By DAN KARELL
Oguchi Onyewu has found himself in a familiar spot.
Following the end of the 2014/2015 Championship season, Charlton Athletic announced that they had parted ways with a number of players, including Onyewu. Onyewu only played three first team games for the Addicks, including one start in a 3-1 defeat last February against Middlesborough, and Onyewu made the game-day squad 11 other times but didn’t see action.
The 32-year-old centerback originally signed for Charlton on Halloween 2014, and extended his short-term contract through the end of the season on Dec. 29.
Onyewu’s latest news again leaves him looking for a club that will give him regular minutes. Since suffering a torn patellar tendon in Oct. 2009, Onyewu has only made 75 appearances, while bouncing from AC Milan to FC Twente, Sporting Club de Portugal, Malaga, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, and now Charlton.
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What do you think of this news? Where do you see Onyewu heading next?
Share your thoughts below.
Cosmos!
Dude as long as he can get paid more abroad. Stay there. Not a DP. Stay away MLS.
Gooch should come back to MLS…..take a pay cut to like $150,000 to $250,000 and play for DC United. He is younger (2 years) and more experienced than a beast like Jámison Olave who is still doing great. He would be a great addition and wonderful mentor to the DC United backline, without taking up a DP spot.
As many of my friend mentioned above – no thanks! First, he’s not worth $150K, no way. Second, we’ve got Bobby Boswell back there – who just played his 300th match. He’s our mentor. Gooch hasn’t played 100 in the last 5 years combined.
I think its pretty obvious Gooch has been working for the NSA since like 08 being assigned all around Western Europe
Gooch to Seattle!
All non-Seattle fans agree…
That’d be a coup for Seattle. Marshall and Gooch. Evans has been just below average this year and he makes top 5 centerback money. Seattle could pay Gooch and get rid of Evans, they’d have enough cash to pull it off.
Any team considering bringing Gooch to MLS is taking a HUGE risk, not because of the talent but because he is injury prone and playing games in Vancouver, Seattle, NE etc., won’t help at all.
At 32 years old its going to be VERY difficult for him to find minutes ANYWHERE (including MLS). Gooch is just about run his course, sorry to say.
They have been saying that for a few years now and he is still a player.
Say what you want, but you have to admit his agent is amazing.
At this point of his career his only value is sentimental which makes him perfect for MLS. Experienced or not this is a player that couldn’t get playing time in the English second division. Football wise nobody needs him.
Let’s be very honest…Gooch’s game at its best depended on other-world athleticism. He isn’t the same, his game isn’t the same AND he needs to make the soccer $ while he can. Stay in Europe and make the money.
My sentiments exactly.
Cash in on your resume for as long as possible, retire and then live life as you please Gooch! You served your country well, and a beast on the field for a 3 yr period.
God bless.
Let us remember and appreciate what was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAj5anhJRJg
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Stick a fork in him, he’s done. If he’s not good enough to start in the Championship, no way he makes an MLS roster. At his best he was good. Never great. I’ll take Balboa, Boca and Lalas I’ve Gooch any day of the week. I remember when he backed down from Borgetti of Mexico. That was sad. He should have kicked his ass or at least intimidated the hell out of him.
You remember that Borgetti incident differently than most people.
Yeah for real… which version have you been watching? The telenovela version where Borgetti grabs a guitar and starts serenading Gooch into submission?!
You’ve never seen a championship game if you think MLS is of higher quality. It’s not
Agreed. I’d say the majority of MLS teams would probably get relegated out of the Championship. There are only a handful (NE, LA, SKC, Seattle) that I could see surviving and possibly gaining promotion to the BPL. Championship teams just have far deeper rosters than MLS teams. Sure, 4 to 5 guys on the elite MLS teams could probably play in the Prem or at least be very good players in the Championship. However, guys 6 through 18 are League 1 quality. Until Garber allows teams to spend more money, we will continue to see player 6 through 18 in MLS, instead of NASL or USL where they belong.
I was in London a little over a month ago, Fulham v Brentford. Sorry to disagree, but today’s DC United would beat that Fulham team 7 times out of 10, no doubt in my mind.
And I’d agree. Fulham have been horrible this year. They have a disillusioned locker room and have been influx for the past 2 yrs and looked no better then Millwall, Leyton Orient or Wigan.
Brentford though (a team I’ve been watched since their promotion run last year as well as this years) would handle DC United 9/10 times. Their midfield of Jota, Pritchard, Judge & Stuart Dallas easily outclasses DC’s (who without Pontius looked very mediocre last year) as does Brentford’s defense.
I would even take Andre Gray over Rolfe, Espindola or Arrieta. We’ve seen what League One / Championship caliber speedsters like Bradley-Wright Phillips and Loyd Sam can do in this league and I’d argue Andre Gray is better then the aforementioned two.
I stand by what I said. I’ve watched a lot of Championship games and most MLS teams aren’t as balanced or talented as the top half.
Despite their current position at the top of the league, I wouldn’t put DC United among the most talented teams in the league.
