Onyewu to the San Siro

The biggest news in the American soccer world this week has been Oguchi Onyewu's signing with AC Milan. After a seemingly endless saga with teams from every corner of the Old Continent vying for the central defender's services, the surprise winners were i Rossoneri. With the retirement of Paolo Maldini and some of the injury-prone CBs already on Milan's books (Nesta and Kaladze), Gooch should have the opportunity to see some significant playing time this club season. Factor in the likelihood that Milan will progress in the Champions League and Coppa Italia, and you have to figure that there will be minutes to be had at some point during the year.

In the span of several weeks, Onyewu went from being courted by the likes of Birmingham City and Borussia Monchengladbach to being linked with global powers Real Madrid and AC Milan. Gooch's 3-year deal also means that another lucrative move could still be in store if his game continues to improve the way it has since WC '06.

With Onyewu finally signed, the focus shifts to several other Nats who might be moving on to greener pastures in the near future. Players such as Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Charlie Davies have drawn significant praise for their Confederations Cup performances, in addition to some interest from some bigger clubs.

Overall, Americans across the pond seem to be garnering more respect (and $$$) for their abilities. If someone told you 10 years ago that we would have a player signed by AC Milan and linked to Real Madrid (however serious that interest may have been), you probably would have laughed in their face. Just think where our players might be in another 10 years.

-STTU