By FRANCO PANIZO
Oguchi Onyewu may have waited a little while to settle on a club, but he wasted no time in making his debut.
Onyewu made his first appearance for Charlton Athletic five days after signing with the Championship side, coming off the bench and playing the final 12 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday. The late cameo gave the 32-year-old centerback his first competitive minutes since May 3, when he started and went the distance in Sheffield Wednesday’s season finale defeat to Ipswich Town. Onyewu could return to action as soon as this Saturday, as Charlton visits Reading.
Danny Williams will also be hoping to have done enough during the midweek to play in that weekend fixture, as he earned his first start of the season for the Royals. Three days after serving as a substitute to officially come back from his injury, Williams got the nod and played 68 minutes in Reading’s 3-0 win over Cardiff City on Tuesday. The midfielder looks to be making further progress in his battle to return to top form, and his clean bill of health could pave the way for him to be called into the U.S. Men’s National Team’s camp in England and the Republic of Ireland later this month.
One player who will not look back too fondly on his Tuesday match is Michael Orozco. The veteran defender fell alongside with Puebla in the Copa MX Final, losing 4-2 on penalty kicks to Santos Laguna after a 2-2 draw. Orozco played the full 120 minutes, but did not take an attempt during the heartbreaking shootout.
Tim Howard, meanwhile, enjoyed some more success in his latest tournament appearance. Howard backstopped Everton and made two saves as the first-placed Toffees picked up a 3-0 triumph over Lille in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday that improved them to 2-0-2 in Group H. Everton has not yet secured advancement, but can if they beat second-placed Wolfsburg at the end of the month.
Here is how the Americans Abroad did during the midweek action:
ENGLAND
Premiership
- Tim Howard started, played 90 minutes and made two saves in Everton’s 3-0 win vs. Lille in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
- Brad Friedel did not dress in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 win vs. Asteras Tripoli in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Championship
- Tim Ream started and played 90 minutes in Bolton Wanderers’ 3-0 win vs. Cardiff City on Tuesday.
- Danny Williams started and played 68 minutes in Reading’s 3-0 win vs. Rotherham United on Tuesday.
- Emerson Hyndman dressed but did not play in Fulham’s 2-2 draw vs. Blackpool on Wednesday.
- Eric Lichaj came off the bench and played 58 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 loss vs. Brentford on Wednesday.
- Zak Whitbread did not dress in Derby County’s 3-2 loss vs. Huddersfield Town on Tuesday.
- Brek Shea dressed but did not play in Birmingham City’s 2-1 win vs. Watford on Tuesday.
- Will Packwood did not dress for Birmingham City.
- Jonathan Spector did not dress for Birmingham City. He is recovering from a thigh injury.
- Oguchi Onyewu came off the bench and played 12 minutes in Charlton Athletic’s 2-2 draw vs. Leeds United on Tuesday.
GERMANY
Bundesliga
- Fabian Johnson started and played 90 minutes in Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 2-0 win vs. Apollon Limassol in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
- Joe Gyau did not dress in Borussia Dortmund’s 4-1 win vs. Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. He is recovering from a knee injury.
- David Yelldell did not dress in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 win vs. Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
BELGIUM
- Sacha Kljestan started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in RSC Anderlecht’s 3-3 draw vs. Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
AUSTRIA
- Conor O’Brien started and played 90 minutes in FC Magna Wiener Neustadt’s 4-2 loss vs. SV Grodig on Wednesday.
MEXICO
- Michael Orozco started and played 120 minutes in Puebla’s 4-2 penalty kick loss after a 2-2 draw vs. Santos Laguna in the Copa MX final on Tuesday.
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What do you think of these performances? Still wishing Onyewu would have decided to sign in MLS? Think Williams earns a USMNT call-up this month, or is it too soon?
Share your thoughts below.
I know he isn’t getting regular minutes, but it’s really nice to see this in an American’s Abroad recap:
“Sacha Kljestan started, played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in RSC Anderlecht’s 3-3 draw vs. Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday”
he looked really good from what i saw of the game. if he had been less of a goddamn american and gone down under contact in the box, he would’ve drawn a penalty when the game was still scoreless. kind of interesting that he’s not getting more minutes.
The first of Arsenal’s goals, a pk, came as a direct result of him losing the ball with his team completely out of position. Major Blunder.
ah. well, i certainly wasn’t trying to re-open the discussion on calling him up. he’s shown that he’s just not good enough.