Source: FOOTYMAD
Onyewu Proves Us Wrong
I have to hold up my hand and say former Newcastle Utd defender Oguchi Onyewu took us (NU Mad) to the cleaners yesterday. We doubted his ability - and his pace - but when he said he would "not be pushed around by Wayne Rooney" in their World Cup opener on Saturday ... he meant it! He put in a superb performance, leaving us to wonder what we could have missed by letting him go. He tried to stay at Newcastle when his loan period was up, but he was snubbed. Perhaps it was our loss. What he said before the England game ... Oguchi Onyewu: "If I am one of the strongest (players in the Yank team), I'll take that. It won't be deciding factor, but it can help. "I have played against plenty of big, strong strikers and if they want to start trying to push me around, it really isn't a problem. "I'm up to facing England and Rooney tomorrow. I played against him when the US played England at Wembley. "All I can remember is that he was a very good attacker who is always putting pressure on you and working very hard. "It is not in my game-plan to try to wind him up. "He's competitive, but I respect him. "He is not the only world-class player in the England team, so it would be wrong to focus on just one man. "My six months at Newcastle taught me that the English game is fast and physical. It is very demanding. "England are a great team, but we also have a very good squad. We can compete against any team and get a result. "People are starting to realise that while the US may not be a world power in soccer, we can cause any team trouble on our day. "We will be trying to win. Frustrating opponents is an element of any game, but it is not our entire game-plan."
