Checketts perfect in his timing

Nobody knows whether Real Salt Lake will be here in 2009, or whether Major League Soccer will survive. But this much should be obvious to almost anyone: Club owner Dave Checketts knows a marketing opportunity when he sees it.

He didn't spend all those years running Madison Square Garden for nothing.

On the same day RSL revealed its financial plan to the public, it also had one other little item to announce: It had acquired America's most famous soccer player, Freddy Adu. Get set for Freddymania. There are bound to be Freddy shirts, Freddy socks, Freddy shorts and maybe even Freddy Fries. The kid who signed a professional contract at 14 — and added a $1 million endorsement deal — is now 17 and perhaps Salt Lake's most famous non-Jazz athlete.

"There's not too many players in the league who go by one name," said RSL general manager Steve Pastorino, "and anyone who has associated with MLS knows there's only one Freddy."

Move over Cher, Shakira, Bono, Oprah and all the other one-name superstars. Freddy is coming.

In terms of talent and profile, "I'll put him up with LeBron James," added Pastorino.

Truth is, Adu is still more famous than accomplished. He is a vastly gifted but unfinished player — albeit one who has been making coaches drool since he was 10. RSL coach John Ellinger met him at an under-17 camp in Florida when Adu was 12 and became a believer. Assistant RSL coach Peter Mellor once said, "Freddy is so natural that you don't coach him."

Adu scored two goals and had eight assists for DC United last season.

So Real gets a face for its two-year-old franchise, and Adu, who publicly feuded with his coach at United, gets a fresh start. Ellinger envisions Adu playing as a second forward or an attacking midfielder. In either case, he expects Adu will "be a major player in our attack and somebody who, when he gets the ball, is very electric."

Ellinger noted that in the four games RSL has played against United, Adu scored in three of them, "so we're happy we don't have to worry about playing against him any more."