Nigerian striker Fanendo Adi has won a historic MLS Cup 2015 with Portland Timbers after they defeated Columbus Crew 2-1 in the final.

Portland Timbers thus became the first Pacific Northwest team to win the MLS Cup.

The big striker, who is relatively unknown back in Nigeria, was denied a goal by Columbus Crew goalkeeper Steve Clark, who kept out his fantastic header in the 70th minutes and his super effort in the 90th minute.

Diego Valeri capitalised on a mistake by goalkeeper Steve Clark for the opening goal in the first minute as he blocked his effort to clear ball out to goal after he failed to hold on to a back pass.

Rodney Wallace scored the second goal to put Timbers 2-0 up in the seventh minute, before Sierra Leone’s Kai Kamara pulled one back in the in the 18th minute, when he cashed in on the Timbers goalkeeper's error.


cc: lalasticlala, henoric01
http://mtnfootball.com/news/591551/Nigerias-Adi-clinches-historic-MLS-Cup

Fanendo Adi (born 10 October 1990) is an Nigerian footballer who currently plays as a striker for the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.
Following his transfer from AS Trencin, Adi scored a goal in his F.C. Copenhagen debut against FC Vestsjælland on 25 August, despite not having his work and residency permit.[1]
On January 2011, Fanendo Adi, the then 19-year-old Nigerian striker, was invited for the second time by Ajax.[2]

Major League Soccer:
On 13 May 2014, Adi went on loan with the option to buy to Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. He made his debut coming on as a substitute against Columbus Crew and got the game tying assist which earn him a start in the following match.[3] Adi scored his first and second goals, in the second half for the Portland Timbers on 28 May 2014, against Chivas USA in his first start for the club. On 7 June he received his second start and scored two goals in the first half against Real Salt Lake.[4]
Adi was signed permanently by Portland Timbers on 23 June 2014. He become the club's fourth ever Designated Player.[5]


Honors:
Portland Timbers
• MLS Cup (1): 2015
• Western Conference (Playoffs): 2015



Hello siasia, here is another Nigerian that can add bite to the U23 if we qualify for the Olympics
lets go there

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat

Nice one. He should keep it up

I have never heard of this guy until today. Is this an advert to get him into the National Team? Except of course that its powers that be that decide that not entirely by merit.

Dats gud

I Love Nigeria no mata wat.
Its d only country where Jesus sends u message on Whatsapp and threatens to kill u if u dont forward it to 10 people.

product to much . Like water

Congratulations to him.

I know some people are inching to know where in Nigeria he comes from.

Congratulations

Congrats#keepreppin

From remote Nigeria to the center stage:


Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi lifted his arms in elation and ran toward the sidelines smiling from ear to ear. His teammates followed, embracing him in a giant hug as they jumped up and down in excitement.

The 25-year-old had just scored the go-ahead goal in Los Angeles off a penalty kick to give the Timbers a 2-1 lead over the reigning MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy. This, a scant three minutes after Adi had recorded the equalizer, turning and firing a beautiful left-footed shot into the net.

On the field, he exuded confidence.

"Adi has never been more bought in," Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. "He loves it here. He wants to win. Guys love him. He's playing hard. He's playing big."

Adi has been the main offensive weapon in an otherwise lackluster Timbers attack this season. He leads Portland with an MLS club record 15 goals and has recorded five goals in the last four games to help the Timbers (14-11-8, 50 points) earn three critical wins. With Adi leading the way, Portland has jumped back above the red line into fourth place in the Western Conference standings with one game left in the regular season.

And Adi couldn't be happier.

After spending six years bouncing around different clubs in Europe looking for the right fit, Adi feels like he belongs in Portland.

"All along, I've been trying to find a perfect fit and I think here is a great fit for me," Adi said. "I'm pleased to be in Portland."

Adi grew up playing soccer, barefoot, in a remote village in Benue State, which sits in the middle of Nigeria.

When his parents sent him on errands, the budding soccer star would often get sidetracked and instead end up playing soccer in the streets. He would spend hours running up and down the sandy lots alongside other children, completely forgetting about the errands, even though he knew he'd be in trouble when he came home.

Adi still remembers his first pair of "cleats." The shoes were a gift from a friend and Adi was so excited to have real boots that he didn't even realize that they were American football cleats. The first time he went in for a tackle, he accidentally cut his opponent's leg with the spikes.

"They looked like soccer shoes,'" Adi said. "I was excited because basically before that I played without shoes."


Despite his humble beginnings, Adi quickly rose up the ranks. An agent noticed him playing when he was 15 and invited him to come to a tryout in Lagos, Nigeria's teeming metropolis.

Adi's parents weren't pleased. They wanted their son to focus on his education and earn a college degree. But Adi couldn't pass up the chance to chase his dream.

"My family didn't want me to travel anywhere to go play football," Adi said. "They wanted me to go to school. At the end of the day, I had to lie to my family to go play football."

Adi arrived at the tryout expecting to be one of 65 players competing for 10 spots in the Brazilian Soccer School, a well-regarded soccer academy in Lagos. Instead, 400 boys showed up to the tryout.

