By Ridge Mahoney
Soccer America, Senior Editor
Could it be merely coincidence that reports out of England that Chelsea was buying Freddy Adu for 5 million pounds ($8.7 million) followed closely, and used the same figure, as the price Arsenal paid for 16-year-old wunderkind Theo Walcott?
The Walcott fee, accepted by Southampton last month after it received bids from Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, could go as high as 12 million pounds. If MLS reached such a deal for Adu it would certainly include similar provisions. Walcott made his professional debut for Southampton last August age 16 years, 143 days and has played several times for England's youth teams.
But Adu can't play in Europe until he's 18, under FIFA statues set up to protect teenagers being imported from abroad. Dozens, many from Africa, have been signed by European teams and later abandoned if their soccer prospects don't pan out. Unless the Adu family legally moves abroad and establishes a residence — for reasons not related to soccer — he's not eligible.
Like Wayne Rooney and other native-born players, Walcott isn't subject to the same restrictions. Players between 16 and 18 who are transferred within the European Union or European Economic Area are also exempt.
One source said what MLS and Chelsea may have discussed is a first option on his services when he does leave the league; in effect, a down payment. Chelsea can certainly afford it, and that would jibe with statements of Adu staying with D.C. until 2007, when he turns 18 and is eligible to play in Europe, as well as his own statements of which club he'd eventually like to play for.
Little substance has come to light about the meetings between Chelsea officials and league executives during the past 18 months; Adu is certainly in the mix.
FISH CAPTURED. To no one's surprise, Carlos Ruiz has re-signed with MLS. The league has bought out the interest of Guatemalan club Municipal, which had shared his rights under terms of deal by which MLS acquired him four years ago. He has scored 61 regular season goals and 13 more in the playoffs during a career blighted by unexcused absences.
The maximum salary has been increased to $310,000 and the per-team salary cap is $1.91 million for the 2006 season, and Ruiz will earn at least the max. He was reportedly being paid approximately $125,000 per year combined by MLS and Municipal under his previous deal.
Agent Richard Motzkin, who represents both Ruiz and FC Dallas teammate Eddie Johnson, said before the deal was announced that the salary cap wouldn't be an issue if Ruiz were to rejoin Dallas. Yet the trade buzz surrounding Johnson continues, with deals in exchange for allocation money among those being discussed.
Johnson, who had been out of action with a big toe injury since September, suffered a calf contusion playing against Canada Jan. 22 but has accompanied the U.S. team to San Francisco for its match Friday against Japan.
SNUBBED AGAIN. Of the three international matches being played in Northern California this winter, none will be held at Spartan Stadium in San Jose.
Mexico beat Norway, 2-1, Jan. 25 at Monster Park (formerly Candlestick Park) in San Francisco. The U.S. plays Japan Friday night a bit further north at SBC Park (formerly Pac Bell Park and soon-to-be AT&T Park). On Saturday afternoon, South Korea — a 3-0 winner over the Galaxy Wednesday night — plays Costa Rica at the (MacAfee) Oakland Coliseum.
Spartan had been proposed as a site for the South Korea match, but the match was moved to Oakland, partially because Coach Dick Advocaat declined to play at Spartan, citing the tight confines. Advocaat should know: he played three seasons (1978-1980) with the NASL Chicago Sting and on at least one occasion slid into the retaining wall surrounding the field while making a tackle.
The surface has been widened since then and there's more room between the sideline and the new wall, but not that much. The dimensions and a conflict with playing dates prompted the switch to Oakland, which also had an NASL team, the Stompers, during Advocaat's first NASL season. But he joined the Sting after it had made its trip to Oakland that year.