Europe

Freddy Adu and Who?

SL Benfica’s Freddy Adu now finds himself competing in France on a season-long loan with AS Monaco.  Here is a closer look at the some of his Ligue 1 teammates.

Flavio Roma:  The captain of the squad, the 34-year-old Italian goalkeeper was rumored for a return to his native country this summer but appears to be staying with Monaco where he has played since 2001. 

Lucas Bernardi:  The 30-year-old Argentine defensive midfielder has also been with the club since 2001.  He has made five senior appearances for Argentina since 2004.

Nikola Pokrivač: The 22-year-old Croatian midfielder made the final cut for Euro 2008 for his country and even competed against Poland in the final group match.  He joined Monaco early in 2008 and made several league appearances playing in the defensive midfield role.  He is also versatile enough to play along the back four.

Dario Šimić:  The 32-year-old Croatian defender is the only player in his nation’s history with 100 caps.  He also factored into the Euro 2008 match against Poland.  Dario can play anywhere along the back four but normally attends to the center of defense.

Camel Meriem: The 28-year-old French midfielder is one of Monaco’s most trusted playmakers.  He is an excellent passer with keen vision who should benefit with the addition of Adu. 

Jérémy Menez: The 21-year-old midfielder has been compared to Zinedine Zidane as he was the youngest player ever to win the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award.  Known for his dribbling and pace, he should find himself on the end of several of Adu’s passes this year.