Ghana wants Adu for 06 World Cup

[Blade6119]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...u.r/index.html

Freddy, come home
Ghana pursuing teen sensation Adu for World Cup
Posted: Monday December 12, 2005 2:36PM; Updated: Monday December 12, 2005 2:36PM
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ACCRA, Ghana (Ticker) -- Teenage star Freddy Adu may have a difficult decision on his hands.

Ghana coach Ratomir Duikovic has told BBC Sport he plans to offer the 16-year-old Adu a place on the Black Stars' squad for next summer's World Cup.

Adu, who was born in Ghana but moved to America at age 8, previously has said he is not interested in playing for anyone other than the United States, where he plays professionally for Major League Soccer's D.C. United.

"We have decided to contact Adu to ask him to decide whether he would like to play for Ghana or the United States," Dujkovic told BBC Sport. "In the coming days, he will be contacted by the football association."

Adu has played at the youth level for the United States but has expressed a desire to play at the World Cup in Germany. Ghana, which was drawn into Group E along with the United States on Friday, hopes to entice Adu to line up against his adoptive country in Nuremburg on June 22.

"We have just over a month to persuade him to come," Dujkovic said. "I believe that if he has sentiment for Ghana, he will play for the Black Stars. And playing at the World Cup would be a big opportunity for him to show the rest of the world, not just America, that he is a great [soccer player]."

Although Adu widely is expected to be invited to a United States training camp in January, U.S. men's national team coach Bruce Arena has indicated an unlikelihood that he would be included on the American World Cup squad.

Adu can switch nationalities until he has made a senior appearance or has reached the age of 21. He has represented the U.S. at under-14, under-17 and under-20 levels, starring at the FIFA World Youth Championships in 2003.

© 2005 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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Very interesting indeed....makes the rossi situation hit a bit more closely to home now that one of our young stars has this situation occurring. Offering that WC spot is quite inticing, and i pray he doesnt take it as i think one day he will start for the US.

[MrBug708]

I wonder if he gives the US an ultimatum?

[moriarty]

He'd be silly to accept this assuming it locks him in with Ghana for future appearances. In the next 12 years the US is much more likely IMO to make WC appearances. Not to mention he probably doesn't want to have to travel to Ghana for friendlies, African cups etc..

Besides if he gave the US an ultimatum they'd just scoff at him.

On a side note: if he's good enough to play for Ghana ... maybe the US will get at least one victory in WC2006.

[bob]

This is probably just as much a push to get him for the future as for WC '06. Play to his pride (being left off the US team), and even if he doesn't help you now, he certainly will later.

[Galaxy]

Would it lock him into the Ghana nationality? (Meaning, he could not play for the US in the future?)

[Blade6119]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Would it lock him into the Ghana nationality? (Meaning, he could not play for the US in the future?)

YES

[Cringer]

Can't believe the guy is still 16. Seems like he has been around for a lot longer then that now. To me anyways.

[kingfc22]

He would be stupid to get capped for Ghana. No way he plays in more competitive international matches with Ghana than he would once he makes the US squad.

[moriarty]

This article is much Adu about nothing.

[DaddyTorgo]

agree he'd be stupid. but then again he is 16. and we all know how stupid we were at that point!

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

agree he'd be stupid. but then again he is 16. and we all know how stupid we were at that point!

I'm sure his Nikey contract representatives will "convince" him this isn't the best move for his career/popularity.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by moriarty

I'm sure his Nikey contract representatives will "convince" him this isn't the best move for his career/popularity.

not something i had thought of. but probably true. unless you consider that at some point he will no doubt make a HUGE money move to Europe, and at that point it won't matter where he's capped.

[oykib]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

not something i had thought of. but probably true. unless you consider that at some point he will no doubt make a HUGE money move to Europe, and at that point it won't matter where he's capped.

Still, a move to Europe is a clear step up and good for marketing. Getting cap-tied to Ghana is, at best, a sideways move. Moreover, it would be seen as either selfish (best case) or un-American (worst case). Neither of those outcomes is likely to make him more money.

[Young Drachma]

Still smart of Ghana to at least offer it to him. And that team isn't exactly full of slouches or anything and what better way to showcase himself if he goes to the WC and does really well.

I tend to think Bruce Arena will add him to the roster and then, won't play him much. Though for Freddy's sake, seems like it's better for him to wait.

