The saga of Freddy Adu, from his sudden explosion in the mainstream consciousness to his current state of forgotten-about-super-bust, plying his trade in Greece for a club of which many have never heard, fits nicely with the definition of the phrase "cautionary tale."
Freddy didn't (has yet to?) turn into the world class player so many thought we would, and the over-hyped nature of his rise soured many on both the player and the promotion machine that built him up. His story is now grist for the anti-soccer mill, occasionally brought up by talking heads and radio sportstalk hosts as evidence that soccer in the United States is just one big joke.
It's unfortunate then, that there seems to be little appreciation for how Freddy's experiences contributed to his thus far supremely disappointing professional career. That reality is a major focus of Grant Wahl's recent Sports Illustrated piece on Adu, with knowledgeable soccer men from Freddy's past and present tying many of his issues to the thrown-into-the-fire nature of his teenage years.
In light of Adu's meteoric rise and ultimate fall, the question should be asked: Has American soccer, and those entities with a direct investment in the game, learned its lesson? Will another Adu, given too much attention (and therefore pressure) come along only to be damaged by unrealistic expectations and a "messiah" label that no young player should be forced to carry?
Since Adu was named the "next big thing", no other player has been pushed in the same way. That doesn't mean it won't happen again, simply that none have come along with the cadre of eye-catching skills that made Adu a superstar before he had ever proven himself on the field. The attitude of America, a culture that often chews up phenoms in frenzied mastication before ultimately spitting them out onto the scrap heap of the forgotten, is always capable of repeating history. For every LeBron James there is a Sebastian Telfair, for every Tiger Woods, there is a Michelle Wie.
The soccer community, thanks in part to watching Adu fall out of the sky so and into relative obscurity, could not be blamed if they have a skeptical attitude towards whomever might be named the next big thing. Even if the rest of the country and media goes gaga for a young player, and no matter the amount of potential he seems to hold, an ardent cynicism will be the order of the day; buying into the hype might only lead to ultimate disappointment or worse, as it did with Adu. Why should soccer fans be forced to defend Freddy Adu, or any other named star-in-waiting for that matter, if the player ultimately fails to meet expectations and sullies the name of American soccer in the process? Better to get out ahead of the game and make overarching declarations that no one unproven should be given the keys to the US soccer kingdom than face the ignominy of being proven wrong when the player never lives up to what will likely be unrealistic expectations.
American soccer doesn't need a messiah, and Adu's story only highlights that conclusion. The country is turning out more and more solid professional players every year, a development that will serve the sport better in the long run than one supposed superstar bursting onto the scene and finding himself incapable of meeting an impossible standard imposed by a general public with little appreciation for the game. Unless America produces a talent on the level of Lionel Messi, an improbable task if there ever was one, there's no reason for the hype machine to turn its gaze to this sport again, at least for the foreseeable future.
Kids here, even the extremely talented ones who might have bright futures in a game the country is just beginning to truly appreciate, don't need the pressure felt by Freddy Adu seven years ago. That tale just doesn't end happy often enough.
It's impossible to stop the machinery of corporate America once it latches onto the a exploitable commodity. Let's hope then that they too have learned the lesson taught by the hyping of Adu and will leave soccer's younger generations alone; but even if they haven't, American soccer fans certainly have. Maybe that will be enough to save whatever chosen one emerges next, or keep them from emerging until they're actually ready.
