Oguchi Onyewu's health status has been kept a secret in recent weeks, but video has surfaced showing Onyewu training with club team AC Milan.
While AC Milan has not formally announced that Onyewu is back training with the team, this video would suggest that he is back training with the first team. The video, taken from Tuesday's training session, does not show actual game play so it is still unclear how far along Onyewu is, but from the short video it does appear as if he is healthy enough to do conditioning and agility drills with the team.
Onyewu has been sidelined since last October after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in the U.S. national team's World Cup qualifying draw vs. Costa Rica last Oct. 10. The original timetable for Onyewu to return was miss six months, which he reached almost two weeks ago. It is unknown when exactly Onyewu resumed training.
Onyewu did some light conditioning work with the U.S. national team in late February and joined the team in Amsterdam for its friendly vs. the Netherlands. Most recently, Onyewu had been in California having his knee checked out.
AC Milan has four matches remaining in its season, a tough stretch that includes games vs. Palermo, Fiorentina, Genoa and Juventus. Milan has fallen out of the Serie A title race, and have a firm hold on a Champions League spot, so Onyewu could potentially see some playing time in the team's final matches, assuming he can regain full fitness.
Starting to feel better about Onyewu being back in time for the World Cup? Still worried until you see him playing in a game?
Share your thoughts below.
I have been checking here everyday hoping for a status update.
I think Gooch is warming up with the team and then likely breaking off to do individual rehab. If he were back he would be announced by a ACM presser.
Gooch is still long way from actaully playing…good luck to him though.
Great news! Anyone heard anything on CD9 recently?
Gooch is very much a confidence player, having been out for months, he is not going to be able to jump back into the hot seat. One poor game in the qualifiers and he’s as good as dead for the rest of the tournament.
Saying that, we’ll be playing defense every game after the qualifiers and no one is better at defending the 18 than Gooch so we will need him.
All comes down to the friendlies for me – if he is playing 90% than he starts, if he blows a Bornstein he sits the bench.
Saying that: Who then becomes our starting back 4?
Spector-Goodson-DeMerit-Boca
Best cb in the pool. Hence the interest from Milan in the first play. Dominant in Belgium. These critics of Gooch’s “oafishness” would prefer small, “positionally” smart cbs a la Parkhurst? Get out of here with this foolish contrarian bs.
I giggled.
it looks half full.
I saw gooch running through the woods outside Mt. Shasta. I took a photo but it came out real grainy.
That’s an old video!
Gooch is dead! Gooch is dead! Gooch is dead!
There is a video of Gooch on that website from 19 April. The team appears to be warming up and you see Gooch at 51 seconds (of a minute long video). He’s wearing spandex-like knee wrap and still looks injured. Link to video: http://milantime.acmilan.com/it-milanello-allenamento_a_milanello-c-19-0-11364-0
Luckily you are not Bob Bradley.
Unlike what some crazy people like to think, Gooch is extremely athletic. Not even close to oaf-ish.
Sorry – I meant “half empty”.
Milan are keeping it a secret because they had a secret plan to unleash Gooch as a SECRET WEAPON against Palermo. Now that the secret is out, the weapon isn’t secret anymore, and we won’t be seeing him. A pity, really.
Why are Milan keeping this secret? Ives, can you get us an interview??? I’d love to know what exactly is going on with Gooch.
May I ask a question of the more medically informed around here? OK, thanks:
Was Gooch’s injury something he was probably bound to get (or inclined to get) at any point? Or was it just a freak moment in time — just random happenstance?
I ask because if it’s the former, then I can feel a little less aggrieved at the universe about the whole thing. If it’s the latter, then I’ll go ahead and continue cursing the arbitrary fate that pulled the rug from under his feet, just as he’d landed one of the greatest U.S. soccer transfers of all time…
Why are the most troll-ish comments always right near the top, where they wind up derailing the entire thread before it can really get going?
So annoying.
Hey — I was wondering if they were going to let him take a pass on going under those hoops…not because he’s hurt, but because he’s so big. However, he seemed to take them a lot more nimbly than did a lot of other, smaller players, who bent over too low and had to use hands to balance.
