Freddy Adu, the American phenom who was among the highest-profile stars of Major League Soccer, has agreed to play for Benfica and trained with the Portuguese club Tuesday.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder arrived in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon on Monday to negotiate terms.
“Freddy, when we signed him, was one of most talented young players in the world. I think, today, he still is one of most young talented players in the world,” MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis said. “What we’ve struggled with is the expectations, not that we’ve placed on him, but that the media has placed on him.”
MLS and Benfica agreed last week to a $2 million transfer fee for Adu, the U.S. captain at the under-20 World Cup in Canada in July. Besides the transfer fee, MLS is in position to gain a percentage of any future transfer of Adu from Benfica to another club, Gazidis said.
Adu signed with D.C. United in 2003 at age 14, becoming the youngest player in the league’s history. Real Salt Lake acquired Adu from D.C. United last year, knowing that when he turned 18 last month he would become eligible under FIFA rules to join a foreign club.
Rapids: Colorado is forming a partnership with CF Pachuca of Mexico’s Primero División that will include an annual series of games and a sharing of training ground.
Kroenke Sports Enterprises will set up the Pachuca Academy at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. It will be the only academy of its kind in the country, according to KSE vice president Paul Andrews.
The Rapids in February set up a similar partnership with English Premier League team Arsenal.
The academy will be led by, among others, former Mexican national team player Enrique Borja.
“We are very pleased to establish a relationship with a club that has built one of the leading brands in all of Latin American sports,” Andrews said. “We are looking forward to a successful alliance that will help continue the expansion of our sport well into the future.”
CF Pachuca is the oldest soccer club in Mexico, dating to 1901. The team has won five league titles the past 10 years and two CONCACAF titles.
Galaxy: David Beckham’s potential MLS debut has been picked up by ESPN2.
The network will televise Sunday’s match at Toronto FC at 5:30 p.m. MDT. The English star has been sidelined by a left ankle injury, and his status for Sunday’s game has yet to be determined.
Because it has added the Galaxy game, ESPN2 will not televise the Aug. 16 New England Revolution-Rapids match.
