By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 22, 2006; E01

You see the difference on the training grounds, where Freddy Adu messes with teammates between drills and jokes with the coaches as if they were old college chums.

You see it on game day, when D.C. United's resident teenager dances around lunging opponents and waves his foot over the ball like a sorcerer casting a diabolical spell.

You see it after a match, when his radiant smile lights up the locker room following what is commonly another D.C. victory.

And, of all places, you see it at the dinner table, at home in a quiet neighborhood in Rockville with his mother and brother, where the 17-year-old forward-midfielder eats everything in sight.

"He doesn't like food," Emelia Adu explained. "So when I see him eating well, that tells me something. That tells me he is very happy. He is sooo happy."

The reasons for his joy are many. After shuttling between the field and bench his first two years, he has played almost every minute of every game this season, the reward for finally evolving into an effective two-way player.

He is tied for the team lead in assists (six) and was named an all-star on merit, not marketing value, as he was two years ago. He has gained the trust of his older teammates and has repaired a once rocky relationship with Coach Peter Nowak.

But what he says has made him the happiest this summer is playing an essential role on a club that has not lost in 2 1/2 months, is running away with the Eastern Conference regular season title and is in serious pursuit of the best record in Major League Soccer's 11-year history.

"I'm just having a lot of fun," he said this week as United (13-1-5) prepared for tonight's game at Chicago. "Everything is clicking."

Adu has scored just one goal, but that is no reflection of his contributions. Playing as if he's no longer burdened with the enormous expectations heaped upon him when he turned pro at age 14, Adu has refined his soccer skills and developed a keener understanding of the game.

"I see a young man who is feeling more comfortable on the field, who doesn't feel like he has to do everything in a short amount of time," Chicago Coach Dave Sarachan observed. "It just seems like he's enjoying soccer."

In his first two seasons, Adu was viewed as a novelty act, an undersize, naive teenager who brought unprecedented attention to the league but who struggled to adapt to professional demands and to understand his expanding role. As his playing time swayed, tension grew with Nowak, culminating with an outburst on the eve of last fall's playoffs that earned him a one-game suspension and jeopardized his future with United.

Player and coach worked out their differences last winter, though, and Adu arrived at training camp with renewed purpose and enthusiasm.

"I just wanted to be in a situation where I would play and learn faster," he said. "As a kid, it's not easy when you never know what is going to happen on any given day, when you are in or out of the lineup. I guess I didn't deal with it well. I had to earn my place.

"I think that's what Peter was doing -- he wanted me to work and earn my place, and in doing so, it has made me a much better person and a much better player. In the end, it has worked out."

Adu is far from a finished product, still prone to lapses in concentration and questionable decision-making, but "his awareness of the game is getting better," United midfielder Ben Olsen said. "He can hurt you in a lot of ways. He's becoming a force, someone other teams need to be worried about."

Adu's evolution is clearly a source of pride for Nowak, who was blamed by some observers for his pupil's erratic play and off-field behavior the previous two years.

When last season ended with a 4-0 playoff loss at home against Chicago, it appeared either Nowak or Adu would have to go. Nowak and his staff were disgusted with Adu's attitude and Adu seemed in need of a fresh start.

These days, their relationship appears as sound as when he joined the club 2 1/2 years ago.

"The team believes in him, the coaches believe in him," Nowak said. "The expectations are still very high, but they are realistic. . . . We push the first domino and everything begins to happen."

According to assistant coach Tom Soehn, Adu was slow to adjust to the professional game because "when he first came to us, he wasn't from a real structured environment" at the U.S. under-17 residency program in Bradenton, Fla. "When you get into the pros, it is very structured. Being here three years and understanding without being told has made him a better player."

From a technical standpoint, Adu has gained a greater awareness of what is happening behind him as well as in front of him. Instead of concentrating solely on attacking, he works harder on defense and understands the importance of clogging passing channels and pressuring opposing players when they have the ball.

It is an imperative skill for a player who usually lines up on the left wing and is responsible for a large parcel of field.

"Before, I would get tired because I would run around so much defensively -- I was clueless where to put myself," Adu said. "Now I know where I should be and that gives me the energy to attack."

It is his attacking skills, after all, that attract the most attention. Those, too, have gotten better as he has learned to make crisper runs without the ball and work seamless combinations.

"He's one of those special players," Nowak said. "He gets the ball and he has that moment where the whole stadium is like, 'What is he going to do?' This moment, everybody waits a long time. There aren't many players like that all over the world."

Adu seems increasingly likely to make his long-awaited move to the world stage next summer when he turns 18 and becomes eligible to sign a contract with a major European club. First, however, is the matter of a second MLS championship in three years.

"If it's going to happen, it's going to happen," he said of his overseas prospects. "What's important now is D.C. United. When the team is successful, individuals are successful. Individuals are put in situations where they can shine and people are looking at them. Right now, people are looking at us. I don't want to get carried away with it. I've got to keep working and proving myself."