Will Onyewu Actually Play for AC Milan?

It's probably good when one of Europe's glamor sides attempts to quell a riot by announcing they've signed an American, right? That's what AC Milan did today by signing American centerback/battleship Oguchi Onyewu. Cue the mother of all mixed responses.

Every US National Team fan's immediate reaction: OMFG awesome! Oh sweet Jesus, just let him play. It's nice that the USA has finally landed a player on one of European footie's biggest sides, but we've seen this before with Edu and Adu and Altidore and, hell, even Benny Feilhaber at Derby of all places. Hurrah they've signed him let's all get a beer and celebrate our 2010 World Cup victo—what do you mean he made four appearances? Don't they realize we have a national team to run here?

The USA can't afford to have its A-team idling away on the bench the year before the 2010 World Cup. So let's check out the competition. There's definitely some room with the retirement of club legend Paolo Maldini, the Steve Yzerman of Italian football. Maldini made 32 appearances last year (at age 40!), which are now available. Milan's other options at Onyewu's spot:

• Alessandro Nesta, a 33-year-old Italian international who missed all but thirteen minutes of last season with a back issue. He's recently dispelled rumors about retirement.
• Kakha Kaladze, a 31-year-old Georgian international who made just 16 appearances last year.
• Thiago Silva, a 24-year-old fringe Brazil international who just signed from Fluminese in Brazil and hasn't played a competitive match with Milan yet.

That doesn't seem like an insurmountable mountain for a guy who erases crosses and just raised his stock against the likes of Spain and Brazil, especially if the two creaky old guys come down injured.

Milan's got an automatic entry into the Champions League group stage, too, so there will be plenty of matches to go around. Onyewu should get, what, 20 starts at the bare minimum? It depends heavily on how competent Nesta can be coming off his injury and if Onyewu can outperform Kaladze.

It's a gamble. Not for Onyewu, of course, who's the USA's biggest lock for WC2010 outside of Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, probably making more bank than any Nats field player ever has, and figures to get significant playing time as Nesta and Kaladze near their expiration dates. But it's a gamble for the Nats themselves, who would very much like to see their center-defense stalwart and transfer-approved Best Field Player Ever sharpen his skills against the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and not turn into another rust-afflicted Tin Man like other USA players who reached for the stars and only got splinters.

By the way: Michael Bradley is socked with a four-game suspension for tracking down and going Drogba on referee Jorge Larrionda after Larrionda bizarrely sent him off in the 87th minute of the Spain game. But thanks to the Gold Cup, Bradley's suspension will be lifted after Wednesday's Honduras game (one game of the suspension is, well, suspended) and Bradley will be available for the USA's August qualifier in Azteca.

Thanks, Gold Cup! You have a point after all.

Also by the way: Striker Charlie Davies's—who I enjoy referring to as "nippy"—strong Confederations Cup has apparently landed him a gig in the French First Division at Sochaux. Onward and upward, Yanks.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.