and is attended to and comes off. He comes back on a minute later.


73rd minute - Freddy accepts a throw in down in the left corner, and nicely beats two defenders down the end line heading toward goal, he feels more pressure and lays it off to a teammate who is fouled at the corner of the box, just outside. Great stuff there.


93rd minute - Freddy is subbed out. The last 20 minutes or so he had some nice touches but nothing too spectacular. He picked up a yellow for walking off the pitch too slow.

The final whistle blows a minute later and Adu's penalty stands as the game winner, USA 1 Panama 0.


All in all, Adu did not have as good a game as the Cuba game, but even when he was a bit off, he was still one of the top 2 players on the pitch. He showed great skill and vision, a few of his decisions were a bit slow, but were successful anyway. He also could complain to the ref a bit less, but that is just a small detail.

The USA should be ok to advance, even if they lose to Honduras, it is likely Panama will beat Cuba, who have only 11 men on their roster total after the defection of some players. Thus, look for Freddy to come out a bit early in the Honduras game if either team is up by 2 goals, or if it is tied late. Also with Freddy already having a yellow card, and Panama and Cuba playing first, Freddy might be given a rest ahead of the semis. If you recall Cuba has only 11 men after the remaining players defected.

Good game from Adu, a bit less spectacular overall, but solid and even when he is a bit off, he is still one of the best U23 players on the pitch every time.

Thanks again Nick

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Adu Back in Action Tonight

Freddy Adu and the USMNT will be back in action this Thursday night against Panama in Tampa, Florida. Kick-off is at 8pm est.
Fox Soccer Channel will be covering the game as well as ESPNDeportes.
ESPN360.com will be streaming the game.


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The Adu we know and love

#Photo Credit - Doug Benc - Getty Images.

Freddy Adu put the US on top against Cuba in the 13th minute and had a ball returned by the crossbar 13 seconds into the game. Freddy's goal wasn't enough as the US let Cuba tie the game after a defensive breakdown, the game finished 1-1.


Click on the link below to read a detailed Adu performance ticker, courtesy of one of our readers, Nick Giffen.


just to recap Freddy's performance

43 seconds in...hits the post with a beautiful curling left footed shot.

1 minute 15 seconds in, takes a corner and it is cleared out back to him, he beats a defender with a beautiful Cruyff cutback move and sends a cross in that one of the US players misses.

7 minutes in, Adu passes to set up Jozy Altidore for a 1v1, but Altidore hits his shot right at the goalkeeper

8th minute - Adu hits a 25 yard strike that forces the goalkeeper to parry wide for a corner.

13 minutes in Freddy plays a corner short to Robbie Findley, and Findley plays it back to Adu. Adu plays a swinging ball in, and it creates confusion as it looked to be a cross, but nobody touched it and it bounced into the net.

28th minute - Adu takes a swerving freekick from 22 yards out that forces the goalkeeper to punch over the bar.

52nd minute - Adu has a ball laid off for him right at the top of the box, and he hammers a left footed drive low and inches wide.

53rd minute - A minute later, Adu sends teammate Robbie Findley clear through for a 1v1 breakaway, but Findley's first touch is a poor shot right at the goalkeeper.

About 65th minute - Adu on the right side of the box, rounds his defender and looks like he may be in on goal, but he is called for a foul that never actually existed...bad call by the ref.

About 88th minute - Adu takes a freekick from the top right side of the box. Swerves over the wall, dips down, and misses by half a foot.


All in all, Freddy was a level and a half above everyone else on the pitch tonight for both teams. All Benfiquistas should be proud of his play tonight. He will be a capable fill-in for Rui Costa. However, there will be growing pains, but he has shown he can absolutely DOMINATE in his age group, so as he gets more experience, age, and skill...he could be a special one for Benfica!

Thanks Nick

Link to ussoccer.com article about the game

Freddy's quotes after the game (from ussoccer.com)


On not getting the win:
“First off, when you go into the game, you go into the game with the same mentality. Whether you’re the underdog or not, you just go into the game, prepare for it. It’s 0-0 when the game starts and today I felt like we had a lot of chances. We were a bit unlucky. I think we’re going to go back to the drawing board and just rebound.”

On the team possibly slowing down after the first goal:
“Peter hit everything on the spot. It’s tough. He did tell us we have to keep playing the same way we’re playing. It just felt like maybe, maybe, we took our foot off the pedal a little bit. But, then again, that’s something you learn from, and you know, come back the next game and keep going. Because if you relax just a little bit, when everyone’s all over the place, that’s when the other team starts going and getting chances.
Next game we’ll do a much better job of being compact and being harder to penetrate and play against.”

On the play that led to the goal:
“That corner kick we’ve practiced; we talk about it – yesterday obviously – and we talked about when the right time was to do it in a game. It was the right time to do it and you always want to hit those on goal. On goal in this case, no one touched it so it’s a goal and that’s what happened today. Charlie Davies, I give all credit to him, he made a great dummy, and the ball went in the back of the net. It’s all a team, and we were able to execute it so that was good.”

On the free kick towards the end of the game:
“As far as the free kick goes, when the ball is on the right side like that, usually a lefty hits it. So, we talked about it, and I asked Dax [McCarty], if he wanted to hit it and he said, ‘nah, you should hit it.’
Obviously I wanted to hit it, so whoever’s feeling it at that time, is the one that hits it.”

On frustration for missing chances:
“Obviously, it does get a little frustrating, but that’s soccer. You’re going to hit some on target, some of them are going to go off target. You just rebound, you know, that plays over, and you think about the next play and you just move on. That’s what happens. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t. That’s the way game goes. As a professional, you can’t worry about it, you just move on and keep playing for the next play.”

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Freddy Adu Workout Video

Go on over to Freddyadu.com to watch a video of Freddy working out in the Benfica weight room.

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Type rest of the post here

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See you in a bit Freddy

This morning, Freddy will travel to the U.S. where he will be joining the 24 man roster that was called for the Olympic Camp in Bradenton, Florida. The Camp goes on until the 9th of March and will carry on to the CONCACAF olympic qualifying tournament, where a reduced 20 man roster will will play 3 matches in the group stages, with the possibility of a semifinal and a final. The 2 teams that reach the finals will qualify for this summer's Olympics.

Read full post to see what games Freddy will miss.

US Schedule
3/11 vs Cuba
3/13 vs Panama
3/15 vs Honduras
3/20 - Semi-Finals
3/23 - Final

Assuming that Freddy will be part of the 20 man roster that will be selected to play the qualifying tournament, here are the Benfica games he will miss:

3/6 - Uefa - Getafe
3/9 - Bwin - Leiria
3/12 - Uefa - Getafe
3/16 - Bwin - Maritimo


All of US's games will be broadcast online by ESPN360.com, the sports network will also cover of the the tournaments games in its ESPNdeportes channel.

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