2025-09-27, 11:00 PM - Word count:
It's been an up and down season in the Academy for Freddy Adu, but he had an unforgettable match against Sydney City (Matchday 7) where he showcased his true potential for any scouts in attendance. Coming into the match, Adu was having a very modest season in the middle of the pitch for Adowa. Despite have a reputation of excellent passing, he had not earned a single assist yet through 6 matches. His 3 goals were second on the team, but he had yet to really make his mark overall.
As he laced up his cleats that day, he could feel something was different - Adu was poised and ready to show off his talent. Sydney went up 1-0 early, but Adu hit Berendsen with a through ball in the 14th minute and Berendsen did the rest, burying it in the right side of the netting to even things up at 1. This was Adu's first assist of the season, giving him a huge boost of confidence. Things stagnated for a bit, but in the 65th minute Jay Cue Jr. hit Adu on a run in the box and he tapped it in for his 4th goal of the season, giving Adowa a 2-1 lead. After this, the floodgates seemed to open. In the 79th minute, Adu raced down the field with the ball attached to his feet, ripping a shot from outside the box and finding the bottom right corner of the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Just 2 minutes later, Berendsen drew a foul in the box and Adowa was awarded a penalty shot. Seeking his 3rd goal, Adu was given the nod. With newfound poise, Adu stepped up and fooled the keeper, placing it in the left side of the net for his first ever hat trick. Amazingly, the fun did not stop there. In the 95th minute, Adu took a pass from Berendsen and struck the ball on his first touch, a screamer past the keeper into the top left corner.
At the final whistle, Adu had 4 goals and 1 assist, leading Adowa to a 5-1 victory. This was good enough for a match rating of 10.0. Adu has yet to reach this high again in the following matches, but he'll always have this performance to remember.
As he laced up his cleats that day, he could feel something was different - Adu was poised and ready to show off his talent. Sydney went up 1-0 early, but Adu hit Berendsen with a through ball in the 14th minute and Berendsen did the rest, burying it in the right side of the netting to even things up at 1. This was Adu's first assist of the season, giving him a huge boost of confidence. Things stagnated for a bit, but in the 65th minute Jay Cue Jr. hit Adu on a run in the box and he tapped it in for his 4th goal of the season, giving Adowa a 2-1 lead. After this, the floodgates seemed to open. In the 79th minute, Adu raced down the field with the ball attached to his feet, ripping a shot from outside the box and finding the bottom right corner of the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Just 2 minutes later, Berendsen drew a foul in the box and Adowa was awarded a penalty shot. Seeking his 3rd goal, Adu was given the nod. With newfound poise, Adu stepped up and fooled the keeper, placing it in the left side of the net for his first ever hat trick. Amazingly, the fun did not stop there. In the 95th minute, Adu took a pass from Berendsen and struck the ball on his first touch, a screamer past the keeper into the top left corner.
At the final whistle, Adu had 4 goals and 1 assist, leading Adowa to a 5-1 victory. This was good enough for a match rating of 10.0. Adu has yet to reach this high again in the following matches, but he'll always have this performance to remember.
![[Image: gmSTbwI.png]](https://i.imgur.com/gmSTbwI.png)