But I also saw aiot of championship matches live this year, and it’s closer than you think. Cherry picking a player here and there does not equate to the total stretch of the league. BWP and others who come here and do well are just guys that for some reason don’t get to the premier league, so they get paid here.
Sure, half a dozen MLS teams would be canon fodder over in the championship, but I’d also bet the cotton ten in the chains his wouldn’t come over here and light up the world either.
Bottom ten in the championship…..
I hate auto correct.
Right. That’s why the Jordan Stewarts and Tyrone Mears of England don’t just waltz into lineups in MLS well after their better days in the Championship.
Giles Barnes, BWP & Loyd Sam aren’t players that didn’t not manage by bad luck to not get in the Premiership, but players that didn’t cut it. Subsequently, because MLS isn’t a very tactically astute league these sorts tend to do very well here as do players from Nordic Countries which is says a lot more about MLS and the average American player then it does about those leagues quite frankly
Back when I had cable with fancy premium channels, I saw many, and you’re wrong.
Right. I see your point of view and i’ve changed my mind. Thanks for that.
My comment had exactly the same amount of argumentation as yours–you expressed an opinion, followed by a few more detailed opinions about players, as though that might support the conclusion.
I would tend to agree that the bottom end of the rosters in MLS would be worse, but that wouldn’t drag the overall level of play down much in a given game–which is what you were at first going on about.
Selective memory? Will Packwood just flamed out in the Championship and signed with the Revs.
True….but Packwood is 22 yrs old and can grow into a good player.
Gooch is what….33….and has been on the decline for years.
Michael F. SBI Mafia Original,
“Stick a fork in him, he’s done. If he’s not good enough to start in the Championship, no way he makes an MLS roster. …..I remember when he backed down from Borgetti of Mexico. That was sad. He should have kicked his ass or at least intimidated the hell out of him.”
No offense, you must be delusional when it comes to MLS strength. I watch MLS and Champions every week. MLS are not as deep as Championship squads. Additionally, the best MLS teams can hang with the best Championship squads, but the worst MLS squads are borderline bottom of Championship/Top of League 1. You are really, really underestimating how tough the Championship is both in terms of number of quality players per team and quality of the teams.
Mr. Mafia,
MLS and the Championship are very different leagues.
Both leagues have plenty of talented players who could play at higher levels.
Probably the biggest difference is the intensity and consistency required.
As best as I can tell MLS doesn’t get all that serious until the later stages while the Championship, because of the relegation/promotion aspect, gets serious pretty quick and stays that way pretty much until the end except for the fortunate few who get stuck exactly in the middle of the table.
I’d say it is harder to play consistently well in the Championship because all that pressure is very wearing. In contrast, MLS has a pretty leisurely pace until the playoffs come up.
KuPS!
Unless he wants to keep falling down the English football pyramid, maybe it’s time to pack it in and head to MLS. I’m sure there are a handful of struggling teams that could use an experienced defender like Gooch. NYCFC comes to mind.
Agreed or maybe go back to Belgium (which is where his stunning wife is from). Sadly, the median pay in Belgium is still higher than median pay in MLS. I say that because he is definitely not DP level. He was on about $800k last year. I assume maybe close to 500 this year. He cannot get that in MLS.
Cosmos would be a good fit for him.
Hard to believe its been almost 6 years since that knee injury. That type of injury has ended many careers, so props to him for working and grinding his way back to playing, even if it wasn’t as much as he would probably have liked. He will be remembered as a trailblazer for Americans trying to make it in Europe. Good luck to him in whatever he does next.
It’s a shame about Gooch. This guy was a beast before getting hurt. Another Stuart Holden type situation. What could have been…
And a John O’Brien type of situation…:(
Agreed! And people get upset when players maneuver to get more money. Milk it while you can because it is not guaranteed. Where would his career had been had he not played in hack-a-player CONCACAF qualifying matches.
His injury was not due to being hacked and his arrival at AC Milan showed that he was lacking in sooo many areas. I watched him, in person, with ACM. He looked very in over his head. He had zero passing ability or catch up speed. His game was predicated on brute strength and being on a team that bunkered and just needed him to handle ariel balls and them boom the ball up the field.
THANK YOU! I always cringed when he had the ball at his feet and open space. USMNT fans need to realize that we can do better.
“Where would his career had been had he not played in hack-a-player CONCACAF qualifying matches.”
You could argue that you have to do that to play in the World Cup.
And where would Gooch’s career have been if he had not played in two World Cups?
If Gooch still wants to play, there’s really only one place left for him – DC United. It’s his home town, and they’ve got the Eddie Johnson voided contract money to spend. He’s had so few actual game appearances though, as a fan, I’m not sure if I’d be that excited if United picked him up.
No Thanks!
We have 3-4 good CBs that aren’t expensive, are younger and/or less injury prone.
Before drafting Birnbaum and picking up Halsti, I would have welcomed Gooch to DCU. But he missed that boat. DCU has excellent depth at center back right now.
Time for Gooch to stop stealing from teams abroad and come home
Gooch would be good in New England
MLS? UFC?
NASL!