1 Fire Out, Another Awaits

Adu Back for Key Match vs. Chicago

Something was clearly bothering Freddy Adu. D.C. United had just completed the regular season with a meaningless tie against the Columbus Crew two weeks ago at RFK Stadium and was beginning to turn its attention toward the playoffs and defending its MLS championship.

That evening, Adu, the 16-year-old jewel of American soccer, had spent the first half sulking on the bench and the second half trying to spark United's sputtering attack.

Afterward, while dressing in front of his locker, he waved away a reporter and remarked, "Maybe I'll say something in a couple days."

He had a lot to say. Three days later, as United was gearing up for its postseason opener against the Chicago Fire, Adu expressed disappointment with the amount of playing time he was receiving and suggested he might be better off playing for another team next year. He also said he thought the situation with United was ruining his chances of making the 2006 U.S. World Cup squad.

It wasn't the first time Adu had vented frustration about playing time since signing with the fledgling league almost two years ago to become the youngest member of a U.S. pro team in more than 100 years. But this latest episode exposed a deeper level of unhappiness and triggered an unprecedented reaction from the team.

Coach Peter Nowak, supported by United's executives, wanted Adu to apologize to the team as a whole -- not necessarily for what he said, but for the timing of it and the distraction it caused so close to the start of the playoffs. Adu spoke with individual players and was under the impression he had done enough to remedy the situation. Nowak disagreed and, a few hours before the playoff opener in Chicago on Oct. 21, suspended his young forward.

Adu will be back in uniform this afternoon, when United and the Fire conclude their first-round series at RFK following a 0-0 tie in Game 1. With United at full strength, Adu will probably not be in the starting lineup, but depending how the match unfolds, he could make an appearance in the second half.

Long-term questions linger, however. Will everyone involved be able to put the commotion behind them? And will Nowak, the no-nonsense coach from Poland, and Adu, the Ghana-born prodigy who grew up in Montgomery County, be able to coexist after this season?

"The thing is over and we don't go backward," Nowak said Friday, declining to discuss the issue further. United's players have also become reluctant to talk about it, but those around the team say Adu's teammates have moved on and hold no ill will toward the teenager. At practice sessions this past week, Adu was in a playful mood, interacting normally with the other players and listening to Nowak's instructions.

Adu has not granted any interview requests since making his surprising comments, but his agent, Richard Motzkin of SportsNet in Los Angeles, agreed to discuss the situation.

"Freddy is very much a team-first player and he is very much focused and motivated to do whatever he can to help the team win a championship," he said.

Asked his reaction to Adu's complaints, Motzkin said: "It came from a frustrated young adult. The timing of the comments certainly wasn't good, but in terms of the substance, Freddy is a person who speaks from the heart, and to me, it sounded like he was speaking from the heart.