So is he really just not that good or is it a matter of him being as inconsistent as I've heard he is. And would playing him more help? Like, would Freddy score 20+ goals on a bad MLS squad, rather than playing for United that's a pretty good side?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by oykib

Still, a move to Europe is a clear step up and good for marketing. Getting cap-tied to Ghana is, at best, a sideways move. Moreover, it would be seen as either selfish (best case) or un-American (worst case). Neither of those outcomes is likely to make him more money.

but my point oykib is that it might be a sideways move now, but in the grand scheme of things, if Nike is looking at the global picture, the big $$ return from having him as a client won't happen until he moves to Europe anyways. Because soccer doesn't have near the popularity here. what they are making off him now is PEANUTS compared to what they'd make if/when he signs for a major club team (if he ever does end up being that good). Yes it would be a poor move for him with regards to the US market, but if Nike is thinking globally it may not matter quite so much to them as you seem to think it might.

it's not like everyone in the US is running out to buy Adu jerseys now.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by moriarty

This article is much Adu about nothing.

I just wanted to highlight this quote and the complexity of it

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Still smart of Ghana to at least offer it to him. And that team isn't exactly full of slouches or anything and what better way to showcase himself if he goes to the WC and does really well.

I tend to think Bruce Arena will add him to the roster and then, won't play him much. Though for Freddy's sake, seems like it's better for him to wait.

So is he really just not that good or is it a matter of him being as inconsistent as I've heard he is. And would playing him more help? Like, would Freddy score 20+ goals on a bad MLS squad, rather than playing for United that's a pretty good side?

The real issue is that he's only 16. Unless you are Pele, that pretty much means that you are not ready to play internationally. He's very good for a 16 year old, but still has a way to go mentally and physically before he's ready to play on the international stage. If you think about any of the great players, very few were playing at the highest level at that age.

I agree that it was smart of Ghana, what did they have to lose?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Would it lock him into the Ghana nationality? (Meaning, he could not play for the US in the future?)

No.

Until Adu plays a competitive match, he's not tied to a single FIFA member. Maybe being on the World Cup squad for Ghana could have the same effect, but as of now players can switch countries if they have only played friendlies for a particular country.

One player on the Netherlands' virtual short list (Ugur Yildirim) played a friendly versus England, but is still eliglible to switch to Turkey and he actually openly suggested he would, barring Turkey would have made the 2006 finals (which didn't happen). Another player who was on the Euro2000 shortlist (Dries Boussatta) played a couple of friendlies for the Netherlands, but didn't make the final squad and then was allowed to move over to Morocco for the 2002 qualification stages.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Still smart of Ghana to at least offer it to him. And that team isn't exactly full of slouches or anything and what better way to showcase himself if he goes to the WC and does really well.

Going without playing can be very good to his learning proces and progress. Brazil took a teenage Ronaldo with them in 1994 and it wasn't bad for him to be training with the best of his country for over a month on a daily base. Worst case (first round exit), Adu will still be training with the USA's best for a month. And keeping him on the bench will be better afterall, with the whole 'next Pele' hype it can only hurt him. The U-21 world cup in the Netherlands last summer didn't do Adu's reputation much good.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

So is he really just not that good or is it a matter of him being as inconsistent as I've heard he is. And would playing him more help? Like, would Freddy score 20+ goals on a bad MLS squad, rather than playing for United that's a pretty good side?

He's 16 so we have to cut him some slack, but he has been very inconsistent in the MLS(showing flashes of brillance some games and looking out of place in others). You could perhaps contribute this to the fact he isn't a regular starter ... but I doubt that would help.

He's somewhat a victim of hype. He'll never be the next Pele, and I haven't been overly impressed with his progress in the MLS. He's really too small to be dominant in the middle so I doubt he'll ever be a 20+ goal type of scorer.

But I think his biggest downfall so far was his performance in the Under-21 tournament this year. He was rather dreadful, and hardly made a case for making the senior squad. Of course there were many of his teammates on the Under-21 team you could say the same about including Jonothan Spector and the goofy dude with the headband whose name I'm forgetting[edit: Eddie Gaven].

[andy m]

hopefully he will pick Ghana.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Going without playing can be very good to his learning proces and progress. Brazil took a teenage Ronaldo with them in 1994 and it wasn't bad for him to be training with the best of his country for over a month on a daily base. Worst case (first round exit), Adu will still be training with the USA's best for a month. And keeping him on the bench will be better afterall, with the whole 'next Pele' hype it can only hurt him. The U-21 world cup in the Netherlands last summer didn't do Adu's reputation much good.

The person I hope they do that with is Rossi so they can cap him. Of course if he gets a run in the MU first team, maybe they should just bring him to play. Assuming he agrees of course.