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Onyewu goal pushes 10-man Sheffield Wednesday on in FA Cup

Oguchi Onyewu Sporting CP 2 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Oguchi Onyewu’s move to Sheffield Wednesday is looking like a stroke of genius right about now.

For the second straight week, Onyewu made an impact for the Owls but this time it came via a game-winning goal in an FA Cup tilt with fourth division Rochdale. Onyewu scored the winner in the 57th minute of the 2-1 triumph, and also helped Sheffield Wednesday finish off the game after they were reduced to 10 men because of a second yellow card to defender Joe Mattock.

Onyewu, who netted his first goal in a Sheffield Wednesday jersey by burying a shot from close range, turned in a 90-minute shift that should help him as he attempts to make it onto the U.S. Men’s National Team for the World Cup this summer.

Sheffield Wednesday’s win over Rochdale moved Onyewu and the Owls into the fifth round of the competition.

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What do you think of Onyewu’s winner vs. Rochdale? Do you see him sneaking onto the USMNT’s World Cup roster? Wishing he would have made move to Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the season?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Unlike any of the last several W.C.s there is enough depth on the USMNT that players who some people think should start will not even make the roster. In midfield and keeper, that might be less true, just because there is a small group of players who are clearly better than the rest, but at forward and in defense, there are lots of questions. There will be plenty of opportunity to second guess JK’s choices. Gooch is one of those who some think will not make the roster, while others believe he could be a starter..

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  2. Great start at Wednesday for him. Let’s see how it goes from here. Don’t get why everyone wants to jump to conclusions so quickly.

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  3. Guys, I love Gooch for what he did for us in the past but let’s please leave him there. He’s just too slow. He’s never been the same after his injury and I feel for him. But c’mon. He’s notgoing to Brazil. If he does, then we’re in bigger trouble than I htought.

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  4. Please, please, PLEASE stop talking about Gooch for the USMNT!

    Good for him to find a team where he can play his club football, but he has always been too slow, too clumsy, and too prone to bad fouls in bad places on the field. We haven’t needed him on the USMNT for a long time, and we don’t need him now!

    Please. Just stop.

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      • Well at least Roch is an actual League club, unlike the pipe-fitters & plumbers from Kidderminster that Jozy failed to score on

      • No $#!+. Everyone’s so excited he was just on the field in a game. He couldn’t score on a Conference team in the FA Cup and looked very off.

      • What about his assist in his first appearance for the club in league play last wee? Guch is a strong option with cons (as many mentioned) and pros (can’t deny his strength and aerial ability). Just watch and wait to see what develops this season.

  5. — Oguchi Onyewu’s move to Sheffield Wednesday is looking like a stroke of genius right about now.

    — FA Cup tilt with fourth division Rochdale

    One of these things is not like the other.

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  6. Thanks for the laughs but this isn’t serious, Gooch can’t play/run anymore. Rochdale is a semi-pro team playing at the lowest level of England soccer.

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  7. Great to have him back on the field hoping for more success at ShefWednesday, good club.

    With MLS opening day a couple days after the Ukraine game i hope guys like Gooch, Ream, Chandler, Williams, Brooks, Kljestan, Boyd & Green (?) get a chance over their esablished MLS counterparts.

    Still a lot of WC hopefuls that are on the outside looking in that desire a bit of Jürgen’s time.

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  8. I guess it all depends on if Klinsmann wants to take 3 or 4 centerbacks and what he plans on doing with Cameron. Either way great to see guys finding minutes and making a push. Klinsmann is going to have a lot of choices to make.

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    • Biggest decision for Klinsmann: does he want Brad Evans and Demarcus Beasley as his outside backs at a World Cup? If either one starts and gets torched by Ghana to cost the U.S. the match (which most agree is must win), there will be many questions asked. The second big decision is who is the best pairing in the middle; Gooch would simply be injury cover, if he does makes it.

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      • What I’m most worried about actually is the Jermaine Jones situation. If he can’t find a move after trying to force one, I think Schalke might not even dress him the rest of the season. Then I wouldn’t really put past Klinsmann to still start him. With the likes of KPB, Essien, and Asamoah the midfield is where that match will be won or lost against Ghana I think.

