playing time.
Nothing is more critical in a World Cup year than being on the pitch. And Adu has rarely done that since moving to Benfica from Real Salt Lake at the end of July 2007. Adu played in nine games, scoring two goals for Benfica before being loaned out to AS Monaco of France in December 2008. There, he played 169 minutes of soccer.
In Portugal, the teenage sensation has discovered the harsh realities of the European game. Adu's first manager at Benfica, Fernando Santos, was fired less than a month after Adu's arrival at the Stadium of Light. The team's next manager, former Spain national team head coach Jose Antonio Camacho, didn't hold Adu in the same regard as his predecessor and never seriously considered the young American in his plans. Current manager Jorge Jesus is the former European Cup winner's third man at the helm since Camacho departed in 2008. Jesus, reportedly, doesn't see Adu as part of his program either.
Idling on the sidelines at Glasgow Rangers has already cost DaMarcus Beasley his spot on the U.S. national team roster. Facing the same problem at Villarreal in Spain, Jozy Altidore took a loan deal with Hull City in England in August. Altidore is a year younger than Adu but has made a much bigger mark on the U.S. national team. The former New York Red Bulls striker leads the U.S. goal-scoring charts in World Cup qualifying with six goals in 11 games. Adu has tallied only one goal in six appearances and has not played in the hexagonal round. Altidore is now the great U.S. hope for superstardom, a label bestowed with great fanfare on Adu as a 14-year-old when he signed with D.C. United in 2004. The glare from that baptism of hype has shone harshly on Adu ever since, but time is very much still on his side. The clock, though, is running on his opportunity to play at the first World Cup to be staged on the continent of his birth.
Back in 2004, the prediction was that the U.S. national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals would be built around Adu. That certainly won't happen. But if Adu can finally have a breakout season in Portugal with Belenenses then its not beyond the realms of possibility that he could work his way back to South Africa, where he watched the FIFA Confederations Cup from the U.S. bench this summer. Adu knows exactly what he has to do. As he recently tweeted on his Twitter page, "Work hard everyday. Talent alone cannot get you where you wanna be." Adu has never been shy about saying where he wants to be -- playing for the U.S. at the World Cup. To make it in 2010, he needs to put his talent to work for Belenenses. He's hoping he'll get his first chance on Sunday, against of all teams, Benfica.
2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
The U.S. national team made a giant stride towards a berth in South Africa with a maximum six-point tally from this week's two World Cup qualifiers, with MLS alumni making major contributions. On Saturday, Sept. 5, El Salvador took the early lead in Sandy, Utah, but goals from former New England Revolution star
Clint Dempsey
and ex-Red Bulls striker
Jozy Altidore
gave the U.S. a 2-1 win at Rio Tinto Stadium. Three other MLS alums started for the U.S.:
Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra
and
Michael Bradley
. That quintet of alums all started on Wednesday, Sept. 9 as well in the team's 1-0 win at Trinidad & Tobago. Former Chivas USA goalkeeper
Brad Guzan
was on the bench for both games.
Other MLS alumni in World Cup qualifying action this week included former D.C. United midfielder Eliseo Quintanilla, who started for El Salvador in the 2-1 loss to the U.S. and Wednesday's 1-0 win against Costa Rica; ex-LA Galaxy defender Michael Umana started for Costa Rica in both of Los Ticos' losses, 3-0 at home to Mexico on Sept. 5 and the aforementioned 1-0 El Salvador defeat on Wednesday, where he picked up a yellow card. Revs alumnus William Sunsing was a second-half substitute for Costa Rica against El Salvador. Galaxy veteran Carlos Pavon scored twice in Honduras' 4-1 win over Trinidad & Tobago on Sept. 5. Ramon Nunez, a two-team MLS veteran, played the full 90 for Honduras. Both MLS alumni went the distance in Honduras' 1-0 loss at Mexico on Wednesday night.
In European qualifying former MetroStars head coach Carlos Queiroz saw his Portugal team keep their World Cup hopes alive after a 1-1 tie at Denmark on Sept. 5, and a 1-0 win in Hungary on Sept. 9. Portugal must win its two remaining Group One qualifying games at home to Hungary on Oct. 10, and home to Malta on Oct. 14 to have any chance of gaining a berth in South Africa. In Group Two action, Israel's World Cup prospects are on life support after dropping a 1-0 decision at home to Latvia on Sept. 5. Former Colorado Rapids midfielder Dedi Ben Dayan played the full 90 for Israel. He also played the full 90 in Israel's 7-0 win over Luxembourg on Wednesday. Elyaniv Barda scored a hat-trick for Israel.
