Adieu Adu!

The Freddy Adu era is over at DC United. Bout time. While he may turn out to be among the best players ever is soccer, the betting here is that it's not going to happen and I'd be surprised if he makes that large an impact on soccer's larger stages. He's a good player, has shown flashes of excellence, but they've been too few to warrant the salary he's commanded from DCU and MLS (over $500,000). Part of the problem has been his attitude: he arrived at DCU expecting to start and play 90 minutes every game. But he was only 14! And there's a world of difference playing among other teenagers and playing against folks who started their professional careers before he was born!

Not all of this was his fault. He was signed in part to put MLS on the world map and this was too large a burden to place on the shoulders of someone so young. And I think he bought too much into the Adu hype going on around him, thinking that he was better than he is, and not working hard enough to get better.

Maybe he'll flourish at Real Salt Lake in a central midfield role or as a striker. But at DCU he clearly was not better than either Moreno or Gomez, so there was no way he was going to start in place of either of them. So in the long run, perhaps this is one of those deals that helps both teams as well as the players involved: DCU deals away an attitude problem and gets the right to replace him with a foreign player as well as a draft pick; RSL gets a "star," who may help them draw fans to their home games.

Of course, this depends on how long he stays state-side. Adu worked out with ManU recently and turns 18 next summer. He wants to play with a European club, but wonder whether he'd accept a second level club or agree to sign with a club like ManU with an understanding that he'll be on loan to a bottom table club for a season or two. As hungry as ManU may be for better off-the-bench options late in games, that role probably would not sit well with Adu and I don't think he's ready for the speed and strength of the English game. I can't imagine him replacing any of the starters for ManU or any of the better clubs in the top leagues at this point in his development.

Also leaving DCU is Nick Rimando, who lost his starting keeper's job to Troy Perkins this past season. Not to take anything away from Perkins (who was named top MLS goalkeeper in 2006), I always thought Rimando did a solid job for United. Here's hoping he has better luck -- and stays healthy -- with RSL.