McBride Leaves Fulham...US Bound

[acdc]

So its a fact, He'll definitely be playing in the MLS. But which team? Since Toronto have first dibs on him, a trade between tfc and chicago might be possible. I think one way or another, he'll be wearing a fire jersey soon.

Brian McBride announced on Wednesday that he is leaving Fulham after four and a half years with the Premier League club. The Arlington Heights, Illinois native scored 40 goals in 150 appearances for Fulham and was twice named the club's Player of the Year.

McBride told fulhamfc.com he felt it was the right time to return to the United States.

"I have always stated my intention to return to America at some stage and this seems like the right moment in my career to move on," McBride told the team website.

Fire technical director Frank Klopas said McBride is interested in returning to his hometown and playing for the Fire and admitted that he Fire is interested in signing him.

"We're definitely interested," Klopas said on Wednesday. "We would be crazy not to be interested in him. But at the end of the day, Toronto has his rights. We still have to deal with them. It's not like we can say 'Come over and lets get this done.'

"It will depend on what Toronto wants in return."

According to MLS Communications Director Will Kuhns, Toronto gets first dibs on McBride because of its allocation ranking.

"For Brian McBride to join an MLS club, he needs to agree to a contract with MLS, then be claimed via the allocation ranking," Kuhns said by email Wednesday. "Currently, Toronto FC holds the highest allocation on that list and therefore would have the first opportunity to acquire McBride.

"Team are listed in the allocation ranking by 1) expansion team(s), 2) reverse order of finish the previous season, taking into account playoff results.

"Hypothetically, Toronto could pass on McBride and retain its top spot for a future signing, or acquire McBride and trade him if they wished."

There's also the issue of McBride's asking price. He isn't going to be cheap considering he's coming from the Premier League.

Klopas said he didn't know if McBride would be looking for designated player money.

The Fire is currently tied for the best record in MLS. Its 19 goals are second best behind Los Angeles.

[The Boss]

As a Fulham fan I am hoping to see him come Toronto FC but, it is sad to see him leave after 4 seasons of great service

[The Boss]

Tribute McBride Video

This is a must see for the Fulhamfc website.

[Æther]

This is great. It's great to see these high caliber players returning. Hopefully it'll bring added prestige to the league.

[acdc]

May 30, 2008 19:31:34 GMT -6 The Boss said:

Tribute McBride Video

This is a must see for the Fulhamfc website.

Great video thanks for the link.

This is great. It's great to see these high caliber players returning. Hopefully it'll bring added prestige to the league.

Well, its good to see McBride Come back....especially to the Fire ( I hope). McBride has said its Fire or nothing so I guess that rules out Toronto. But Toronto might still get something in return.

Here's a nice article about McBride on ESPNSoccerner.com

Chicago had the weekend off, and if the Toyota Park deciders are smart, they were holed up in some smoke-filled back room, littered with convenience store coffee cups and pizza boxes, and any other markings of all-night, lock-in brainstorm sessions.

See, a big, fat golden opportunity sits before the Fire, one every bit as enticing as free ice cream in the hot summer.

Brian McBride wants in. He's sitting by the phone, waiting to become Chicago Fire property. It's up to the bosses at Toyota Park to make it happen. They may have to get creative, but it's surely worth the effort. A very special season for the Fire is there for the taking.

Denis Hamlett's men have assumed position atop the league totem poll as it is. Things are going swimmingly in Bridgeview.

Add McBride to the mix and Chicago becomes the just-add-water, instant favorite for MLS glory.

That's saying something. In the mishmash jumble of MLS, where teams fall in and out of form with wild unpredictability, clear favorites are as rare as compliments for referees.

Still, mark it down: Chicago becomes the team to beat the instant McBride is standing at a news conference podium, mugging merrily with Fire suits as he lifts the new red jersey.

He wants it to happen. That was the plan from the minute last week that the highly respected striker informed Fulham he would not return for a sixth season at Craven Cottage.

McBride, through his agent and brother, Matt McBride, has alerted MLS that he wants to finish his decorated career in the states. And yet, there's a catch. Toronto FC owns his allocation rights. Which means Chicago has to make a Canadian deal. And deal the Fire must.

Because the McBride clan has made this clear, too: it's Chicago or nothing. The first man of soccer in Arlington Heights, in suburban Chicago, is ready to settle in close to home. So, at age 35, he can either call it a day or sign up with the Fire.

That leaves Chicago officials and TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston in a bit of a spot. It's a big game of chicken. They all have to play hardball long enough to get the best deal available. But wait too long to make the big move and we all lose in the big, ugly smash-up that follows.

If anybody has earned the right to hand-pick his landing zone, it's McBride. He's earned it through steadfast dedication to club, country and craft. He was the original MLS draft selection way back in that 1996 free-for-all, as 12 new teams stashed talent in a ginormous draft. He served the country in three World Cups.

So will MLS lean on Toronto to make this happens? There is precedent. League officials helped secure an L.A. address for Landon Donovan when Dallas held his rights. And Dallas capitulated a few years back in Freddy Adu sweepstakes, too.

So, the league may quietly intercede if things aren't progressing. (Although there's no real hurry, since McBride can't play until the international transfer window opens on July 15, anyway.)

From the league PR standpoint, this is a 5-nil win. McBride is a poster boy, a home-grown soccer hero. He's talented, lovable, huggable and ruggedly handsome. He rescues kitten from trees in his spare time -- unless he's too busy helping the neighborhood kids with their homework.

Here's why it makes so much sense for Chicago: Hamlett's team already has the league's best defense, and the Fire is getting it done with parts to spare. Veteran C.J. Brown has yet to appear. Nor has recently acquired Lider Marmol. Wilman Conde, who saw the futility of his odd infatuation with Red Bulls boss Juan Carlos Osorio, is back on board and playing nicely with others.

So far, Diego Gutierrez and Bakary Soumare have usually partnered centrally, with outstanding results. On the right, Brandon Prideaux stays within himself and doesn't make mistakes. On the left, Gonzalo Segares has been nearly unbeatable. No MLS defender is enjoying a better season.

On the attack, players like Chris Rolfe are selflessly toiling so Cuauhtemoc Blanco can focus on crafting those defense crushers. Justin Mapp, Chad Barrett, Blanco and Rolfe (and sometimes John Thorrington) have created sufficient offense that the Fire defenders and holding midfielders need not worry about getting forward.

The result: Chicago has no rival in goals allowed (6, with the next closest at 12) and in goal difference (plus-13, with the next closest at plus-4).

All that is to say, the team's got it going on. Add McBride and it gets that much better.

Barrett hasn't done badly, but he still misses more than a starting striker should. McBride would put in the work for Blanco but would also add more punch to the bunch near goal. Barrett will still get his chances in spot duty and as a replacement starter during busy times.

As for trade material, the men of Toyota have parts to spare. (Although the word is that Justin Mapp was among the first names requested by TFC, and the Fire probably shouldn't go there.) But Conde? He's a talent, for sure, one that has barely dented the lineup in '08. Translation: he's expendable. And TFC can use a guy like that, one who can brace a defense that's still too leaky.

If Conde goes, Hamlett's men won't miss a beat. So there's no downside to adding McBride. The highly respected former Fulham captain represents zero threat of locker room contamination.

Funny thing about McBride: he never truly tore up MLS. All those years that he was such an important figure in a U.S. shirt, McBride was averaging just more than a goal every three matches (62 in 161 games).

Then again, he never had someone like Blanco feeding him clever balls. So there are exciting days ahead at Toyota Park -- as long as the Fire management can find a way to prevail in the big game of chicken.