AMSTERDAM – AZ Alkmaar technical director Earnie Stewart says the trial handed to Freddy Adu this week is down to their quest to add some playmaking nous to the squad, and not a mere favor for his former D.C. United teammate.
The 25-year-old attacker, who last played in a Copa Sudamericana match for Brazilian side Bahia nearly a year ago, is fresh off an unsuccessful two-week audition with Norwegian outfit Stabæk. The Cheese Farmers will begin the new Eredivisie season a month from Wednesday and are suffering a shortage of offensive options for various reasons.
"He will be here at least a week," a hopeful Stewart told MLSsoccer.com ahead of Adu's first training session under new manager Marco van Basten on Monday. "It is a position we are looking at."
In addition to going without injured top scorer Aron Johannsson until at least mid-August, the Cheese Farmers may soon have also lost a bookend set of wingers that combined for 14 goals and 11 assists on the 2012/13 campaign. Left winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson is out of contract and testing free agent waters, while bookend flanker Roy Beerens is currently locked in Hertha Berlin transfer talks.
Meanwhile, Stabæk boss Bob Bradley wished Adu well for his AZ trial, having passed on his former US national team charge.
"We do not have interest at this time," Bradley told MLSsoccer.com. "But he showed some progress while he was here, so hopefully he can show better at AZ."