In South American qualifying, former MetroStars and Dallas Burn midfielder Joselito Vaca made an eight-minute cameo at the end of Bolivia's 1-0 loss at Paraguay on Sept. 5. Vaca dressed for Wednesday 3-1 home loss to Ecuador but did not play.
In African qualifying, ex-Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare played the full 90 for Mali in the 1-1 tie at Benin on Sunday, Sept. 6.
Elsewhere Around the World
Most country's shuttered their top tier leagues this past weekend due to the latest round of World Cup qualifying games but some MLS alumni did see action.
In Australia, in Week 5 of the Hyundai A-League, former Revs defender Tony Lochhead played the full 90 as the Wellington Phoenix tied 1-1 at home with Adelaide United, on Friday, Sept. 4. Ex-Crew and Wizards midfielder Diego played the final six minutes for the Phoenix. Also on Friday, former FC Dallas alumnus Victor Sikora put in a 66-minute shift for Perth Glory in their 2-1 loss at Central Coast Mariners.
In Brazil, in Week 23 of the Campeonato Brasileirao, on Sunday, Sept. 7, former MetroStars defender Danilo da Silva came on at halftime of Internacional's 2-0 victory at Avai. Internacional won the game despite having only nine men on the field at the end. With that result, Internacional stay second in the standings, one point behind leaders Palmeiras.
In England, in League One action on Saturday, Sept. 5, ex-Toronto FC midfielder Andy Welsh was back in the starting XI for Yoevil Town but couldn't prevent the Glovers from losing 1-0 at home to West Country rivals Swindon Town.
In Ireland, former Colorado Rapids midfielder Tam McManus scored in Derry City's 3-0 win over Dundalk on Friday, Sept. 4. That result kept the Candystripes in third place in the Premier Division standings.
In Mexico, on Friday, Sept. 4 in Week 7 of the Torneo Apertura, former MetroStars midfielder Diego Jimenez played the full 90 for UAG in their 4-2 home defeat by Santos, in a game that featured two red cards for the home team and eight yellow cards overall. In other Friday action, former Rapids striker Daniel Osorno played the full 90 for Atlas in their scoreless home tie with San Luis.
On Saturday, the woeful start continued for Querétaro. After losing 3-1 at home to Monterrey, the newly promoted team remains winless having now lost five of seven games. Former Chivas USA striker Isaac Romo played the full 90 for Querétaro, as did ex-FC Dallas defender Duilio Davino for Monterrey. Colorado Rapids alumnus Alain N'Kong dropped to the bench for the Indios' 2-0 loss at Cruz Azul.
On Sunday, in yet another game littered with yellow cards (and one red card), former LA Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz was one of the nine yellow card recipients in Puebla's 2-2 home tie with Chivas. With Puebla leading 2-1, Ruiz came out of the game in the 83rd minute, his team down to 10 men following Felipe Ayala receiving a red card in the 58th minute. But Puebla couldn't hang on to the lead, Mario de Luna Saucedo getting the equalizer in the 90th minute for Chivas. In another game that kept the referee busy, former Chivas USA forward Paco Palencia was sent off in the 25th minute of Pumas' 1-0 defeat at Atlante. Both teams played most of the second half with 10 men after Atlante's Daniel Aruello was sent off in the 48th minute. Gabriel Pereyra's 84th-minute strike gave Atlante the win. A second Atlante player, Jose Gonzalez, was red-carded in the 90th minute.
In Venezuela, in Week 5 of the Torneo Apertura, defending champions Caracas FC was held to a 1-1 at home by Llaneros on Thursday, Sept. 3. Former Red Bulls defender Gabriel Cicero played the full 90 for Caracas and picked up a yellow card in the 69th minute.
Performance of the week
After losing at Mexico on the last World Cup matchday, U.S. national team head coach
Bob Bradley
faced the recurring undercurrent of criticism that has dogged him all year. The former three-team MLS head coach ignored his critics and responded by leading his team to back-to-back victories this week against El Salvador and at Trinidad & Tobago. That maximum six-point haul puts the U.S. national team on the verge of clinching a spot at the 2010 World Cup Finals and gains Bradley our POTW.
Mark C. Young is an Emmy Award-winning freelance writer/TV producer who has covered several FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games. He is a contributor to Goal.com and also writes for the blog "No Mas."
