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Report: Adu booted by Belenenses

Freddy Adu (ISIphoto.com) 

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Freddy Adu's tenure at Portuguese club Belenenses appears over.

According to Portuguese publication Record, new Belenenses manager Toni has started his term as head coach by cutting some dead weight from the roster, including Adu, who is being sent back to Benfica.

On loan from Benfica since the start of the fall campaign, Adu had struggled for playing time with his new club, but will now face even stiffer competition for minutes at Benfica. That is, unless he makes another move this winter. Adu has been hinting on Twitter that he has a big decision to make regarding his career. Whether that means considering a return to MLS, or a move to a smaller league like Denmark or Belgium remains to be seen. What appears clear at this point is that Adu looks unlikely to break through in Portugal.

What do you think of this development? Disappointed he didn't get playing time for Belenenses? Think it's time for him to come back to MLS? Hoping Adu heads to Holland or a smaller European league?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I love how people say size when guys like Messi, Aguero, Krkic etc… are all slight in stature but can play at the highest of high levels… Freddy is young and likely needs to get on the Jerry Rice plymetrics training reg.. He needs to get that lightning first step back… The guy still has skills but his attitude needs a ton of work in order to improve his game to where he can contribute weekly for a Euro side…

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  2. Having stood next to Freddy a couple of times… He is about 5’6 or 7 and really about the same height as Beas… He has bulked up since 2007 and does not seem to have that quick first step that he once had… Messi has that 1 quick step and change of direction that even though he is not world class sprint speed… he can blow by people… Adu had that and for some reason it is gone over the past year… maybe he was too busy bulking up and not maintaining his fast twitch muscle fibers? Any weight lifting a footballer should do should be explosiveness…it is all well and good to be strong on the ball like Jozy can be at times but when you are a midfielder you need to be able to burst out of tight space which was what Freddy was so good at… I miss that guy…

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  3. Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier were all getting their assess kicked by one David Wheaton when they were playing in the 18s.

    Is it Wheaton’s fault that the other 4 guys all went on to be grand slam winners and he was basically just a top 40 player? Probably not.

    The point here is, sometimes you just can’t make that next jump, while everyone else can/does. It isn’t necessarly your fault, but it’s time to face facts: Adu will never ever reach the level people thought he would when he was 14. He can still get better, but he’ll never be a starter for a major european team.

    He needs to revisit his options. MLS would probably be his best bet. He’s still got some star power in the US.

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  4. I don’t get roping Jozy Altidore in with Adu. At. All.

    Altidore is a starter on a Hull City team that would be facing relegation regardless. The fact is, he has size, strength on the ball, and pace – everything Adu doesn’t have.

    Jozy is making an impact. His passing has improved significantly since spending some time in the EPL and he was responsible for drawing a penalty against Man United the other night – the only Hull goal in that game.

    Freddy Adu needs playing time. Anywhere. Plain and simple. He’s a passable player with decent skills, but he’s rotting in Portugal.

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  5. Zidane didn’t become the player we know until he was in his mid-twenties, so Adu will be fine. He may not turn out to be anything close to Zidane, but he’ll be alright.

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  6. Oh my God!lol Jovan Kirovski, better pace than ADU??haha Your funny. Adu looked better than Jovan at the age of 15 than a 25yr old Jovan…. Jovan?,…hahaha.. that made my day

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  7. LOL Ok!… Dos santos at the international level hasn’t played a worthy apponent. At Barca he had Ronaldihno and Xavi giving him free goals to put behing the net.lol Had Adu have the same support I assure you he would have contributed just a bit more than Santos. Adu has better ball control than Dos Santos and a better shooting range than Dos Santos, vids don’t lie. Look at their goals and performances against worthy apponents on youtube. Adu was far superior. Dos Santos just scored his first goals with the national team not to long ago, actually both Vela and Santos just started contributing too their national teams against wack apponents.

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  8. Yeah, true. I have been saying that since the first day Pato started getting playing time. Pato is just an average player, not as bright as Walter or Cutinho when he was in his teens. Also people forget who was feeding Pato with assists at Milan, too bad I can’t say the same for Adu.:)

    Adu was doing a bit better than Pato at the club level, but for some odd reason Adu never got a chance to get more playing time at Benfica. As for Pato, well, he got plenty of playing time even though he sucked 80% of the time. But, he is Brazilian, so they will manage to get playing time no matter what. Look at “Jo” for example. This kid was just an average player at the youth level, yet he got all kinds of playing time at Man and Everton.

    Americans will always struggle for playing time in Europe unless a “Jordan” type athlete steps up for us in the Soccer world.

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  9. Really? I didn’t know that the few Benfica games he played in and the Spain,Argentina,Celtic,Madrid, games were youth games?!:) I yet to see an American perform individually like Adu has for the NATS. Go back to your Holden,Rogers,Beckerman,casey, prasing forums guy.

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  10. Years ago an Arsenal scout said they were not interested in Freddy because he had largely reached his potential. I think this has played out to be true. He still doesn’t have a solid grasp of tactics. The way he wants to play limits his role to that of an offensive sub.

    And I have to laugh at those suggesting Philly. Maybe you were too young to remember his time with Nowak in DC. Most online posters (like at BigSoccer) were blaming Nowak, but most people have seen the light and now know the problem has been with Adu.

    Adu needs to suck it up and be a man. Take the pay cut and play for someone who is the right coach–the one who knows how to push your buttons and kick you in the arse, Freddy.

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  11. “Pato didn’t do amazing things his first year with AC Milan, but he still got playing time”

    Considering he went to Milan in January ’08 when he turned 18 and right away scored 9 goals in 18 games, I think he did do pretty amazing things. He was Milan’s 3rd best scorer despite only playing half a season.

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