Latest bollocks from Yanks Abroad: Onyewu at the Toon

[acrossthepond 752]

Living in Belgium, I have spent many weekends making the hour-plus drive from my humble home near the city of Mons to the outskirts of Liège, and the borough known as Sclessin.

 

In this little district of Liège, set against the Meuse River, stands a bold red stadium where Royal Standard de Liège - and until today, Oguchi Onyewu - play soccer.

 

I've watched Gooch grow and mature as a player at Stade Maurice Dufrasne, as well as in various stadiums around the Kingdom of Belgium: Gent, Genk, Brugge, Lierse, Westerlo, even beautiful downtown Charleroi.

 

I've seen the US defender play against Spanish, French and Romanian opposition. I've seen him receive more than his share of cards, including expulsions just for playing the game the way it's supposed to be played - hard and full of grit.

 

I read last year that soccer giants Manchester United were after the American colossus, as well as other Premiership teams. Standard's own management even confirmed a multi-million dollar offer before the start of the current season.

 

Then there was the transfer speculation this month - will he go to Porto? How about Olympique Lyon? No? There was talk of Italian teams wanting the USA's top defender. As if they don't have enough talent on their side, Chelsea's name was batted around as well.

 

We all know now that the deal has been done, but how many of us were tipping Newcastle?

 

It reminds me of how I hard I laughed when the north England club's name came up at a point in the movie "Goal!".

 

After the main character of the film is scouted by the Magpies, he asks, "Is it a big club?" The Englishman replies, "A very big club."

 

With all the talk about him up on Tyneside, having his blood pressure checked and being told to jump on the scales, I still didn't believe he'd go - or even think that he'd look good in black and white stripes, unless it was perhaps an Armani suit.

 

Glenn Roeder had said only a few days ago that he wasn't after Onyewu, he had other people in mind. I guess coaches, managers, press officers, chairmen and agents are allowed to lie.

 

I think we all expect this silly dishonesty and media speculation. Look at all the teams he was linked to. I wonder how many of them he actually visited or even had contact with at some stage.

 

A BBC Sports page that read "Newcastle sign US defender Onyewu" wasn't enough to convince me. I didn't consider it done until I'd heard it from the man himself via SMS.

 

Having spoken frequently with the central defender after Standard's games over the past few months (seven wins, two draws, zero losses), which is also just about when these new rumors started flowing, the Belgian press would always ask him about where he would be moving in January.

 

With a flash of that big Gooch grin, he'd always reply with 'no comment' and carry on talking about the game that had just ended.

 

Though equally as curious, I stopped asking about the rumors after a while because I could see that the questions were becoming tedious and the answers not something he wanted to discuss with anybody. He'd let me know when he was ready to talk.

 

So now we are once again at the stage where an American has moved to what is arguably the best league in the world.

 

With suitors seemingly lined up around the corner, it may strike some as odd that the future of American soccer would sign for middle-of-the-standings Newcastle United when he might have been playing in the Champions League with Chelsea or Lyon or Porto next season.

 

Though Newcastle have seen better days, you've got to believe that Double O is just as shrewd and calculating off the field as on.

 

He probably could have moved to a bigger club than Standard Liège a couple of years ago, but I am certain that the ex-Clemson Tiger was just biding his time, picking up first team soccer and a ton of experience along the way.

 

He made his breakthrough for lowly La Louvière in the Jupiler League in the 2002/03 season as a loanee from Metz, where he had been cast aside. He was loaned to Liège the following season, and someone eventually realized who they had in their midst.

 

Today, many American players snub the Belgian league, preferring to run off to first or second division teams in Scandinavia or even third division clubs in Germany, where the money is most likely better.

 

They seem to end up playing in leagues nobody but the locals really care about. When is the last time anyone caught a Tippeligaen game on ESPN2?

 

In the last two years, Onyewu has played in the UEFA Cup, Champions League qualifiers, the Gold Cup and the granddaddy of them all, the World Cup, all while suiting up for a big team in a small country.

 

While a loan is not what anyone was expecting, this six-month stint up in the north of England is just another step up the ladder for Mr. Onyewu.

