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Adu plays for Stabaek in friendly match

Freddy Adu Bahia (Getty Images)

By RYAN TOLMICH

Roughly eight months after being released by Brazilian side Bahia, Freddy Adu’s latest move has seen him reunite with a familiar face.

Adu recently joined Norweigian side Stabaek on a trial basis, uniting the 25-year-old midfielder with former U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley. Adu recently featured in a friendly match for the club against Lillestrøm SK, coming on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw.

Adu featured for Bradley’s U.S. side in the coach’s final international tournament, the 2011 Gold Cup. Club chairman Espen Moe pointed to the relationship between player and coach as the key to a successful move.

“We have invited him here on trial here with us, and then we evaluate continuously whether he likes it here and Bob sees that he has something in it,” Moe said. “He is an old player of Bob and played on the team for him. Bob explains that Freddy has great confidence in him. We know from the old days that the two are a great combination.

“The secret is the relationship between Bob and Freddy,” Moe said. “Bob says he will get something out of him as no one else has.”

What do you think of this development? Do you see Adu sticking in Norway?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m glad he’s reunited with Bob.. we need him on the USMNT. Guy still has skills only Dempsey possess.. The dude has never disappointed me when he’s on the nt as well.

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  2. Good move for Bradley. We have another american on the team former Galaxy Michael Stephens who had a solid season over there. Bradley needs more Americans or MLS guys and he will own Norway.

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  3. good news. Hopefully Bradley can get Adu in shape and active o the field. He’s one of those players who is usually the most talented player on the ball in the game, but disappears for huge chunks of games assumingly because of either his fitness or desire.

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  4. The cautionary tale of Freddy Adu boils down to there comes a time when you need to stop believing in the hype, even when the hype is about you. I really hope he can turn it around.

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  5. Well really the only thing that would have been insightful here is the one thing that wasn’t mentioned – how did he play?

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  6. If you don’t work your ass off at Bayern, you won’t be at Bayern.

    Green seems very low key, he has to work hard every day considering his environment, and has been said to be very coachable. Sounds nothing like Adu.

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      • He’s doing exactly what Freddy should have done…gone to a great youth system and worked his way up.

      • Playing for their youth team. Not hating on him, just pointing out that he’s not actually playing for “Bayern Munich”

      • I understand he’s playing on the reserve senior squad, not the youth program anymore. And he’s had a handful of minutes with the actual Bayern team.

        Which puts him quite a bit ahead of any other American, in terms of resume. He grew up in the Bayern youth system and it looks like they are opting to keep him. We’ve never had a player like that before.

        Comparatively, Adu played as a teenager for DC United… I used the word ‘comparatively’ fairly loosely.

      • Jonathan Spector was man its reserve player of the year and was on their first team at 18. Jovan Kirovsky was a star for arsenal reserves when he was young

      • i’m so sick of this response. we KNOW he’s playing for BMII. but he is training with the first team and BM has repeatedly stated he will begin to work into the first team. so yes, he actually IS playing for BM. heck, he even has a few garbage minutes for them.

    • He’s much faster which is one massive difference right away. Part of Freddy’s problem is that as an adult he is average in a long list of facets, if not small, low work rate, etc. Green flies around like Beasley and simply needs to learn how to play senior soccer.

      When Adu gets 15 goals in 23 games for BM II he can talk. Green has a bright future but was probably brought on the team too fast. But then that might have been the deal to get his switch.

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    • No comparison.

      Adu was the highly paid, overhyped successor to Pele on the American scene when he was 14. During his vital teen years he did not get the kind of coaching and development that Green has.
      Green has been brought up in one of the elite youth systems in the world and 19 has a very bright future at, potentially the highest levels of the game.

      At the same age Adu, was beginning the endless series of loans and dates with the bench that signaled the possible end of his career.

      Green is just beginning what might be a great career.

      Unless Bob can work some magic, Freddy might be done as a serious player.

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      • And we know that Green is physically capable of being an elite player..he’s got the size and speed. What we didn’t know about Freddy at 14 is that he wouldn’t have either.

      • Julian Green is 5’8. It’s amazing how American fans just spout things off.

        Size and speed isn’t a vital characteristic for the world game either.

  7. I wish him luck. I’ve always loved watch is skill and for the first few years, yes we can blame others. But he’s a grown ass man for the past 6 years. His failures are on him alone. If he loved the game more than himself he could have stayed in Philly without the DP money. But he chose money. He always chose money and that leads to his sense of entitlement where he doesn’t train hard. So he gets cut. Repeat. $10 says the cycle repeats itself again, even w Bradley. I hope I’m wrong.

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  8. Good for Freddy if true. On some level I feel really bad for ADU, he is a prime example of how the US hype machine can ruin players. Freddy has the skill but I don’t think he ever learned that you have to fight for everything you want in soccer. Maybe after the last year where literally no one wanted him to play for their team he has done some soul searching and found the desire to be a professional soccer player. If so he can always do well because he has serious talent and skill.

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    • Freddy is almost a victim of himself at times. He could be working wonders for a team and the coach puts extra pressure on him or uses him as an example because of his star power. At a young age thats hard to deal with. Freddy’s failure also speaks volume about the state of MLS and the coaching when he arrived, nowadays there are plenty of young talent and their are academies and other small games to give them experience in Freddy didn’t have that he was thrown right into the fire. I wish him all the best he still has a chance to shine.

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      • Adu wasn’t a failure in MLS. Adu’s failure is his position. He has absolutely excelled as a second striker, when he’s not expected to play defensively and is only responsible for creating chances. That’s what he did at the Gold Cup and many, including me, thought it was his best tournament.

        When he’s tossed out on the wing or when the attack doesn’t flow through him then he peters out quickly.

        Bradley got the best out of him so I’m optimistic that he can do it again.

        Man, he’s only 25…

    • If he has to play abroad this is ideal, domestic coach to protect him and communicate with him. If he’s gained some humility maybe he can rebuild his game, But part of the issue with Adu is expectations versus production, so he either needs to accept a role or up the work rate and fitness.

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