http://yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=000300 Lazio and Hamburg are rumored to have intrest.
Quality. Gooch has all the gifts to be great, no it is just a matter of how well he wants to use what he has been given.
Great stuff, the only thing that makes me wonder is why has Metz never given him at shot? Just curious?
Interesting article -- thanks for the link! The bottom of the article says that Dominique D'Onofrio is Gooch's head coach. Isn't Belgian goalkeeping legend Michel Preud'homme Standard's head coach?
From what I recall of the situation, he was initially too young and inexperienced, hence the first loan. After the first loan, he returned to a team that was playing the best defensive football in the french first division. As a result, they didn't see him "helping" them at the time. So hence the loan with the option to buy to Standard. Now of course they are going to purchase. So Metz loses some money if big clubs are sniffing around the kid at this young age.
The explanation I've seen most is coaching change combined with brining him as an RB. Metz is having a mid-table season so far (very good for them) but have a pretty high goals against, so one might think they might try him. I don't know Metz CD situation very well.
Well said. They are the real losers in all of this. The hefty transfer fee they could have collected from selling Onyewu to a big club will now go to Standard.
Sitting on the bench at Metz not playing doesn't usually get you a big transfer fee. Loaned out to get experience and garner transfer interest opens options for club and player.
"as a late sub in the 6-0 drubbing of CONCACAF minnow Panama And here I thought Jack Edwards made up the word "drubbing". I still think it was "drumming" in the '02 US-Portugal match though.
I like this quote: "I dream to play in the Premier League," Onyewu said. "But, if I had the choice, I would pick a club like Middlesbrough or Bolton, where I could play more games." Selfish on my part because I could watch him play on a week to week basis and the fact he wants playing time and decent money over a lot of money and not warming the bench at one of the bigger teams...Big Sam are you listening?
I guess Standard tries to contract Onyewu to make sure they will be the sellers after WC 2006. I believe Gooch will be a revelation in Germany next year. Coupled to Pope, that defence will be tough to break.
sadly, as big a club as lazio is, their nazio reputation means that that is probably the last place a black american player would go to play his ball.
If Standard would have agreed to it. We don't really know what sort of negotiating position either team was in. Maybe Metz had to include an option to buy in order to make the deal a reality. Soccer is full of stories of players "breaking out." I don't blame Metz for not knowing that Gooch was going to be that good in a year's time. Few on these boards predicted that he would do as well as he has. I don't take pity on them either though.
I take great pleasure in promoting Gooch for greatness ever since he was courted by pro teams while at Clemson. Maybe I should be in charge of scouting talent at Metz! Ok, so it was because I'd seen him a few times and he always impressed me with his skill, and when you added his work ethic and physique? I just thought he'd do well. But no, you can't pity clubs, and Metz will be fine, unless of course their defense starts leaking goals at the same time Gooch is sold for millions of Euros. Then maybe they'll feel sorry for themselves. But you're right, for every breakout player like Gooch, there is at least one Thorrington that doesn't get to the next level. Hard to predict who will make it and who wont.
It'll be interesting to see if a guy of his size helps or hurts us against the 'little' teams in our region.
He surely will be the only man with Howard to know how to handle real opponents. You cannot play the MLS pace vs Germany nor England. Also, I hope some friendlies will be organised with stronger countries than the concacaf ones. This would surely make Bruce realize that he should revise his defense line.
well ok, but its different style of play, you have to admit that, he has not faced players with this quick short passing, and quickness, the latin style . European game is different. besides he didn't get hit with urine,and batteries yet.
Our MLS players, esp Donovan and Beasley were much quicker than any players in the Germany line-up at WC 2002.What are you exactly saying?
Christ Omi - this comes across as pure drivel. First off, everyone on the USMNT will be able to handle real opponents. Those from MLS will be our best MLS players, clearly capable of playing above "MLS Pace". and those from Europe will have every bit the seasoning that Gooch and Howard (who I am currently very down on.) have or will have. and yeah, I do want to see how he reacts to some of these hell holes in Azteca, Saprissa, Mazatanango, before anointing him the Next US Defensive Savior. We do have a lot of excellent youth coming through the pipelines. Let's see how they actually perform before pencilling them in the 2006 line-up please.