The lean and tall striker had just 10 minutes to show off his skills, but it was enough.

"Out of 400 players, he ended up choosing just me," Adi said. "I was the one that came from a very small village and became the chosen one out of 400."

"... he's learning to embrace how big and strong and mean he can be." - Caleb Porter
Adi spent the next six months honing his game at the Brazilian Soccer School, before being sent to a tryout for second-division club AS Trenčín in Slovakia. The tryout lasted just 30 minutes, but once again Adi made an impression.

He was offered the chance to leave Nigeria to play professional soccer.

"I was pretty lucky because the owner of the club was basically there to see my tryout," Adi said. "It was just 30 minutes and they decided to give me a contract."

In 2014, Adi was offered the chance to join Danish Superliga side FC Copenhagen. He traveled to Denmark excited to continue to build his career in Europe, but the coach that brought Adi to Copenhagen was fired only days after he arrived.

A new coach came in with his own crop of players and style of play and Adi realized that he might need to look for another opportunity.

When he was offered the chance to come to America and join the Timbers on loan, he jumped at it.

"It became complicated, knowing that the coach that brought you to the team has been fired," Adi said. "Coming to America was a decision that was very easy, knowing that the club wanted me and the coach wanted me."

In his first five games in Portland, Adi recorded two braces, prompting the Timbers to sign him as a designated player.

But Adi's transition to MLS wasn't seamless. The striker went through long scoreless droughts in 2014 and early 2015, causing Porter to replace Adi in the lineup in select games with Timbers forward Maximiliano Urruti.

Still, over time, Adi has shown just how valuable he can be for the Timbers.

"He's been great," Timbers defender Jorge Villafana said. "He's been doing a great job on top holding the ball and scoring goals."

Adi is still young and Porter said he is continuing to evolve as a player. This year, Porter has tried to help Adi simplify his game and worked on finding ways to play to his strengths. He sends Adi a text before every game, reminding the 6 foot 4 striker to "play big."

"He's a guy that as big as he is, sometimes he doesn't play that big or in the past he hasn't," Porter said. "But he's learning to embrace how big and strong and mean he can be."

With the Timbers on the cusp of earning a playoff berth, Adi has never felt more motivated to succeed.

He has grown into his shoes and is living out his dream.

"In soccer, nothing is easy," Adi said. "Of course, we've had our ups and downs, but I came here to play and that's just what I'm doing."

good for his career, keep it up.

IAMTHEHERO:
My fellow Nairalanders, please you people should judge this ooo.
I express my view on THE MIDINGHT VOTING THAT TOOK PLACE IN BAYELSA.
One APC supporter called me "mumu"
I replied him back within the context of mumu he called me.
One moderator bans me from politics section.
THIS IS INJUSTICES, PARTIALITY AND IMPUNITY.
Who knows how l can reach Seun on this?

1st locate lalasticlacla[I hope I even got d spelin ryt] or the new lai on board VIVIAN GIST.

OK

IAMTHEHERO:
My fellow Nairalanders, please you people should judge this ooo.
I express my view on THE MIDINGHT VOTING THAT TOOK PLACE IN BAYELSA.
One APC supporter called me "mumu"
I replied him back within the context of mumu he called me.
One moderator bans me from politics section.
THIS IS INJUSTICES, PARTIALITY AND IMPUNITY.
Who knows how l can reach Seun on this?

create a thread and call seun' attention to it. Hopefully the mod won't hide it before seun sees it. Otherwise troll every thread like you're doing now and keep complaining until seun sees it.

Who mls help

Afam4eva:
I know some people are inching to know where in Nigeria he comes from.

as if you're not one of them

Another Blogger buys hows in The Uk.......

From remote Nigeria to the center stage:

Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi

Congrats

.

I rep Nigeria

God bless Nigeria

robosky02:


Fanendo Adi (born 10 October 1990) is an Nigerian footballer who currently plays as a striker for the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.
Following his transfer from AS Trencin, Adi scored a goal in his F.C. Copenhagen debut against FC Vestsjælland on 25 August, despite not having his work and residency permit.[1]
On January 2011, Fanendo Adi, the then 19-year-old Nigerian striker, was invited for the second time by Ajax.[2]

Major League Soccer:
On 13 May 2014, Adi went on loan with the option to buy to Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. He made his debut coming on as a substitute against Columbus Crew and got the game tying assist which earn him a start in the following match.[3] Adi scored his first and second goals, in the second half for the Portland Timbers on 28 May 2014, against Chivas USA in his first start for the club. On 7 June he received his second start and scored two goals in the first half against Real Salt Lake.[4]
Adi was signed permanently by Portland Timbers on 23 June 2014. He become the club's fourth ever Designated Player.[5]


Honors:
Portland Timbers
• MLS Cup (1): 2015
• Western Conference (Playoffs): 2015



Hello siasia, here is another Nigerian that can add bite to the U23 if we qualify for the Olympics
lets go there

Siasia ke? I guess you wanted to type Oliseh. Person born in 1990 for U23? E possible sha...........only in naija