Oguchi Onyewu is the most recent male defender to win the US Soccer Athlete of the Year award.
37 Facts About Oguchi Onyewu
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Oguchi Onyewu grew up in the Washington, DC suburbs of Silver Spring and Olney, Maryland, where he attended St Andrew Apostle School and Sherwood High School.
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Oguchi Onyewu enrolled in the US residency program in Bradenton, Florida, before returning to Sherwood to graduate.
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Oguchi Onyewu then played two years of college soccer at Clemson University in South Carolina.
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Oguchi Onyewu moved to Europe in 2002, signing with Metz of Ligue 2 in France.
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Oguchi Onyewu returned to Standard, and his play continued to improve.
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Oguchi Onyewu led the Standard defense to a second consecutive Belgian league title.
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Oguchi Onyewu dealt with racism during his time in Belgium, even having been punched and shouted at by racist fans while playing for Standard Liege.
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Oguchi Onyewu signed a three-year contract with Milan in July 2009, but never played a league game in his eighteen-month spell at the club.
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On November 5,2010, Oguchi Onyewu made international headlines when he and teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic engaged in a fight during training, before a league match against Bari.
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In January 2011, Oguchi Onyewu joined Dutch side Twente on loan until the end of the season.
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Oguchi Onyewu's recovery meant he would be available to compete in the 2012 Taca de Portugal Final where his side would come up on the losing end against Academica de Coimbra.
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Oguchi Onyewu finished his first season with the Leoes with 31 appearances to his name, and scoring five goals.
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The appointment of Ricardo Sa Pinto as Sporting manager led to the arrival of Khalid Boulahrouz and Marcos Rojo, which saw Oguchi Onyewu loaned out to Spanish La Liga outfit Malaga in August 2012.
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However, Oguchi Onyewu's stay with Malaga proved to be unsuccessful as he struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular and only managed to play nine matches all season, contributing two goals.
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Oguchi Onyewu returned to Sporting in the summer of 2013 but agreed to a contract termination by mutual consent.
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In October 2013, Oguchi Onyewu signed with Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer, but he failed to make any appearances and was an unused substitute on six occasions.
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In January 2014, Oguchi Onyewu joined Sheffield Wednesday until the end of the season.
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In October 2014, Oguchi Onyewu signed for Charlton Athletic on a short-term contract, making his debut as a substitute on December 26.
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Oguchi Onyewu was released at the end of his contract in May 2015.
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Oguchi Onyewu trialed with Major League Soccer's New York City FC in May 2015 but was not signed.
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Oguchi Onyewu later spent a preseason tour with Rangers of the Scottish Premiership in June 2016 but was not offered a contract.
23.
Oguchi Onyewu signed with the Philadelphia Union during the 2017 MLS preseason.
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Originally brought in to be a veteran presence for a young backline Philadelphia, Oguchi Onyewu became a regular starter for the Union earning 22 appearances and scoring once.
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Oguchi Onyewu was released by the Union at the conclusion of the 2017 season.
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In September 2018, Oguchi Onyewu announced his retirement from professional soccer via Instagram concluding a 15-year career.
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Oguchi Onyewu was a mainstay on the United States national team for the 2006 and 2010 World Cup cycles.
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Early in his career, Oguchi Onyewu represented the US at various youth levels, including at the 2001 World Youth Championship.
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Oguchi Onyewu made his first appearance for the senior national team on October 13,2004, against Panama.
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Oguchi Onyewu scored his first international goal in the 2005 Gold Cup, nodding home the extra time winner in the semifinal against Honduras, and was later named to the tournament Best XI.
31.
Oguchi Onyewu played for the United States in the 2006 World Cup, and started in all three United States games.
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Oguchi Onyewu was voted the 2006 US Soccer Athlete of the Year.
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Oguchi Onyewu was the first defender to earn the award since Alexi Lalas in 1995.
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Oguchi Onyewu did not play in the third group match against Algeria or the second round meeting against Ghana.
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Oguchi Onyewu's parents moved to the United States from Nigeria to study in Washington, DC They are ethnic Igbo people of Nigeria.
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Oguchi Onyewu has two brothers, Uche and Nonye, and two sisters, Chi-Chi and Ogechi.
37.
In early 2017, Oguchi Onyewu co-opened a sports performance facility in Richmond, Virginia.