CRUSH OF FANS GREETS PHENOM ADU, U.S. UNDER-17 TEAM LOSE TO MEXICO.

Byline: Lauren Gustus Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Freddy Adu was surrounded by so many autograph seekers he couldn't be seen. Such is the attention the 13-year-old forward, who already has been anointed the world's next great soccer player, receives.

Many of the estimated 4,000 fans who watched the U.S. under-17 national team lose 2-1 to Mexico in the Los Angeles Cup at the Lancaster Soccer Center came Sunday to see the heralded Adu.

Adu, the youngest player on the team by two years, was calm in the middle of a crowd of postmatch admirers as he dissected the United States' chances against Costa Rica, which it will play today at 10:30 a.m.

``Individually, they are better players (than Mexico), but that doesn't bother us. We just have to come and play,'' Adu said.

Adu seems unaware he's the most talked-about young player in the history of American soccer. But he understands his talent well.

His blistering moves leave opponents looking silly. On one play Sunday, he juked three Mexican defenders only to be fouled by a fourth before he was able to get off a shot. In February, he scored two goals in an exhibition game against the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.

``He was fouled a lot today,'' coach John Ellinger said. ``That's a tactic that started when we played in the final of the Dallas Cup against Tigres. They publicly said their tactic was to foul and take their chances with restarts.''

Adu, who received a six-figure offer from the Italian soccer club Inter Milan when he was 11, is marked tightly these days. Some of that is because of the media attention he's received; U.S. Soccer receives about 10 requests per week for the phenom, who already has been the subject of a three-page spread in Sports Illustrated.

``I think the (U.S. Soccer) Federation has done a good job of trying to balance his life for him,'' said Steve Sampson, the former U.S. and current Costa Rica national-team coach who was on hand for the U.S.-Mexico match. ``But it's very difficult for a man who is so young to have to deal with these kinds of pressures.''

In 1997, at age 8, Adu emigrated to the United States from Ghana with his mother, Emilia, and brother, Fro, after the family won a green-card lottery. Just more than a year ago, he moved to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he trains year-round. He'll turn 14 in June, and because of an accelerated studies program at Bradenton, he could graduate from high school before he turns 15.

Some have questioned the accuracy of Adu's age, but no one has made an official complaint. People just can't believe he's that good.

At 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds, Adu needs to mature physically. And because of his quick feet and megawatt smile that have many likening him to Pele, he'll have to quickly mature emotionally, as well.

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U.S. forward Freddy Adu (11) tries to evade a defender

Julio Cortez/Daily News