© EuroFootball.com
On Saturday, the U.S. soccer championship, called MLS (Major League Soccer), begins. Local team "D.C. United" from Washington will play against San Jose "Earthquakes". These matches will be the only ones broadcasted on TV during the regular season, and all tickets at the stadium are already sold out. The reason for such interest is the 14-year-old prodigy Freddy Adu, who will play his first professional match.
The young phenomenon was born in 1989 in Ghana. His mother Emelia believed that her son's dreams could only come true across the Atlantic, so in 1997, she moved to the U.S. In 1999, European clubs were already calling Freddy's mother, interested in the young talent. However, all offers were rejected, and it was only when Freddy turned twelve that his mother took him to a soccer school in Florida. After studying there for two years, in November 2003, he already surprised the world at the U-17 World Cup, scoring four goals and leading the U.S. national team to the quarterfinals. That same month, Freddy Adu rejected tempting offers from European giants and on November 18th signed a six-year contract with "D.C. United". One of the reasons for this choice was that Freddy grew up near Washington, and until he grows up, he can play right near his home.
Even before starting his professional career, Freddy became famous - he appeared on TV shows, commercials (one of them with soccer legend Pele), and on the covers of sports magazines.
Adu will become the youngest player of a major U.S. team since 1887, when 14-year-old Fred Chapman made his debut in professional baseball league. However, on the eve of his debut, Adu is not nervous, just anxious. "I've been waiting for this for a long time," says Adu, who, according to Americans, could become the savior of U.S. soccer.
