It sounds as if Oguchi Onyewu is being showered with derision when he takes the soccer field. But fans are not booing him: Theyre bellowing his nickname, Gooooch, in a baritone chorus soon to echo in Europes most hallowed stadiums.

After helping the U.S. national team reach the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa this summer, Onyewu signed a three-year contract with A.C. Milan, making him the only U.S. player in Italys famed Serie A and the most prominent American player in the world.

This may be a fad, Onyewu said recently. When its over, theyll all go back to Landon.

Landon Donovan, the Americans career leading scorer, is wiling away in Major League Soccer.

Many of his United States teammates play for middling clubs in England or in smaller European leagues. But Onyewu, a 27-year-old defender, has climbed atop the European soccer hierarchy, and neither the burden of novelty nor the pressure of playing for one of Europes elite teams seems to worry him.

When I signed here, I didnt even think twice about being the only American, said Onyewu, who played four seasons in Belgium for Standard Liege, which has won the past two Jupiler League titles. Its the same as any other club. I think if you dont perform then youre not going to get the results you want.

Onyewu wants to crack a Milan starting lineup that features eight World Cup winners and some of the most talented players of a generation.

On the practice field, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Onyewu towers above his diminutive teammate Andrea Pirlo. His long strides and quick feet cover more ground in one step than the talismanic Ronaldinho does in 10. And though Onyewu appears more suited for that other brand of football, he is at ease playing among such superstars.

I think football is football, anywhere, he said. I dont think that because Im American, or any other factor, I should feel out of place on the team.

Milan will begin the Italian season on Saturday without its longtime captain and star defender, Paolo Maldini, who retired after 23 seasons. The team acquired Onyewu and Thiago Silva of Brazil to bolster the backline.

He brings an American mentality to the team, said Clarence Seedorf, a veteran Milan midfielder. A sports mentality, a winners mentality.

Onyewu played two years at Clemson before pursuing a career in Europe. He got his break with the national team in 2005 under the former coach Bruce Arena, who valued his size and athleticism.

Certainly he has the physical qualities you want in the centerback, Arena said. Thats an area where the U.S. team was lacking. I knew in time he would continue to improve and establish himself as a quality player.

In the Americans final defeat of the 2006 World Cup in Germany against Ghana, Onyewu challenged for a ball in his own penalty area just before halftime. He cleared the ball with his head, but the referee ruled that the much larger Onyewu had fouled the smaller forward, awarding Ghana a penalty kick.

It was a lesson he learned, Arena said. He is a big physical guy and when he establishes contact, guys will go down. With the opponent embellishing it, hes going to get calls that other defenders will not get.

Arena and the current U.S. coach, Bob Bradley, described Onyewu as an exceptionally intelligent player who recognized what was going on around him on the field and re-engineered his game to be more effective.

Obviously when I first started I was raw a little bit and I needed to learn my body and learn to control myself, Onyewu said. I think thats the whole process of growing up, learning, progressing as a player.

Last season, Onyewu played more minutes than any other player on Standard Liege, and he was one of the least penalized, receiving five yellow cards in 45 games.

Theres a lot of points of my game that people dont recognize the progress Ive made or the work that Ive put in to make my weaknesses a strength and my strengths even stronger, Onyewu said. As long as Milan was able to notice that to sign me, Im sufficed with that.

Milan didnt have to pay a transfer fee to sign Onyewu, who was unsigned at the end of last season. He had hoped to parlay a strong performance in the Confederations Cup into a move to a bigger club. Since December of 08, clubs have been offering me new contracts, but Ive been delaying or passing them by, Onyewu said. I was stubborn. I told myself, look, I didnt get to this point in my career, work so hard, just to settle. Ill take the risk.

He played in South Africa without a new professional contract, and his standout performance helped the Americans beat Spain, then the worlds top-ranked team, and reach the final, where they narrowly lost to Brazil.

When someone has contributed to his club or national team consistently, Bradley said, big clubs take notice.

Milan, a 17-time Italian champion and a winner of seven European titles, has not claimed a trophy in three years. This season, the team will return to the UEFA Champions League, the continents premier club tournament, and could play upwards of 50 games, taxing even the deepest roster.

Onyewu knows he will have to earn his playing time, and he accepts that it may not happen right away. Some players dont get that instant gratification and they get their head down and start blaming the world, Onyewu said. Im not going to be that way.

It could be a worrisome prospect for the United States team if, in a pivotal year before the World Cup, Onyewu does not play regularly with Milan. But Bradley said he was not overly concerned.

Competing every day in training, at a high level, helps, he said. We certainly understand that when you go to a big club, its not going to happen right away.