The Portland Timbers announced the signing of MLS veteran and former US youth international Amobi Okugo on Monday, securing depth in defensive midfield and central defense for the defending MLS Cup champions.
The sixth overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, the 25-year-old has made 135 league appearances (111 starts) during a six-year career in MLS, recording five goals and seven assists in 10,075 minutes played with the Philadelphia Union, Orlando City SC and Sporting KC. Okugo was spotted in attendance at Portland's 2-1 home loss to New York City FC on Sunday, fueling chatter about his next move.
A native of Hayward, California, Okugo made 117 appearances (101 starts) with Philadelphia from 2010-2014, logging consecutive seasons with at least 30 starts in 2013 and 2014. After leading the Union in games played (32) and games started (31) during the 2014 season, Okugo joined Orlando City SC ahead of the team’s expansion season in 2015, appearing in 15 games (9 starts) before being acquired by Sporting Kansas City in July 2015. He most recently spent a brief stint with USL side New York Red Bulls II.
Okugo featured at the Under-23, U-20, U-18 and U-17 levels for the US. He made three appearances with the U-23s during CONCACAF Olympic qualifying in 2012 and featured in several U-20 World Cup qualifiers.
