Morning Aggregate: Refreshed Freddy Adu, Premier League in St. Louis
By Doug Smith
For most of the parties involved in the latest Freddy Adu move there is now a sense of relief. The Philadelphia Union were able to get Adu a new home at Bahia in Brazil. Adu came back to twitter to announce that he feels ready to go and is very happy to be in Brazil. Jose Kleberson is now a member of the Union and has arrived in Philadelphia although he may not play this weekend. Kleberson will be an exciting addition to Major League Soccer, but it is a bigger story that Adu seems revived. He had a ton of pressure as an early teen and has never found a home. Hopefully this will be a very successful move.
Jun 30, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Philadelphia Union midfielder forward Freddy Adu (11) walks off the field after a game against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo defeated the Union 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
For those wondering why I was away from here for a while I needed time away to reflect and clear my mind. Havnt been myself for a while and
— @FreddyAdu (@FreddyAdu) March 29, 2013
Needed to get that love I had for the game as a teenager back. Thank God for this feeling I have now and can't wait to get back on the field
— @FreddyAdu (@FreddyAdu) March 29, 2013
I've said this and will always say this. I love my fans and couldn't be happier to be in Brazil right now. Always been a dream of mine!
— @FreddyAdu (@FreddyAdu) March 29, 2013
On Friday the St. Louis Cardinals announced that Manchester City and Chelsea will play an exhibition match at Busch Stadium. It will take place on May 23, just four days after the close of the Barclays Premier League season. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday and 42,000 is the expected capacity. The field will be very tight as it stretches from in front of the dugout on the third base line toward the right field stands. The grounds crew at Busch Stadium will have three days to cover the dirt infield. The hope is to make St. Louis a frequent stop for these type of matches and rekindle the soccer spirit.
Another place hoping to embrace the growing popularity of soccer in the United States is Jackson County, Mississippi. That may not make sense at first read, but the city council in St. Martin are converting a 25- acre space into a four or five field complex for youth soccer development. The area used to house a middle school that was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Here’s hoping the soccer fields help revitalize the area.
Speaking of popularity, did you know MLS is 549 fans more popular than the NBA?
MLS week five kicks off later today with some teams needing wins to remain in contention. The Red Bulls have yet to win and face a confident Philly team. Western Conference leading FC Dallas take on New England. The Revolution are trying to find their identity after two lackluster performances following the week two win. Sporting KC is looking to get back in top notch form against undefeated Montreal. Colorado takes on Portland as both teams look for their first win.
Portland has a great owner and this is a nice detailed write up on where Merritt Paulson stands.
Finally, think you have what it takes to make the New York Cosmos? They will be holding open tryouts on April 13th in hopes of finding the next great player, especially from the five boroughs.