Mexico’s Giovani dos Santos and the USA’s Freddy Adu were both tagged as the next superstars for their respective countries. And both have so far failed to live up the hype, now fringe players for their national teams. This year’s Gold Cup will provide an ideal venue for the startlets to prove they’re deserving of more playing time with their first teams.
As a teen, dos Santos had limitless potential. He was a star in the Barcelona youth system. He helped lead Mexico to the Under-17 World Cup Championship title in 2005, where he won the Silver Ball as the second best player in the tournament. Dos Santos, however, has struggled to impress at the club level. He failed to break through with Barcelona’s first team. He moved to Tottenham, but the club loaned him to second-division side Ipswich Town. Although dos Santos has enjoyed some success there, the club doesn’t quite represent the grand stage that many Mexicans once envisioned for the young player. Similarly, Freddy Adu was once dubbed a sure-fire national-team star. But the hype came too quick too soon for a young Adu, who joined the MLS at the ripe age of 14. He moved from D.C. United to Real Salt Lake and, despite a lack of production, moved across the pond to famed Portuguese club Benfica. Struggling for any consistent playing time, Adu moved again, to AS Monaco of the French League, where he has dealt with more of the same.
Although the expectations for both dos Santos and Adu have been lowered, both players have shown glimpses of their potential. And the Gold Cup provides an opportunity for both to break through on the international stage. Dos Santos recently enjoyed his best game for the senior side against Venezuela, scoring his first two goals and combining with Carlos Vela for another. At the Gold Cup, dos Santos will try to prove that he deserves a consistent spot on the national team. And Adu, who normally has a few national team players in front of him on the depth chart, might get the chance to take the reigns of the U.S. offense at the Gold Cup.