        Also is Boateng like Smith there or something? Theres like 6 of them.

      • That’s a great point. I’ve been worried about Jones too. While MB to MLS and a scoring drought for Jozy are the two headline-grabbers, the other half of our midfield engine is at risk of not playing unless he gets a move. I’m also wondering about his knee, he wanted that surgery in December and Schalke said no. So how bad is it? What sort of treatment has he gotten for it? And I hope he gets playing time somewhere soon.

    • I think my Defenders would be:
      RB: Cameron, Chandler, Evans
      CB: Besler, Gonzalez, Brooks, Ream
      LB: Johnson, Lichaj

      I think the Ream spot is highly debatable, but he seems to be doing well at Bolton. Plus he can be used as a CDM or LB, a quality Onyewu, Goodson, and Orzoco do not have. I don’t like Beasley, if he goes i think it has to be as a wide midfielder because of how short we are in that area. I admit I am a Lichaj junkie, so thats just me. Chandler deserves a call up, the whole “he isnt committed” stuff is bulldinky. Johnson is the best leftback in the pool, and we have good attacking options who can take his place.

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      • Didn’t Bolton give up like 6 to Reading last week? Not saying they were Ream’s fault but thats not a great sign.

      • a couple were certainly ream’s fault, and he had a horrible game. he’s also been having a great season.

        still can’t see him going to brazil, but i don’t think he’s all that far off.

      • He could have a chance, but I would of thought he’d of been called up by now if Klinsi wanted him enough because he’s played well all season

        @That_Guy

        I Klinsi were to bring Beasley it would be as a LB not as a winger. If he would of had that in mind he would of played him there already and F. Johnson in his natural position and how it been, vice versa.

        I think that when the WC comes around, enough wingers will of emerged that are playing regularly to place in front of F. Johnson, wether it’s Shea (even though I don’t rate him), Donovan, Zusi or Bedoya.

      • I agree with you about Ream, but think he still has the chance to get called in for games after the WC. Beasley is definitely coming to the WC, but he may be there simply for depth and leadership, not starting.

        As a friendly heads up, only your last use of the word “of” was correct, the others should instead have been “have”. I hope that’s helpful, and not nitpicky.

    • The further you go down the rungs of English football the more it’s about kickball, including when you play Rochdale in the FA Cup. Gooch is physically suited to bodying up to people and winning headers, if that’s what the task demands. What he lacks, particularly since the knee issues, is mobility. Look at the Byers goal against Antigua. I don’t think Boca, Dolo, or Gooch are of any use because they can’t run enough for international soccer.

      In fairness, I’d say the same thing about Goodson and some of the other options as well.

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  9. Great move for Gooch. As a long time Owl supporter I am happy for Gooch and the team. Let’s hope he establishes himself at the club,…they avoid relegation and Gooch gets back in the USMNT frame.

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    • I am not sure the World Cup is a realistic possibility, but an honest question: if the final CB spot came down to Goodson and Gooch, who would you choose?

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      • Gooch. I remember some horrible games Goodsons had where he just looked so shaky and indecisive on the field and was at fault for goals.

        Gooch as so much experience at the highest levels I don’t see how you don’t take him. It would be like spurring Cherundolo if he’s healthy for..idk…Brad Evans

      • Goodson. Onyewu got torched by Cuba. Goodson has shown himself able to rise to the occasion within CONCACAF. It is CONCACAF, but results>no results

      • exactly!! glad you remembered that ugly game… guilty on the cuba goal for not covering properly when he had all the time in the world… but Castillo even more guilty for not knowing how to defend the left flank allowing the Cuban winger to get around him… a cuban winger, cuban!!

        I also remember how against better attackers Goodson just doesn’t cut it… He shoved and pulled a player giving up a stupid penalty against Russia… you see stupid plays like that in your local leagues I was so mad!

