Freddy Adu and Santino Quaranta share a difficult past. The two Maryland natives once shared RFK Stadium’s field as teenagers on D.C. United, both forced into adulthood too soon and eventually shipped off for unflattering reasons – Adu because of impetuousness, Quaranta because of a drug addiction. “He’s come a long way. I’m just very happy for him,” Adu said. “I really am because I know how it feels, really, when everything is given to you at a very young age and to go through a patch where things are not that great. It doesn’t feel great. But at the end of the day, it’s all about willpower and how much you’re willing to fight to get to the top.”
Although their struggles have differed, Adu and Quaranta have learned similar life lessons. “I understand,” Quaranta said. “I came to D.C. United at 16, he came at 14. You really don’t know a whole lot. We thought we did, but we figured out that if you don’t work hard and you don’t put the time and effort into it, you fall off the radar. I think Freddy’s done a good job. He keeps fighting. You root for him because he’s been through a lot. It’s unfair how much he’s been through.”
Both players have returned to Maryland with a chance to impress and fight for a spot in next year’s World Cup squad. For Quaranta, an appearance tonight would represent his first national team cap since 2005. Adu is trying to shed his image as a creative midfielder who lacks consistency and defensive savvy. “When you go pro when you’re 14, [being a poor defensive player] kind of sticks in peoples heads for a long time,” Adu said. “They look at you and they still see that 14-year-old. That’s the image I’m trying to change.”