One Friday evening late last month, after the rain had come and gone, Freddy Adu drove his black Cadillac sedan into a parking lot in the Locust Point neighborhood of South Baltimore. He walked to a field where some 13-year-old boys in red and white jerseys were kicking around a soccer ball. "There's Freddy," one of them said. "Hey, Freddy!"
Soon Adu was leading them through a drill. Each would take a turn sending him a pass and then sprinting off to the right. With a single deft touch, Adu would redirect the ball to their feet. "In front of you," Adu said.