 

The way I see it, all Gooch wants to do is become the best defender that he is capable of becoming and the only way he can do this is to play against the best players and the best teams in the world - he had outgrown his surroundings.

 

In April, he'll go up against two of the world's best goalscorers in Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba of Chelsea.

 

This is a giant step up from "that Turkish guy who scores for Anderlecht" and "the dude who used to play for Villa, but now puts them away for Club Brugge".

 

I think you'll see the DC native play at Newcastle United until the end of the Premiership season, and if he thinks he's ready for a bigger stage, you'll see him pulling the shirt of a bigger, more successful club over his head.

 

After all, the United States' future 'best ever defender' is not going to go to work forever dressed up like one of those guys at your local Foot Locker.

 

This clown can't think of anything more substantial to say than to question the color of our strip, but he still has it in him to mock "middle-of-the-standings" Newcastle. What a clown. The whole site is decorated with Fulham gear and info - perhaps remind this bloke when the last time Fulham FC won shit all was?

[Jigsaw's Juggernaut 0]

What a total prick

[Lazarus 0]

Part of what he says makes a lot of sense.

 

gooch uses the toon to pick up some experience at a higher level and moves to a bigger club assuming he continues his development.

[The Fish 9382]

if he's that good surely a bigger team would have already popped their hat into the ring...

 

I reckon this is mostly an American getting far too excited about another American playing a sport dominated by non-Americans.

 

it's a more literate version of GOOCH IS AWESOME OMGLOLZ!!!!11

[Lazarus 0]

if he's that good surely a bigger team would have already popped their hat into the ring...

 

I reckon this is mostly an American getting far too excited about another American playing a sport dominated by non-Americans.

 

it's a more literate version of GOOCH IS AWESOME OMGLOLZ!!!!11

 

after whats happenned with tevez and mascherano?

[The Fish 9382]

if he's that good surely a bigger team would have already popped their hat into the ring...

 

I reckon this is mostly an American getting far too excited about another American playing a sport dominated by non-Americans.

 

it's a more literate version of GOOCH IS AWESOME OMGLOLZ!!!!11

 

after whats happenned with tevez and mascherano?

 

I think that had more to do with shady dealings with the organisation behind the move than the ability of Tevez and Mascherano though.

[Tom 13921]

People just like to have a dig at us to be honest.

 

 

 

Its like leeds being bottom of the championship...

 

We had a chance of success in the last decade and squandered it...

[newcastlebroon 0]

I fucking love this team

[Fop 1]

 

 

it's a more literate version of GOOCH IS AWESOME OMGLOLZ!!!!11

 

Yup, pretty much.

[Zathras 234]

There was a bid lodged from Real Madrid and interest credited to AC Milan, so it's not like the big clubs weren't interested.

 

YanksAbroad is focused on Fulham because Fulham has been the Premiership club to embrace American players more than any other. It's just playing to an audience. Not that I've ever detected a Fulham bias on the site in several years of reading it.

 

For all the shit people on this board give Spurs fans, you guys sure get wound up easily about people questioning the kit of the great and wonderful NUFC.

[Fop 1]

There was a bid lodged from Real Madrid and interest credited to AC Milan, so it's not like the big clubs weren't interested.

 

YanksAbroad is focused on Fulham because Fulham has been the Premiership club to embrace American players more than any other. It's just playing to an audience. Not that I've ever detected a Fulham bias on the site in several years of reading it.

 

For all the shit people on this board give Spurs fans, you guys sure get wound up easily about people questioning the kit of the great and wonderful NUFC.

 

 

Insults the US flag and waits for the invasion....

[@yourservice 67]

if he's that good surely a bigger team would have already popped their hat into the ring...

 

I reckon this is mostly an American getting far too excited about another American playing a sport dominated by non-Americans.

 

it's a more literate version of GOOCH IS AWESOME OMGLOLZ!!!!11

 

Correct,and if they had of?then we would have signed nobodyand the pulling power of Roeder might have finally sunk in to those that think we will sign better than what we have already have.

 

which is shit.

 

 

 

*hic

Edited February 4, 2007 by @yourservice