Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Camp opens with veteran Onyewu, hopefuls on hand
CHESTER » For the last month, the Philadelphia Union’s January preparations have been predicated on who wouldn’t be there on Day 1 of the preseason — namely a trio of Americans away on international duty.
But the early days of training camp are always defined but the surprising faces that surface. In that regard, the Union didn’t disappoint Tuesday.
The marquee arrival as the Union opened the 2017 preseason is a household name for American soccer fans, defender Oguchi Onyewu. But the more enduring figures could be a pair of trialists whose arrivals were mooted in the days before, talents more likely to impact the Union’s season than the 34-year-old defender who is reputedly just with the Union to stay fit.
The two trialists, Red Bull Academy/University of Akron product Adam Najem and American winger Fabrice “Fafa” Picault, generated the intrigue and much of the praise lavished by Union manager Jim Curtin Tuesday at the Power Training Complex.
Najem, fresh off his career as a Zip, didn’t enter the draft as the Red Bulls held his Homegrown rights, which the Union are reportedly pursuing. Before that happens, they are evaluating the attacking midfielder, who compiled 33 goals and 29 assists for the Zips, a perennial NCAA powerhouse.
With the Union counting Roland Alberg as their only bona fide No. 10, Najem presents a youthful option for the future and the present.
“A good young player who, everyone’s career path goes in different ways, there are rules in our league that come up, and he came across and had a good meeting with him and he was in training with us today and showed very well,” Curtin said. “His stats speak for themselves. In college, he dominated the college level. This is a step up for sure.”
“(He) is a good and gifted player on the ball, a No. 10, is creative, sees things that other players don’t see,” Earnie Stewart added.
Picault, 25, is an even more intriguing case. Born to Haitian parents in New York City, the winger is under contract with German 2.Bundesliga club St. Pauli. He’s was capped by the U.S. national team in a friendly with Puerto Rico last May.
On his opening day with the Union, Picault dazzled with his speed at a wing position where the Union are fairly deep.
“Fabrice is one of those wingers that has tremendous pace,” Stewart said. “Already has a background, has a pedigree, has experience. Glad we could get him in and get a free look at that because if there’s one thing that’s very important in modern-day football, it’s speed. That combined with control over the ball is not something that everyone possesses, and Fafa does.”
As far as Onyewu, the arrangement Tuesday and in the coming days seems mutually beneficial. Onyewu, out of contract since leaving Charlton Athletic 18 months ago, has trained with various clubs in the U.S. and Glasgow Rangers in Scotland and gets a chance to stay sharp with the Union. The Union get a chance for their young defensive contingent to learn at the foot of a veteran of 69 national team caps and a decade of professional European soccer. Onyewu spent much of Tuesday’s session paired with second-year center back Josh Yaro.
With the Union, Onyewu can keep fit while he waits for an opportunity to materialize. Or, for a club that is publicly seeking a veteran center back, he could make his own chance.
“I wouldn’t want to go that far right now,” Stewart said of the possibility of Onyewu sticking. “Never say never, but that’s really clear because that’s the way soccer is. Obviously we are looking for an experienced center back and it’s pretty easy that he fits that mold, but it needs to be possible and it needs to fit.”
••• Two of the Union’s newest arrivals have been delayed.
Jay Simpson and Giliano Wijnaldum weren’t with the team Tuesday, pending finalization of visa paperwork. Curtin expects the English forward Simpson and Dutch left back Wijnaldum to arrive before the team leaves for Florida next week and perhaps as early as Thursday.
••• NOTES » Maurice Edu is nine weeks removed from surgery on his twice-broken left leg. For three weeks, he’s been out of a boot and off crutches. Curtin hopes Edu, who missed all of last season, will be cleared to run by the first week of February. … In addition to a veteran center back, Stewart clarified that the Union are seeking midfield help at the No. 6 position, a defensive-minded, “controlling midfielder,” to use Stewart’s verbiage. … Media native and Union Homegrown Player Auston Trusty will depart for U.S. Under-20 national team camp later this week. Teammate Derrick Jones, who has been a regular in recent camps, is awaiting clearance to play for the U.S. in competitive matches. Curtin said that if everything goes as planned, Jones will be eligible for selection for May’s U-20 World Cup. … Matt Freese, an Episcopal Academy senior and the 2016 Daily Times Boys Soccer Player of the Year, trained with the Union Tuesday. Curtin let slip that the Academy goalkeeper will be called into the next U.S. Under-19 camp.