Sammy Adjei visits former club NYRB

It was great visiting the club that I have represented since I was 14 years old. Red Bull will forever hold a place in my heart. From playing in the academy, through college, and also working with the first team, I really grew up as a man and as a soccer player during my time at the club. I also met a lot of good people that I hold in the highest regard. Special thanks to Fernando, I love you Papa.

Link Below For Video/----->Near Header will also take you to link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_j6NfM5oAY

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

I met her when I was very young. I didn't know what that feeling I felt back then was, but today I can tell you it was infatuation, passion and love at first sight. She is one of those girls you have to work hard for, no matter how much of a catch you think you are. I knew I wanted her to be a part of my life forever! I knew from that day that we will always be together, even if she didn't know it yet. I put in the work for her and got to know more about her. She brought joy to my heart. Like any relationship the honeymoon phase didn't last for that long and the tough times came. Some days I felt I was getting the short end of the relationship. Like Donell Jones sings, "she gives me all her love, but only half the time". I would make all these plans for her and get stood up last minute. I got a bit tired of seeing her everyday but after going a few days without her, I'd find myself missing her again. To sum it all up some days I felt like, she loved me, she loved me not. Now if this kind of relationship sounds familiar then you can relate. You might be thinking about a significant other, but ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my relationship with the game of soccer.

I love the game and worked hard to get where I am today. I am still working hard because I have not reached the pinnacle of my goals. I love scoring goals and running past a defender. Body feint left, wait for the defender to fall for the fake, then I slide right and hear the crowd get excited as I run in on goal. Now it is just me and the goalkeeper. One on one and I would bet my house on putting this one away. I have trained this shot all week and all my life really. My muscle memory is so candid that I do not have to think about what to do next. I curl the ball around the keeper. I am already running towards the fans to celebrate, who even seem more certain that this is a goal than I do. Unfortunately, the ball hits the post and rolls out for a goal kick! Unbelievable! Soccer is my high and low. When soccer is going well I feel invincible. When it is not going well I just want to stay home and sulk for a bit. Any of my family, friends, and agent will tell you I love the game and sacrificed a lot for it. Soccer has helped me see the world and experience priceless times. Despite this, soccer has also resulted in injuries and a surgery. Soccer has led to me having low confidence during bad times on the field and me constantly putting pressure on myself to perform. I spend time at the gym and do extra before training and sometimes after. All in preparation for a game on the weekend. Some weekends the game goes well and I am ecstatic and other weekends I just feel unlucky and neglected by the game I love so much.

Even though there are ups and downs, I must admit that I love this game. Yes some times I feel she loves me, she loves me not. One thing is for sure though, we will be together for a very long time.

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A First Time For Everything

It was a cold November night, raining and quite windy. The grass on the pitch was very rough and slippery to say the least. It was basically a typical November night in Denmark! On this night Næstved Boldklub will be playing host to Superliga team FC Nordsjælland. I was very excited to start the game especially in the striker's position and spent the night before the game just following my pregame routine(will go more into pregame routine details in a different post). I expected my team to pull an upset and I knew I would play a big part in it, either scoring a goal or getting an assist. Training had gone well that week and this all added on to my confidence.

Kick off time arrives and the referee blows the whistle. In my first involvement of the game,I post up on the center back, get a feel of him to know exactly where he is behind me. I then check in towards the ball and then make a run deep towards the corner flag.I do this in the beginning to the test how fast or slow my defender is. 9 times out of 10 I see I am faster than him. Tonight should be a fun night!

Ten minutes into the game, I lose the ball for the first time to the center back. Prior to that my hold up play had been great and so I was a bit upset to lose that ball. As the defender goes to clear the ball, I slide tackle him and catch him a little bit late with my studs. I personally didn't think it was that bad of a challenge but of course he is rolling around as if he has been two-footed; one for the Oscars really. Yellow Card!! The referee puts my name in his book for the first time.

Twenty five minutes into the game and the match is scoreless. I was feeling sharp in my movement and in my combination play with my teammates. The past five minutes though have been a bit frustrating for me. I absolutely hate losing the ball and I think it is safe to say every professional soccer player does! I lose the ball twice in a row and this is not helping my team keep the ball and build an attack. On this particular occasion I fake a deep run and check in short for the ball to my feet. The defender follows me and I think, great, I am going to turn him. Unfortunately my first touch is not quite right and it turns into a 50-50 challenge.

