After being linked to nearly every big European club in need of added defensive cover (there are several at the moment), it looks like Oguchi Onyewu, the American central defender who gave up that crucial (questionable) penalty against Ghana in the World Cup last summer, is now headed to Newcastle United.

According to the Press Association, the Standard Liege defender is now in Newcastle completing a medical for what appears to be a six-month loan deal. Other reports in recent days claimed the player had all but sewn up a permanent move to Olympique Marseille in France in a $4 million deal.

"Gooch" has played in Belgium since 2003, first with La Louviere, and then Standard a year later. He was named U.S. Soccer's 2006 Male Athlete of the Year. Standard finished second behind Anderlecht in Belgium's Jupiler League last season. In 2005, he was named the league's foreign player of the year. Read the original story...