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Onyewu: "4-0 Would Be Good" For Standard Against Braga
US international Oguchi Onyewu is in a playful mood ahead of Standard Liege's first UEFA Cup knockout-round match away to Portuguese side Braga.
Feb 18, 2009 9:19:09 AM
Oguchi Onyewu and his Standard Liege teammates are in Portugal for Wednesday’s first leg of their UEFA Cup tie with Braga. And the US international is distinctly optimistic about the game.
“0-4 would be a good result,” he told Belgian newspaper De Standard, revealing his deadpan sense of humor when confronted by a reporter’s obvious questions.
Onyewu must have had that result in the back of his mind following Standard’s victory over Tubize this past weekend by the same 4-0 scoreline. Which is not to say that he expects the Belgian champions to achieve this result at the Estadio AXA.
Braga are 14-3-1 at home this season. In the previous group stage, they thrashed EPL club Portsmouth 3-0 at home.
"[Braga] is a good team,” he said, speaking more seriously. “If you look at their run in the UEFA Cup, you know enough.”
Onyewu played a friendly against Braga in 2007, scoring the only goal in a 2-1 loss. “I remember them as a strong technical team with extensive experience,” he said.
The Standard defense, despite being without injured regular Mohamed Sarr and being forced to start 18-year-old Frenchman Eliaquim Mangala, has not conceded a goal in 420 consecutive minutes. But Onyewu seems unimpressed by this statistic.
"It is good,” he admitted, “but that is in the Belgian league. In the European context, it is something else. Could our defense do that?"
That question should be answered on Wednesday night.
Goal.com
“0-4 would be a good result,” he told Belgian newspaper De Standard, revealing his deadpan sense of humor when confronted by a reporter’s obvious questions.
Onyewu must have had that result in the back of his mind following Standard’s victory over Tubize this past weekend by the same 4-0 scoreline. Which is not to say that he expects the Belgian champions to achieve this result at the Estadio AXA.
Braga are 14-3-1 at home this season. In the previous group stage, they thrashed EPL club Portsmouth 3-0 at home.
"[Braga] is a good team,” he said, speaking more seriously. “If you look at their run in the UEFA Cup, you know enough.”
Onyewu played a friendly against Braga in 2007, scoring the only goal in a 2-1 loss. “I remember them as a strong technical team with extensive experience,” he said.
The Standard defense, despite being without injured regular Mohamed Sarr and being forced to start 18-year-old Frenchman Eliaquim Mangala, has not conceded a goal in 420 consecutive minutes. But Onyewu seems unimpressed by this statistic.
"It is good,” he admitted, “but that is in the Belgian league. In the European context, it is something else. Could our defense do that?"
That question should be answered on Wednesday night.
Goal.com
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