Truth & Rumors > Soccer

Snag in Adu's Portuguese move

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Freddy Adu's move to Benfica has run into an early snag. The Portuguese club fired Fernando Santos as coach one game into the Portuguese season and Tuesday replaced him with former Real Madrid star and Spanish national team Coach Jose Antonio Camacho.

Los Angeles Times

Freddy Adu, Dave Sandford/Getty Images Freddy Adu, Dave Sandford/Getty Images
August 22, 2007  10:20 AM ET

No big deal. Camacho already coached at Estado de Luz.

August 22, 2007  10:30 AM ET

Does that mean Camacho won't play Adu? I don't think so! It will be a bit unsettling for a while but won't much of a difference in the long run, unless Camacho doesn't think Adu can cut it.

August 22, 2007  10:48 AM ET

Benfica isn't so loaded with talent that he won't play. I lived in Lisbon and my Benficista friends are happy they signed him. There is excitement about him. Even if it's mainly because of Championship Manager. :P

August 22, 2007  11:17 AM ET

Don't know, if he trains good there will be nothing to worry about.
But you never know.

Adu should go to Ajax Amsterdam, they some new players.

Latest news from Europe: Sevilla-coach Juande Ramos has been approached by Tottenham Hotspurs with a "dazzling" offer.

August 22, 2007  11:21 AM ET

I think he will get plenty of playing time, eventhough he may not start every single match right away with either coach. But the problem with adu going to netherlands is the racism there, like beasley faced. it is terrible according to demarcus.

August 22, 2007  12:06 PM ET

I think Camacho is a great coach and Adu will benefit from it. There's nothing to worry about.

And the whole racism issue, its everywhere in football. FIFA and UEFA are trying to combat it. I personally think the clubs have to start taking action instead of having UEFA and FIFA do it for them.

August 22, 2007  12:12 PM ET

This is not a snag...

August 22, 2007  12:22 PM ET

No snag at all.

August 22, 2007  12:28 PM ET

This is not a snag at all i think that adu will learn from camacho and adu will become a better player

August 22, 2007  01:25 PM ET

Adu has to earn his place on the club no matter where he is playing or who is managing him. The only snag will be one he might create for himself.

August 22, 2007  06:57 PM ET

I don't think Adu would get that much playing time in Ajax. Ajax is slowly becoming a power. Benfica is perfect for him for the next three or four years.

August 22, 2007  07:16 PM ET

Ajax is ALWAYS a power!

August 22, 2007  07:50 PM ET

Well, the potential snag is that Santos had already basically agreed to be amenable about not forcing Adu to play on the wings. It's because of Adu's inability to be anything special as a winger that his MLS career had been so unproductive.

But if Camacho comes along and decides that he doesn't want to use Adu in the central attacking positions in the midfield and forward line that he wants to play in, you can expect another repeat of what happened to Adu with DC United.

I'm a bit unsympathetic towards Adu on this one. DC United quite sensibly wanted to play him on the wings because small-statured players like Adu are much better suited there. But instead of adapting his game, Adu just decided to be stubborn and self-centered, and thus his MLS career never impressed (and even when he got to play where he wanted at Real Salt Lake, he basically proved DC United right by failing to be productive).

Adu needs to either have a sudden and significant growth spurt at the age of 18, or he needs to quit whining and just learn to be a winger. Him being so stubborn about which position he plays is a very immature characteristic, and something that could very well end up being a poison that ruins his entire career.

August 22, 2007  08:19 PM ET

That seems a little harsh. There have been many players his size, or smaller, that have been able to thrive in attacking midfielder type roles. And also he is only, 18. That's awfully young. I'm not panicking on this guy at all. E, forca Benfica.

August 22, 2007  08:21 PM ET

He won't reach his prime for 10 years. 10.

August 22, 2007  09:07 PM ET

this story is a bit of a stretch. Assuming you are in trouble simply because there is a new coach? You could say that about everyone on the team if that's the case.

You are right jazinho, his height shouldn't be a detriment to playing centrally. he does need to add strength though. Messi plays withdrawn all the time and he is much smaller than Adu but he is physicall stronger.

The Freddy bashing is a bit old. He is 18 years old. Most players don't star coming into their own until they are 22-25 years old. For every Michael Owen or Messi who breaks out in their teens there are as many Cristiano Ronaldo's and Gerrards who don't find 'it' until they are older than 21.

The panic button on Freddy should remain covered until he is 21-22.

August 22, 2007  09:52 PM ET

who said ajax isn't a powerhouse. they may not have superb players at the moment, but their history will make them always a powerhouse along as they make europe.

August 22, 2007  09:59 PM ET

You guys didn't seem to really read my post too comprehensively.

I'm only talking about Adu's adamancy on playing a specific position. I never said any of the usual Freddy-bashing stuff about him being overhyped, already bust at age 18, etc and so forth.

And I'm not saying he can't be a great central midfielder *in time*, when he's older and hopefully becomes stronger on the ball, despite his height.

But I'm talking about *right now*. And *right now*, he's just too easily pushed off the ball for many teams to want to play him in a position as important to a team's success as the attacking midfielder role, much less a team like Benfica, which already has some pretty damn good options there.

Thus, that's my concern, just like I said. A repeat of the DC United situation, since Camacho is an unknown factor now concerning what position he is willing to play Adu, when Santos was not.

Maybe he'll be of the same mind as Santos, and all will be well. Great then. But maybe he'll think like Peter Nowak did, and want to play Adu on the wing instead.

And all I'm saying, is that if Camacho does feel that way, I hope Adu won't have the same attitude about it that he had at DC United, or else I see him hitting a worrisome pothole at what is very likely a pivotal moment in his career.

August 23, 2007  12:33 AM ET

This article is incredibly misleading, isn't the new manager inclined to play youth players more than the previous one?

 
August 23, 2007  05:13 AM ET

Latest news from Europe:

Chelsea`s Arjen Robben goes to Real Madrid for 35 million Euro.
Robben is, after Ruud van Nistelrooij, Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder, the 4th dutch player at Madrid.

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