Americans Abroad
Oguchi Onyewu Signs Two-Month Deal with Charlton
The journeyman defender, 32, may not be the most sought after American soccer player these days, but he does have a European Union passport, which helps him unlock new opportunities.
IS A EUROPEAN UNION PASSPORT the equivalent of a golden ticket for American soccer players? You be the judge: Today Charlton Athletic announced that it had signed American defender and EU passport holder Oguchi Onyewu to a two-month deal.
Onyewu, 32, has been a European journeyman in recent years, bouncing around from club to club since leaving Standard Liege in 2009. During that span he has played with Twente, Sporting CP, Malaga, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, and Charlton Athletic—his third consecutive club in the English Championship.
The Washington D.C. native began his career with Metz in 2002 and then moved to Standard Liege where he stayed until 2009. During those years, he obtained a Belgian passport which allowed him to bypass the many restrictions that are placed on soccer players in Europe who do not hold an EU passport.
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As many European leagues are making it harder to sign non-EU players, Onyewu’s case highlights the numerous opportunities available to those with the proper documents. Other Americans have taken note: Juan Agudelo, whose UK work permit appeal to play for Stoke City was denied twice, is reportedly trying to obtain a Cypriot passport through land acquisition. DeAndre Yedlin signed for Tottenham but is seeking a Latvian passport through a great-grandfather to gain access to play in England.
Based in London, Charlton have bounced among the top three English leagues over the past decade. From 2003-2006 it competed in the Premier League until it was relegated. In 2009 it was relegated again to third-tier League One but in 2012 it returned to the English Championship.
Charlton currently are in ninth place and are targeting a playoff position in the table, spots given to the third-through-sixth place finishers. Charlton’s defense is presently quite good, having allowed 15 goals in 14 games so far this season.
Onyewu was part of the 2006 and 2010 U.S. World Cup teams. He was a standout at the 2009 Confederations Cup, as the U.S. upset Spain in the semifinals and surged ahead of Brazil in the final only to lose 3-2. In October 2009, Onyewu suffered a serious knee injury in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica and he was never quite the same after undergoing surgery to repair the damage.
His most recent appearance for the U.S. team was this past March—a 2-0 loss to Ukraine. He has a total of 69 caps for the U.S. national team.
What do you think of Onyewu's move to Charlton? Do you think Agudelo is doing the right thing to push for an EU passport? Tell us below.
As many European leagues are making it harder to sign non-EU players, Onyewu’s case highlights the numerous opportunities available to those with the proper documents. Other Americans have taken note: Juan Agudelo, whose UK work permit appeal to play for Stoke City was denied twice, is reportedly trying to obtain a Cypriot passport through land acquisition. DeAndre Yedlin signed for Tottenham but is seeking a Latvian passport through a great-grandfather to gain access to play in England.
Based in London, Charlton have bounced among the top three English leagues over the past decade. From 2003-2006 it competed in the Premier League until it was relegated. In 2009 it was relegated again to third-tier League One but in 2012 it returned to the English Championship.
Charlton currently are in ninth place and are targeting a playoff position in the table, spots given to the third-through-sixth place finishers. Charlton’s defense is presently quite good, having allowed 15 goals in 14 games so far this season.
Onyewu was part of the 2006 and 2010 U.S. World Cup teams. He was a standout at the 2009 Confederations Cup, as the U.S. upset Spain in the semifinals and surged ahead of Brazil in the final only to lose 3-2. In October 2009, Onyewu suffered a serious knee injury in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica and he was never quite the same after undergoing surgery to repair the damage.
His most recent appearance for the U.S. team was this past March—a 2-0 loss to Ukraine. He has a total of 69 caps for the U.S. national team.
What do you think of Onyewu's move to Charlton? Do you think Agudelo is doing the right thing to push for an EU passport? Tell us below.
