I know Marco Etcheverry. And you, Freddy Adu, are no Marco Etcheverry

Jan 17, 2013, 3:35 PM EDT

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Simon Borg and Alexi Lalas had an impassioned discussion during the MLS Draft — btdubs: nice job, guys. Seriously good/entertaining stuff throughout — regarding the future of Freddy Adu. The Philadelphia Union playmaker/enigma/disappointment/star/etc., once again, finds himself in career limbo, and the pair wondered about his future.

Lalas is of the opinion that very few teams would want Adu even if the Union ate a large portion of his outsized cap hit. That, I think, is the standard perception of Adu in 2013.

The outspoken Borg, on the other hand, had a very different take. The basic gist: Give the dude the keys! He believes Adu could be magic, could be the No. 10 the Union (and the league) needs, could perform miracles, could et. etc. etc. under the right circumstances, circumstances which he’s never. Borg — who loves his dramatic pronouncements — compared Edu to former D.C. United star Marco Etcheverry.

About that: I’m not buying. You cannot build an MLS team around Freddy Adu. He’s too unreliable, too inconsistent, too much trouble. There was, perhaps, a time when Adu could be the focal point of a team, but that time is long gone. And I think you could make a case that past teams used him wrong, but again, that time is over and done with.

In this debate, Lalas wins.

And then there’s this:

Philadelphia Union mgr John Hackworth says he does not expect Freddy Adu to be at start of training camp Monday. #doop #mls

— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) January 17, 2013

When asked if sale or transfer of Adu was imminent Hackwoth said “Possibly.” He then declined further comment. #doop #mls

— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) January 17, 2013

Now, let’s talk about Carlos Alvarez for a second. I think there’s a better chance Chivas USA’s newest first round pick is the man Borg/Lalas want than Adu. He’s quick, crafty, and willing to learn. He’ll do fine in Southern California, you just watch.

While you’re waiting to watch, here’s Alvarez talking about his future at Chivas. He doesn’t sound like a dude who is prepared to come in and take over, but we shall see.