Freddy, and American fans, seemed to believe things were about to turn around at Monaco.  Freddy had made statements that he was very close to starting for the club, and his demonstration of skill and passing during the US’s qualifier against Guatemala seemed to support that thought.  Unfortunately though, things are only going to get tougher for the young American.

Freddy Adu played 15 minutes for Monaco this weekend against Bordeaux.  Monaco was winning 3-0 at one point, but were 3-2 when Freddy took the field.  The coach brought Freddy on to spark some offense, and he did, unfortunately it was for the wrong team.  Two Freddy Adu errors and Bordeaux won the game 4-3.

You can’t blame the loss on Freddy, but he didn’t exactly help his case with that performance.  He hasn’t seen significant minutes in one calendar  year and after this weekend, he might not see the field for a while.  This is the perfect ammunition for the Freddy Adu critics of the world.  I have always supported the young playmaker and this weekend’s performance has not changed a thing.

I think people forget that Freddy is only 19.  There definately are players in Europe who were phenomenal at 19, but Freddy is different.  Freddy is much more raw than players like Fabergas or Messi. He doesn’t have the same pedigree or the benefits of being developed by the Barcelona youth system.  He also doesn’t have the blistering pace and moves of Cristiano Ronaldo. Lets not forget Cristiano’s first season at Man U was less than stellar.  I think Americans had hoped that Freddy would be farther along by now, but that isn’t all his fault.

Freddy Adu, much like Beckham, is a brand.  In retrospect, he has been treated more as a marketing device than a legitimate soccer player.  Maybe some of that hype got into to his head, or maybe that hype got into our heads.  MLS brought in the young phenom to sell tickets and gain sponsors.  The Freddy Adu frenzy was ridiculous and MLS was better for it.  Freddy was too young though, and I believe DC United coach Peter Nowak knew that.  He did his best to get him on the field, and maybe his tactics for developing Freddy were not the best, but his assessment of the player was correct.  Former Benfica coach, Camacho, had a real interest in Freddy and developing him.  Adu was an instant success both on and off the field.  Then Camacho got canned and the new coach had little use or belief in Freddy.  Monaco swooped in for Adu, but it was more about marketing than soccer.  Monaco’s American owners wanted an American and who better than Freddy Adu, the marketing machine, to bring on board.  It is a shame, because I don’t believe the club ever had any real plans to develop Adu. Young players not capable of making the starting lineup are typically loaned out to smaller clubs to gain experience.  Monaco is not a small club, and I doubt anyone really believed he would gain more experience sitting on the Monaco bench as opposed to the Benfica bench.  He is on loan at Monaco from Benfica, with an option to stay at the end of the season.  So what is next for Freddy?

Should Freddy stay at Monaco and fight for playing time? Should Freddy head to the next big club looking to sell jerseys?  Or, should Freddy move to a lower league/division and get some regular minutes right away?

My vote is for a move.  Fighting for a spot does show a great amount of character, but what Freddy really needs is playing time.  A season in the Spanish second division, Serie B, the Belgium League, or a bottom of the table French team, might help him more than fighting at Monaco.  Once he has a full season of first team European football under his belt, he will be capable of fighting for a spot.  Right now he is at a severe disadvantage.

Freddy is good, but he isn’t the next Pele, and he isn’t going to usher in the golden era of American soccer.  Freddy can do things that few American players are capable of doing.  He has imagination and spontaneity, he can make something out of nothing.  That doesn’t make him a complete player, nor does it make him a good professional, but he has the fundamental ingredients for greatness.  You can make a player fitter, faster, stronger, more tactically aware, but you can’t teach them magic.

What do you guys think about Freddy’s situation? Should he stay or should he go?