WASHINGTON - Freddy Adu received a welcoming hug from the player he replaced, then ran onto the field. He was by far the smallest athlete out there, looking like a little kid trying to crash a pickup game for grown-ups.
Adu made no major mistakes, and his one chance to be creative with the ball was stymied by a defender more than twice his age. Given his size, his nerves and the sheer volume of attention he's received, it was perhaps unrealistic to expect anything different from a 14-year-old experiencing his first 29 minutes of professional soccer.
A sellout crowd and a curious television audience watched as the seed was planted on Adu's career in D.C. United's 2-1 victory over San Jose on Saturday.
Now it's a matter of having the patience to watch it grow.
"We've had the moment. This moment's here," commissioner Don Garber said. "I'm sure we'll have it for a few more months, but I'd rather see him score a bunch of goals and get some attention in the back of the sports pages _ in addition to some of the lifestyle press he's been getting."
As Garber pointed out, Americans will pay attention to soccer when it's tied to a singular big moment _ such as the World Cup or the Olympics _ taking the focus from the long-term growth of the sport.
"This is not the savior for soccer; the sport doesn't need to be saved," Garber said. "This is just a young, neat man who's come onto the scene and captured the attention of the general public."
Still, the youngest player in the 9-year-old league's history is doing for MLS what no one else has. The crowd of 24,603 was some 7,000 more than United drew in their home opener a year ago. United's game next week in Los Angeles is also expected to sell out, and sales are strong for the game in the Meadowlands against the MetroStars the following week.
"We want that to be every week," San Jose forward Landon Donovan said. "We want 25,000 people screaming every week. I just hope it doesn't die away."
And how can that happen?
"Put Freddy on every team," Donovan said.
As for Adu, he sounded at times like a typical flighty 14-year-old answering questions at his first postgame press conference. He was nervous before and during the game _ or maybe he wasn't. He had fun, but he was glad it was over with. He said his one failed attempt to score was thwarted by "good defense," then later suggested he was fouled.
He said he would have liked to have played more, but in the end he said, with a disarming smile: "I wouldn't change anything about today."
"It's something I'll remember for a long time," said Adu, who was given the game ball as he walked off the field. "I had fun out there."
Adu received the loudest cheers during pregame introductions. Fans were chanting his name early in the second half, imploring coach Peter Nowak to put the youngster in the game.
Adu said the chants made him anxious, adding to the nerves his coach had spotted all along.
"He was a little bit more nervous as the game got closer and closer," said Nowak, explaining his decision not to start Adu. "I just wanted him to enjoy the game."
Asked about his post-game plans, Adu said he was going home to hang out with friends and "just chill" _ words that happened to serve as a bit of unintentional advice for anyone expecting too much out of his first game.
"He's very good _ we all know that," San Jose coach Dominic Kinnear said. "But it's different in MLS. I don't want to knock him, and I don't think we should go crazy trying to rate him right away."
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Adu made no major mistakes, and his one chance to be creative with the ball was stymied by a defender more than twice his age. Given his size, his nerves and the sheer volume of attention he's received, it was perhaps unrealistic to expect anything different from a 14-year-old experiencing his first 29 minutes of professional soccer.
A sellout crowd and a curious television audience watched as the seed was planted on Adu's career in D.C. United's 2-1 victory over San Jose on Saturday.
Now it's a matter of having the patience to watch it grow.
"We've had the moment. This moment's here," commissioner Don Garber said. "I'm sure we'll have it for a few more months, but I'd rather see him score a bunch of goals and get some attention in the back of the sports pages _ in addition to some of the lifestyle press he's been getting."
As Garber pointed out, Americans will pay attention to soccer when it's tied to a singular big moment _ such as the World Cup or the Olympics _ taking the focus from the long-term growth of the sport.
"This is not the savior for soccer; the sport doesn't need to be saved," Garber said. "This is just a young, neat man who's come onto the scene and captured the attention of the general public."
Still, the youngest player in the 9-year-old league's history is doing for MLS what no one else has. The crowd of 24,603 was some 7,000 more than United drew in their home opener a year ago. United's game next week in Los Angeles is also expected to sell out, and sales are strong for the game in the Meadowlands against the MetroStars the following week.
"We want that to be every week," San Jose forward Landon Donovan said. "We want 25,000 people screaming every week. I just hope it doesn't die away."
And how can that happen?
"Put Freddy on every team," Donovan said.
As for Adu, he sounded at times like a typical flighty 14-year-old answering questions at his first postgame press conference. He was nervous before and during the game _ or maybe he wasn't. He had fun, but he was glad it was over with. He said his one failed attempt to score was thwarted by "good defense," then later suggested he was fouled.
He said he would have liked to have played more, but in the end he said, with a disarming smile: "I wouldn't change anything about today."
"It's something I'll remember for a long time," said Adu, who was given the game ball as he walked off the field. "I had fun out there."
Adu received the loudest cheers during pregame introductions. Fans were chanting his name early in the second half, imploring coach Peter Nowak to put the youngster in the game.
Adu said the chants made him anxious, adding to the nerves his coach had spotted all along.
"He was a little bit more nervous as the game got closer and closer," said Nowak, explaining his decision not to start Adu. "I just wanted him to enjoy the game."
Asked about his post-game plans, Adu said he was going home to hang out with friends and "just chill" _ words that happened to serve as a bit of unintentional advice for anyone expecting too much out of his first game.
"He's very good _ we all know that," San Jose coach Dominic Kinnear said. "But it's different in MLS. I don't want to knock him, and I don't think we should go crazy trying to rate him right away."
http://www.portervillerecorder.com