As mentioned before it was a rainy night and the field was slippery. As I go into the challenge I slip and catch my opponent in the ankle. The referee blows his whistle and quickly approaches me. The entire stadium is so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I am thinking what everyone else is probably thinking. Red Card!! The referee sends me in for an early shower. I feel the decision is a bit harsh but nothing I can do now. The fans chant my name as I walk off the field and what transpired doesn't actually hit me until I am in the locker room. I can't believe it! I phone my father who picks up the phone in shock asking me if my game got cancelled. All I can say is, 'no dad, I got a red card! my first ever red! I didn't deserve it'. We will later get another red card before half time and some how still manage to go on and win the game! It was one of the most shocking results in the DBU Pokal.

I am an aggressive player but not a dirty one. In football, anything can happen. On that cold rainy night in November, I learned that there's a first time for everything.

Why Football?

It was during midweek when my mother picked my sister and I up after school to head to Accra Sports Stadium to watch my father play. The atmosphere was rather intimidating and despite all the noise in the stadium, a younger me still felt right at home. It was the first time I got to see my dad at work. He was a tough and intelligent defender. He was the captain of his team and led the team to a win, which led to the supporters chanting his name. From that day, I knew I wanted the same job he had. Fast forward to another match I saw which featured my uncle, the younger brother of my dad in my hometown Tema. Like my dad, he was also a crowd favorite for his side. The crowd chanted his name but not for being a tough defender but a pacey winger. He was the most skillful and flashy player on the field and he did what he wanted, when he wanted. From that day I knew I wanted to be the man scoring goals and showing my skills offensively.

I come from a footballing family and from childhood, all I knew was the game. I watched it so much that even back then, I knew every player's name and team. My favorite player growing up was the Brazilian Ronaldo. I recall my mother saying that when Brazil would lose, I would throw tantrums and refuse to eat for the entire day! I was always playing football when I could and when I was 9 years old I joined my first team and played the same position my Uncle did. I tried to emulate his skills while keeping the same intelligence and tenacity my dad played with. 

I am proud to say that my dad is an Olympian and holds a bronze medal from the 1992 Olympic Games which were held in Barcelona, Spain. Through my dad I met several of his teammates whom I absolutely adored. The likes of Abedi Pele, Anthony Yeboah and Samuel Osei Kuffuor will forever be legends in Ghanaian football. My dad showed me grit; that if I wanted to make it in football I had to always work hard and never give up. I had to sacrifice partying and going out with my friends on some weekends in order to be well rested for training and games. He showed me that if you put the work  in and you train like a professional then you will be successful. For that I say, thank you dad. 

Sammy Adjei Sr. and Sammy Adjei Jr

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sammi-adjei-of-ghana-in-action-during-their-match-against-news-photo/1917249?#jul-1992-sammi-adjei-of-ghana-in-action-during-their-match-against-picture-id1917249

Ghana U20 Journal from 06/25/12

Training has gone well here in Ghana, where I have been given the opportunity to play myself onto the U20 squad for a qualifying game against Uganda and a friendly against Egypt.  It has been great to be a leader back at Iona, and now this chance is very exciting for my future in soccer.

The training camp was grueling and eye-opening, but I definitely learned and improved as it progressed.  Rather than a three-day camp, as I had expected, it became a week-long session concluding with two local games.  In the first, I started and played 70 minutes, scoring one goal and assisting on another in our 5-1 win.  In the second, I was substituted in during the second half, and even managed to score our goal in the 1-1 tie.  When decision time would come, coach planned to select six or seven foreign players of the 19 at camp to join the team.

I have kept myself busy for a little while, training with Liberty Professionals FC, a professional team in the area.  I have also done interviews and had appearances on Asempa FM, a popular radio station, and The Daily Graphic, a popular newspaper.  The African style of play is especially tough and physical, so I need to stay in shape to play my best when given opportunities.  I am still adjusting to this style, but I have faith that everything will keep progressing.

Coach told me even before the official release of rosters that I was selected as one of the foreign players to be on his team.  It feels great that my hard work thus far has paid off.  I cannot wait to keep being a part of a national team.

Pick-up games are common here, especially on Mondays, when professionals come out to play and keep their game sharp.  I got to play with some famous soccer stars from this nation, and it has been a lot of fun.  In particular, it was great to meet Asamoah Gyan, a Ghana star who is a member of Al Ain.  Also, I met two members of the Ghana Black Stars, the senior national team.  Afriyie Acquah plays professionally for Palermo in Italy, and John Boye plays for Rennes.

I cannot believe how much more I have gotten out of this experience than I had expected.  I look forward to being part of the U20 Ghana team and proving that I can keep playing at a high level.