Thursday, December 4, 2008


[Photo by the always fantastic Robert Absolonne - click for full size]

Mr. Onyewu scored the middle goal in Standard's 3-0 UEFA Cup rout of Samdoria on Wednesday night. The Belgian champs are perfect through three group matches and assured of a place in the knockouts.

Their European form could play a part in whether "Guchi" (as he is called around Sclessin) accepts the team's contract renewal offer. With several teams across the continent watching closely, it's also tough to know how the team would react to an Onyewu rejection.

They may decide to sell him in January to anyone not named "Anderlecht" or they may decide the run at a league repeat and some European glory has enough value to offset whatever cut-price they may lose getting for the American defender, who runs out of contract at season's end.

They have other hot transfer topics (Dante, Defour, Jovanovic, Mbokani, Witsel), and the plan may involve setting everyone up for summer departures. It's just very hard to tell what they will do. They are Belgian.

In any event, congrats to Les Rouches, and enjoy the goal...

- Greg Seltzer


Mark said...

RAD pic, love the AMERICAN flag behind him! i didnt know they loved their yank so much at standard!

Greg Seltzer said...

You can definitely always find American flags in the Sclessin crowd.