Adu will dwarf LeBron James

There's no stopping it. Freddy Adu, a soccer player from Potomac, Md., will become our country's most recognizable athlete before long. Before he'll even be able to legally watch an R-rated movie, the media buzz that will surround this 5-foot-8, 150-pounder, will make LeBron James' coverage look like a Toledo Mud Hens' press conference.

Adu has already been written about in the New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. He has been discussed on ESPN's popular show Pardon The Interruption (PTI). And now for the clincher. Adu, who probably doesn't even know his state capitals, is on the front page of the sports page of the Nevada Appeal. He's officially big time.

In November of 1998, Adu moved with his mother, father and younger brother, Fredua, from Ghana to the United States after his family won an immigration lottery. His mother, Emilia, became a U.S. Citizen in mid-February. Three weeks later, Freddy Adu helped the U.S. U-17 National Team clinch its record 10th consecutive berth into the world championships.

In his international debut on March 6 in Guatemala City, he had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Jamaica. A few days later, he scored again in a 3-0 win over Guatemala, a win that put the United States into the 16-team tournament, which will be held this summer in Finland.

When he was 12, Adu led his club team, the Potomac Cougars, to the U-14 national championship in Indianapolis. Before that, he played in a few youth tournaments in Italy and was so impressive that Inter Milan, one of the world's most prestigious clubs, reportedly offered him a six-figure contract. His mother respectfully declined, but she won't have such an easy time doing that after the world championships, when the world's top clubs will be wanting to sign Adu.

If Adu isn't playing in Europe by 2005, the world soccer community will suffer. Playing with Major League Soccer would be a waste. Adu, whose mother wants him to get his education, is in an accelerated academic program and is scheduled to graduate high school in May 2004. He'll be 15 then and will hopefully sign with one of Europe's top clubs, which would then allow to dazzle fans from around the world.

Soccer gurus who have watched the world's greatest players when they were youngsters, have already placed Adu in a rarefied class. They don't dare, though, mention the names. To group an American with Maradona, Pele, Cryuff, Zidane and Figo would be a disgrace to every country in the world. (Other than the U.S. and Canada, of course.)

Landon Donovan and DeMarcus Beasley, two 20-year-old talents who helped the U.S. reach the World Cup quarterfinals last summer, are good players. Adu will be the United States' first world class player. It only makes sense. The world's greatest players are always one-name guys who never take college algebra.

Beckham. Rivaldo. Ortega. Veron. Adu.

Brilliant.

Adu will set precedents never seen before for an athlete this young. He'll have his own shoe. (Adidas contacted him when he was 12 about signing a contract. Beat that, LeBron.) And he'll be the United States' youngest sports millionaire.

One problem is whether or not Adu is really 13. He has the unmatched combination of speed, vision and technical ability, this last aspect being so flawless it's beyond belief. One coach said Adu doesn't play like an American but like an African, meaning he has the power and technique typically absent from American players.

And if he moved to the U.S. in 1998, that would mean he has played here since he was 9. Most players begin touching the ball at 5, but four years is an awfully rapid time table to already have developed a soccer style related to a particular continent. Some people think he must be three or four years older, which would then mean he probably played in Ghana almost eight years before arriving in the U.S.

Birth certificates in Ghana, like most African nations, can easily be doctored. But the more realistic scenario is that his birth certificate is simply inaccurate, which is also typical from African nations. Two articles on Adu have conflicting birth dates on him. One printed he was born June 2, 1989. Another article said he turned 12 on May 23.

Really, it doesn't matter. Adu isn't cheating. This isn't a Danny Almonte situation. Adu isn't dominating kids several years younger than him. He's dominating kids several years older than him. He probably could start for the U.S. U-23 National Team and will most likely earn a spot on the 2006 World Cup team. Age isn't important here. Unparalleled talent is.

Freddy Adu. Remember the name. In a few years, you won't have choice.

Jeremy Evans is a Nevada Appeal sportswriter.