D.C. United have received more coverage than usual from both local and national
media outlets this week, but it's not the kind of exposure the club is looking for on the eve of
their playoff opener with the Chicago Fire.
Freddy Adu's recent comments about playing time under coach Peter Nowak have reverberated in
sports pages across the country, setting off a firestorm of commentary online and in print. His words have gotten a mixed reaction from teammates, many of whom balance disappointment at the teenager's indiscretion with recognition of his exceptional situation as the youngest athlete in modern pro sports.
"It's a tough situation all around," said midfielder Ben Olsen. "We've never had a guy with this
much exposure and this talented at this age. It's just all new stuff and it's just going to take
some time and a lot of ups and downs for the staff and him and his parents and his agents --
everybody. It's a learning process."
The 16-year-old Adu has faced hype, high expectations and intense media scrutiny since his
selection as the top pick in the 2004 SuperDraft, and his vast potential, not only in terms of
ability but also for marketing purposes, exposes him to unique pressures.
Team captain Jaime Moreno, who called Adu's remarks "unprofessional" in the Washington
Times, wondered if the teenager's sentiments were inspired by outsiders, a possibility that
Olsen seems to acknowledge as well.
"I stay away from giving him advice. He's got enough people that are in his ear, I think," said
Olsen, who himself was a highly touted youngster who earned MLS Rookie of the Year honors in
- "He's got enough people giving him advice, he doesn't need any more from me."
Even if Adu is serious about his threat to leave United for greener pastures, his options are
fairly limited. His dream to play for one of Europe's top clubs will have to wait, thanks to
recent rules that essentially prevent players under the age of 18 from appearing at the senior
level. Undoubtedly, there are MLS sides who would gladly welcome Adu, but he'd likely have to
endure poorer results than he's had with the MLS Cup champions.
"He's been great at practice lately," said Olsen. "But this is a pretty good team. For me, his
ideal position is offensive midfield. And Christian Gomez is one of the top three best players in
the league, and he's in front of him. I think it's a tough situation because it's a good team. If
he could be on Columbus or Salt Lake, he'd be playing, no problem. We're pretty stacked right
now."
Club officials continue to focus on the long term with Adu; team president Kevin Payne, who has
compared the Ghanaian-born prodigy's development to that of young NBA star Kobe Bryant, said he
fully expects Adu to return to United next year.
So for now, United players and staff seem prepared to weather these public outbursts from their
youngest star, and Olsen rejects the idea that such behavior would wear out Adu's welcome in the
locker room.
"I don't think it will ever come to that," he said. "I don't think it will get that way from the
players, because stuff like this doesn't register on our minds that much. It probably is more
front office and coach. It wears on them, probably a little bit more than us players. We just
kind of shut up and if we're called upon to play, we play.
"I think this is something they'll have to deal with in the offseason. But right now, it's about
our team. And we're putting everything aside and trying to focus on Chicago."
Charles Boehm is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