      • Yes Onyewu has always seeminlgly had the tendency to make mistakes like that, they dont happen often but when they consistently happen over time bad things are bound to happen. FWIW perousing Owls message board about Gooch, they’ve already pinned him with that tendency to make big mistakes once in a while, so far the rest of his play has more than made up for the occasional mistake but what happens if he costs them an important goal, that will change.

  10. Whether or not he makes the World Cup squad is immaterial for me. I am simply glad he is finding some early success at Wednesday and I hope it continues. Kudos to you, Gooch.

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      • If continues to play for Weds then he’ll be there. Redknap said as much,that he heard from Klinsmann he’d be their if fit and in form and I don’t see why he’d lie

        Makes sense. Most experienced CB we have. Wasn’t too long ago before Goodsons game in Mexico that ppl were frightened of the prospect of him being our primary backup and I for one still to this day don’t care for him much. At least not when stacked up against Gooch

        To think we’d bring J.A. Brooks, Gonzo, Besler and Cameron, all WC novices just because we don’t like Goodson as some ppl like to project is scary.

        Gonzo, Besler, Gooch and Cameron hypothetically is the strongest 4 CBs we could take. At any rate unless Ream emerges

      • Not sure that is more than Harry talking up a new signing. I love Gooch and I think he would be great in the locker room/training pitch but I am not sure he has any more mobility left. I would expect Brooks to take the 4th spot as long as he is healthy. If Gooch went I wouldn’t be unhappy though, especially if we get a win vs. Ghana and a tie against Portugal then start him vs. the German B team.

      • Keep dreaming… “Continues to play… and he’ll be there” . He scored a header against a Fourth Division team. The little I saw of his play lately, he looked painfully slow and flat-footed. The US has big strong CB’s that are better than him in almost every way. When you say he is one of our best 4 CBs, I don’t know what Gooch you are referring to but you are living in the past.

      • Didn’t say he was the one of our 4 “best” CBs. Also didn’t say playing and scoring a goal against a 4 div. side as evidence he deserves to be at the WC.

        Don’t falsify others comments because it illegitimatizes any opinions you have.

      • You said if he continues to play he’ll be there, so playing is evidence he’ll be there and I assumed that you also meant at least playing decently. If he had played and given up 2 goals and had a red card then you would not be making your statement. So the fact that he scored a goal is part of your argument.

        For your “4 strongest CB” comment, I guess I overlooked your “hypothetically” qualifier, but whatever. Hypothetically, Bocanegra, Demerit, blahblah, could be one of our strongest 4 CBs. And by strong I assume you mean good, not literally muscular.

      • When I said strongest group, it was with the inclusion of others factors like chemistry, experience, mental fortitude as well as talent.

        Your a joke

      • I say this as someone who has been disappointed that he hasn’t had a longterm opportunity at CB for club and thinks Cameron has an almost ideal skillset and physicality for the position….
        I’m just not sure how Cameron can be considered anything more than a 4th or 5th option/last ditch, emergency replacement at CB at this point. He has limited experience at the position in his career, a small handful at the international level where he was pretty inconsistent (understandable for a CB adjusting to the int’l game and team-mates) and even less in recent history. It’s asking an awful lot for him to step in against the likes of Ghana, Portugal and Germany out of sorts at the position and out of sync with his team there as well. The good news is he has looked damn solid at RB and does provide a solid utility-man off the bench elsewhere. In many ways, Cameron’s athletic ability to adapt to wherever you put him has thwarted his ability to maximize his ability… the ol’ jack of all trades master of none theory. At this point, I hope he stays at RB and really nails down the position- he sure seems well on his way in the EPL no less.

      • Have we not come to terms with the fact that Cameron is a right back now? I get the feeling that our 4 center backs in Brazil will be Gonzalez, Besler, JA Brooks, and Goodson.

      • Why would he feel the need to lie to the media about signing Gooch’s to a 6 month contract when they needed cover?

        Talking him up is one thing, but to say “Jurgen Klinsmann rung me about him, to recommend him…He said he’s going to be probably, almost certainly in his squad for the World Cup. And really he’s a big fan of his. He likes him very much. [Onyewu] needs to go and play somewhere because [Klinsmann] wants him for the World Cup.”

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