WASHINGTON, DC (Aug 28, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- Go ahead and link whatever European giant that comes to mind with US and Standard Liege defender Oguchi Onyewu. After losing 1-0 to Liverpool to end their brief Champions League qualifying run, the story was Onyewu's play in the center of defense.
Onyewu showed how he can work in a tandem as well as step up individually in stopping an elite attack. Namely, Onyewu all but shutdown Liverpool and Spain international Fernando Torres.
Considering the "yes, but" response to the United States' play in a 1-0 friendly loss to Spain, Onyewu carrying the same defensive tendency into a game with the Champions League group stages proved a very basic point. Onyewu deserves to be linked with the elite clubs of Europe.
Onyewu's agent Lyle Yorks told Soccer365's Greg Seltzer: "The problem is all about his price. Keeping Gooch has become important to Standard, so his price is higher than it normally would be for a player in the last year of his contract."
Though cap-tied for this season's Champions League, there are very few teams at the highest levels of Europe so set in defense that a player like Onyewu wouldn't be an improvement. His long-expected chance should come.
