Unable to find a new home in Major League Soccer, Amobi Okugo is betting on himself to land at a club in Europe.
The former U.S. youth international and first-round draft pick is reportedly on trial with SC Preußen Münster in Germany’s third tier. The club has been in the 3. Liga for the last seven years but this year is mired in midtable, sitting in 12th place after 35 of 38 games.
Okugo is looking to re-start his career after a couple of rough seasons in Portland, filled with injury and mired by long spells on the bench. The 27-year-old played just 14 league games over the past two seasons with the Timbers.
After being selected with the sixth-overall selection in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union, Okugo’s future looked bright, with appearances for the U.S. U-17s, U-20s and soon U-23s.
But after four seasons in Philadelphia, where the holding midfielder was at times played out of position at centerback, he spent the 2015 season between Orlando City and Sporting Kansas City, the 2016 season between New York Red Bulls II and the Timbers, and then appeared just 10 times for the Timbers last season.
Perhaps a move in Germany, with a future move into the Bundesliga, could help revitalize Okugo’s career.
