Oguchi Onyewu is training with the Revolution, suggesting the team may sign him in the near future
Oguchi Onyewu Photo/US Soccer
Major League Soccer does not adhere to the typical schedule for the worldwide summer transfer window, but that doesn’t mean the New England Revolution can’t make a deadline day signing.
In truth, they have until September 15 – the league deadline to sign free agents – to make their acquisition.
The player in question is obviously former U.S. national team center back Oguchi Onyewu, 34, whose career has included stints with Standard Liege, AC Milan, and Charlton Athletic.
New England invited Onyewu to train with them on Tuesday. They’re in dire need of defensive help, as they’ve surrendered 47 goals this season, the most in MLS.
This is no time for the Revs to be surrendering goals, either. Only seven games remain in the regular season – the next of which is on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium against the Colorado Rapids – and the Revolution sit eighth in the Eastern Conference, five points out of the sixth and final playoff spot.
Granted, the attack is stuttering just as bad as the defense. They haven’t scored in four matches and have been out-scored 17-2 since July 31.
So from that standpoint, the New England needs all the help they can get.
But while Onyewu would certainly help, he’s probably not the answer.
For starters: he hasn’t played a competitive match since February 7, 2015. On that day, he started for Charlton in a 3-1 loss to Middlesborough in the English Championship, the country’s second division.
In fact, that was the only appearance he made in all of 2015.
Onyewu also has a history of knee injuries, which – at his age – could be a deadly combination with Gillette Stadium’s turf.
But the player’s age is truly the biggest issue at hand. The Revolution have lacked center back depth for nearly two full seasons since losing AJ Soares three months after the 2014 MLS Cup.
They have done little to address that hole, choosing to use Andrew Farrell to center back to pair with Jose Goncalves. But Farrell has since been returned to right back, which has caused coach Jay Heaps to use a number of players who are not natural center backs next to Goncalves, mainly Je-Vaughn Watson and London Woodberry.
That Heaps and general manager Mike Burns would wait so long to address this need in shocking. It’s also a wonder how Heaps – who has said previously how much he values team depth for the competition it provides in training – would allow this situation at the back to last.
Heaps himself was an MLS defender. And one of the Revolution’s best at that.
Back to Onyewu. This is the easy way out. The Revolution have an opportunity to snatch up a player with excellent experience.
Onyewu – at his peak – was one of America’s top defenders. But that peak came and went long ago.
If you want to reach Julian, email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @juliancardillo
