GettyThe then-branded "Next Pele" took the pitch for D.C. United aged 14 years and 306 days in one of a much-hyped moment in the American soccer scene.
It is too easily forgotten, by this generation, at least, how significant of a figure Freddy Adu was in the American soccer landscape. Here was a teenager who was being compared to Pele, and being marketed as the next big hope for MLS and U.S. Soccer.
The sporting world didn't have to wait long for the moment to come. Adu made his debut in D.C. United's first game of the season, coming off the bench in a 2-1 Black and Red win.
And so a phenom was given life, in a world before YouTube compilations, Twitter scouts, and even worldwide accessibility of the sport, all eyes turned to a 14-year-old who was nowhere near ready for the magnitude of the moment thrust upon him.
Still, it was a landmark moment in American soccer, with soccer fans in the country getting a first look at a player that would come to define the game in North America. GOAL takes a look at this moment in another edition of Throwback Thursday.
