D.C. Native Onyewu Features As Chelsea Tops Milan, 2-1
It's a question that's often refreshed every year: what's the next positive step for American soccer?
Well, there's been plenty to celebrate in 2009 for the American footballer. The tidy little run in the Confederations Cup helped matters. And the Americans can firmly slice the final thread of Mexican continental dominance that they've slowly been hacking at these past fifteen years with a win at Azteca on August 12. But ask anyone who really knows their international soccer and they'll probably tell you that one of the biggest steps that stateside footy has taken besides the 1994 World Cup -- which proved that soccer here was financially lucrative -- and the 2002 World Cup and this year -- when America proved that it could compete with the world's elite -- was the recent transfer of defender Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege to A.C. Milan.
Onyewu, who was born in D.C., is now one of but a handful of Americans who can say that they've played for a Serie A side, let alone Milan, one of the most revered clubs in the world. The big defender, whose Nigerian name means "God fights for me" (now there's a moniker to live up to), entered last night's game against Chelsea in the World Football Challenge to an incredibly rousing ovation -- a near-capacity 71,203 people at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium chanting his name and applauding his entrance. Not too shabby for a guy with humble local roots in Silver Spring and Olney, Maryland.
"I think you look at Gooch...he's of African origin, has played in Belgium, and is an American," said Milan manager Leonardo after the game. "It's not so much that he's American or European, it's that he's a good player, and he shows something different...a different style."
Foreign managers looking at Americans through an indiscriminate eye? Now that's a positive step.
As for the match? Chelsea -- fresh off a thrashing of fellow Italian giants Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles -- sat enough people in yesterday's friendly to nearly populate a world-class starting eleven: among those on the bench were stars Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Flourent Malouda, and Deco. Still though, the boys from West London were bullish in the first half hour, striker Didier Drogba reinforcing their position with an absolute laser strike in the seventh minute, a real treat of a goal.
The Blues missed numerous chances, though, and Milan's tactical prowess eventually took hold. In the 38th minute, Clarence Seedorf and Ronaldinho (who got the largest cheers of the night, by far) hooked up for the equalizer, the Dutchman blasting one past Petr Cech's fingertips from the top of the box.
Anyone who thought that this was a completely meaningless friendly should ask Milan striker Alexandre Pato, after he was felled by a horse-collar tackle from Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovich, a movement which had the Rossoneri supporters in a hushed silence. Pato arose, though, and on the ensuing free kick, Ronaldinho hit the crossbar with a wicked twister; despite his weight problems, few can match the Brazilian's ability from set pieces. For all of Milan's verve, though, it was a scrappy goal from man of the match Yuri Zhirkov that settled matters in the 69th.
Onyewu could have put the place into a frenzy with a stoppage-time header which could have sent the match to penalties, but his hit went achingly wide. On the whole, the match was a tantalizing appetizer for the upcoming friendly between D.C. United and Real Madrid at FedEx Field -- one can hope that United can keep things similarly competitive against Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo on August 9.