Oguchi Onyewu
Oguchialu " Oguchi " Onyewu ( born May 13, 1982 in Washington, DC) is an American football player and is currently the Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon under contract. In addition, Onyewu national team of the United States.
Sports career
Onyewus parents emigrated from Nigeria to the United States to study at Howard University in Washington (DC). Onyewu, the two brothers - Uche and Nonye - and two sisters - Chi - Chi and Ogechi - has initially grew in Silver Spring and later Olney on in the state of Maryland, where he played at the Sherwood High School football two years. He then went on as part of a national U -17 program to Florida and made his debut for the U.S. U-17 team in 1998 against Guatemala. Only a year later, he took part of the same team at the FIFA U- 17 World Cup in New Zealand.
The " Gooch " called, with about 1.93 meters tall defender visited after his high school graduation in Sherwood Clemson University in South Carolina, where he played two years of college football. He grew to become one of the best players in his age group and was for the Hermann Trophy, with the best college players of the United States is awarded annually nominated. In 2001 he took part in the Argentina U- 20 World Cup and raised it to the attention of international observers.
Club career
In 2002, Onyewu signed with the French first division club FC Metz a four -year contract. There should, however, take until January of the following year, until it was used for the first time in a 1-0 win over Bordeaux in the French League Cup. After a coaching change Onyewu played then in the further planning of the association is no longer relevant, so he was loaned to the Belgian first division club RAA La Louviere in 2003.
A year later, Onyewu was loaned again with Standard Liege to a Belgian club, who in October 2004 drew the option to buy the player after a short time. Onyewu was fast becoming a major key players in Liege.
He moved in January 2007 to Newcastle United in England. He was initially on loan from Standard Liege until season's end. However, Newcastle decided not to continue the loan or not to proceed with the transfer.
Both in the club as well as in the international matches, he developed henceforth become a major player. In Belgium, he was elected to the team for the 2006 season and also received the award for best foreign players.
In summer 2009, he signed a three-year contract with Italian club AC Milan. In the 2009/10 season he was used in the Milanese in only one game in the UEFA Champions League and remained in Serie A without use. He was injured between October 2009 and May 2010.
In the second half of the 2010/11 season he was loaned to FC Twente. Here he came in eight league games, a cup match in five games and the Europa League action. For the 2011/12 season changed Onyewu to Sporting Clube de Portugal to Lisbon, where he signed a three -year contract.
After just one season Onyewu joined Sporting on loan to Spanish club Málaga CF. There he was able to fight for a regular place and came up with only two league games. For the 2013/14 season he undertook the English first division side Queens Park Rangers. Without a single first round to use Onyewu decided in January 2014 a new change and went to the second division club Sheffield Wednesday.
National
In the U.S. national team, he made his debut on 13 October 2004 against Panama.
He won by the U.S. in 2005 the Gold Cup, scored in the semifinal against Honduras in stoppage time the crucial headed goal in a 2-1 victory and was later elected into the best team of the tournament.
During the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany, where Onyewu regularly came into use, he delivered primarily against Mexico exciting duels with Jared Borgetti. After Borgetti at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City to a position error Onyewus scored a goal, Onyewu dominated in the return game misconduct significantly.
After the successful qualification Onyewu was called into the squad for the World Cup and was at all three games of the U.S. national team on the court.
In 2007, he won for the second time in his career the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the U.S. team. 2009 reached Onyewu with the U.S. selection, the final of the Confederations Cup, in which you can still succumbed after a 2-0 half-time lead with 2:3 Brazil. Onyewu fell during the tournament again by his good positional play and strong tackles.
Achievements
- CONCACAF Gold Cup winner: 2005, 2007
- Best foreign player in the Jupiler League: 2005
- Footballer of the Year of the USA 2006
- Dutch Cup Winners' Cup: 2011 (FC Twente)
- Dutch runners-up: 2011