And, Gooch didn’t jump high in traffic. He was pretty much unmarked, but I’d say the errant (too long) cross and the wet field led to an awkward take-off and landing.
Jeez, I’d hate to see what your half empty glass looks like.
i dont think you know what “glass half full” means.
Like others, I’m encouraged to see him out there but that footage didn’t show him doing anything at all vigorous.
Can he slide tackle or jump high in traffic to head a cross (that’s how he got hurt)?
Hopefully he’s at least doing some scrimmaging by now in addition to appearing in whatever Tai Chi or yoga videos AC Milan decides to put on its website.
You’re quite the joke ster aren’t you.
I guess I’m a glass half full kind of guy. The original prognosis had him back 2 weeks ago, and yet all he’s doing, from what we have confirmed, is conditioning and agility drills? I’m definitely not ready to celebrate yet.
he has an excellent airial game but ground game is weak at best.
worried until i see him with the ball. Same with Davies.
Seeing is believing!
actually I’m not happy with this report. he was already doing light training a month ago! if he is still doing that to me sounds like another J.Jones, discomfort when training and stuck in that for months.
Glory! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
i miss u Gooch. let’s kill England!
This is good news!
That’s what it sounds like.
Heck, he’s training with the big boys, I think it’s safe to say that they’re at least thinking about getting him in there soon.
I don’t think passing up on the guy who single handedly forced the entire Conferations Cup to resort to short corners would be wise. His presence alone will make other teams change their tactics.
wawawawaaaaa…debbie downer’s here. oh yeah!
Yeah right Onyewu was so bad on d in Belgium…his team won the league. Repeatedly.
Given Nesta’s age and health, not to mention the mediocre play of other Milan defenders this season I expect Leonardo wants to give Onyewu a little run out now – to decide what to do with him next.
This is awesome! I don’t think Gooch is overrated either.
I didn’t say anything about his talent being improved by warming the bench at AC Milan. But it must be an amazing atmosphere. And there is no fair comparison between Kenny’s reserve time at ManU and Gooch’s at Milan.
This is good news. For me, he needs to play in three out of four games to be in any consideration for a starting spot in the World Cup.
Kenny Cooper trained next to Ruud Van Nistelrooy at Man United. It might have done wonders for Cooper’s confidence but it didn’t translate into talent….
Does it give anyone else chills to see a Nats player training alongside Ronaldinho?
Even if he isn’t playing, just being in the presence of the best in the world has to do wonders for your confidence.
OT: Does anyone think Pep is mad at Henry for the Red Bulls rumors and is not playing him for the rumors?
OK, but you like the Gals. So, your opinion doesn’t matter.
I agree. He’s the most overrated player on our team, perhaps 2nd to Adu.
If I see him in a game, I will definitely wax hyperbolic. (don’t ask if that hurts)
We need Gooch for defending air attacks and team chemistry. Keep it going Gooch you’ll b fine.
Pass on Gooch? You’re nuts! He may be “oafish” but he wins EVERYTHING in the air. He moves well enough for what we need him to do.
Who do you want to see in his place? The US is full of talented CB’s … right?
I’m usually good at reading sarcasm, but this, Tom, I’m not sure about…
Hm, I think Onyewu was a starting quality CB for the nats when he was ballin with Standard. However, when he was in poor form in Belgium, he really stunk it up on national duty too. This is not a guy who can step in without match fitness and perform well.
I really dunno what’s gonna happen though, Boca and Demerit are more agile but they may struggle against top target players. For example, Heskey vs. Onyewu seems like a joke but Heskey vs. Boca is not so funny. Goodson does seem to play well, but he hasn’t had a lot of time against top opposition. I guess it’s for decisions like this that Bradley gets the big bucks.
AW YEAH!
Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh!!!!
AC Milan needs you and your country needs you! Go Gooch!
Actually, I was hoping he wouldn’t be fit for the World Cup. It is unlikely that he will get any playing time at Milano. Even when he played in Belgium he was pretty oafish on defense. I hope Bradley can control himself and pass on him this round.
Fantastic! Get this man on the pitch during a game, and I will start breathing again. But, this story made me start thinking about breathing, so we’re getting there.