Republic FC’s Wheeler-Omiunu nets local donation with musical talent on ‘MLS Idle’ | The Sacramento Bee

Republic FC midfielder Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu stole the show in a recent episode of MLS Idle: Soccer’s Hidden Talents, nabbing a donation for a local organization.

Wheeler-Omiunu, the only USL player among four contestants this past week, sang and played the piano during a rendition of Labrinth’s “Jealous,” which garnered enough votes to land a $1,000 donation for Sacramento’s Department of Sound, an organization providing musical opportunities for local youth.

“It says a lot about what the soccer community in America knows about Sacramento’s soccer culture and community as a whole,” he said in a statement released by the team. “The support in the community has been unbelievable since I’ve been here, and this is just another example of it.”

Wheeler-Omiunu, who signed with Republic FC this past offseason, swept the judges panel unanimously last week, but the final say came from fans across Facebook and Twitter, who voted in by posting #MLSIdle, along with the last name of their favorite performer.

“If there was one place Wheeler liked to sing — it was in the shower. It could get kind of awkward… ,” Bobby Boswell, a guest judge and former-teammate of Wheeler-Omiunu’s, recalled during the show. “Guys would give him a really hard time on this, especially Kenwyne Jones, who’d tell him to stop singing. And this guy didn’t care. He knew he was good, he knew he had the pipes and he brings it every time he sings. I was so happy to see that he was going to be on today, because he has a real talent the world needs to see, and I’m glad he’s getting a chance to show it.”

Kyle Duncan of the New York Red Bulls displayed his dance skills. San Jose Earthquakes’ Tommy Thompson, a Granite Bay High School product, played and sang a medley of hip-hop classics. Sporting Kansas City’s John Pulskamp traversed a makeshift tightrope.

“Music has been extremely vital for me most of my life. It’s always been a way for me to have some type of cathartic release from whatever stress might be going on,” Wheeler-Omiunu said in a follow-up interview with the show.

Mitchel Bobo

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Mitchel Bobo covers breaking news for The Bee and is a journalism student at Sacramento State. He was born on Travis Air Force Base and raised in Vacaville.