Adu plays 'reckless' in Union debut

SEBASTIEN LE TOUX scored two goals on penalty kicks in the Union's 2-2 tie with FC Dallas on Saturday night at PPL Park.

So much for the game.

The big news was Freddy Adu's debut as a member of the Union.

The 22-year-old started the game in midfield and played 61 minutes before being substituted for by Danny Mwanga. His only appearance on the stat sheet was a yellow card for a "reckless tackle" in the game's 27th minute.

"You always have to get the first one out of the way," Adu said on the team's website. "I have to get involved more . . . I got to get on the same page as the rest of the guys. We have a great team, man, we are going to be hard to beat."

"We gave [Adu] a start," Union manager Peter Nowak said. "You can still see he needs game fitness. I think he understood the concept of the 60 minutes he played. He is going to get more dangerous if he is going to move from place-to-place. We have to figure out the tactical part, we have to see where he fits in our system. For the first time, it was good to have him."

"I was always trying to force things when I got to a new place," said Adu, who had played at seven "new places" before joining the Union. "But today, I tried to let the game come to me and it did, especially in the second half."

"It's obviously not easy to come into a team, practice with them 1 day, and then sort everything out," said defender Danny Califf. "He showed some flashes of what he can be."

Le Toux' goals came in the game's 33rd and 84th minutes. The goals were his second and third of the season, all on PKs, after scoring 14 goals in 28 MLS games last season.

The victory kept the Union in second place in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, three behind first-place Columbus. The Union and Crew meet Saturday night in Columbus with a rematch set for Sept. 17 at PPL Park.

By which time, Freddy Adu should be a better fit in the Union's plans.