The Chicago Fire announced today they have acquired United States soccer superstar, MLS All-Time Best XI member and English Premier League standout, forward Brian McBride. McBride's contract runs through the end of the 2009 season.
The Fire traded forward Chad Barrett, the club's 2009 first round draft choice and conditional future considerations to Toronto FC for McBride. Toronto used the top slot in the allocation ranking to acquire McBride.
"Brian is an outstanding player and we're excited that he is returning to his home town to join the Chicago Fire," said team owner and chairman Andrew Hauptman. "His tremendous skill and dedication to the sport are an inspiration to us all. We're thrilled we are able to bring him back to Chicago and MLS, and I am confident he will have an important impact on the team, as well as contribute to the community in meaningful ways."
"Brian is one of the greatest strikers in American history and we are thrilled to have him be a part of our team," said Fire technical director Frank Klopas. "His career speaks for itself and we are looking for him to be an instant contributor to our club."
"I am excited to be joining the Chicago Fire for many reasons," said McBride. "One of the most important of those is Chicago is my hometown. I have a great desire to win championships and hope to do so with the Fire. I am definitely looking forward to my future with the Fire."
A Chicagoland native from Arlington Heights, Ill., McBride has spent the last four and a half seasons with Fulham FC in the Barclays Premiership. He made 154 career appearances for Fulham and started 111 games. He scored 40 goals for the Whites, which included 32 Premiership goals.
This past season, in his first year as Fulham's captain, McBride dislocated his kneecap in the second game of the season and returned to the pitch in February when the Whites were staring at relegation from the Premiership. His return to the club proved to be a spark the team needed as they avoided dropping from the Premiership by winning four of their last five games.
He was named Fulham's Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
McBride might be best known for his play with the United States Senior National Team as he has earned 95 caps and has scored 30 goals. He has appeared in three World Cups - 1998, 2002 and 2006 - and is the only American to ever score goals in more than one World Cup. His three goals for the U.S. in World Cup play are second on the country's all-time list.
After announcing his retirement from international soccer in the summer of 2006, McBride came out of that retirement to again play for his country as earlier this month he was named as one of three "overage" players on the U.S. Olympic team which begins play in the Beijing Games next month. He will serve as that team's captain.
After a stellar collegiate career at Saint Louis University where he was a two-time All-American, McBride began his professional career with the Milwaukee Rampage where he scored 17 goals in 18 games and assisted on 17 others.
He then played for VfL Wolfsburg in German Bundesliga 2 for two seasons in 1994 and 1995 before returning to the United States to play in Major League Soccer.
He was the first overall pick of the league in its inaugural draft. He then went on to play eight seasons with Columbus where he scored 62 goals and registered 45 assists in 161 league games. He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI in 2005 as part of the league's 10th anniversary.
During his time with the Crew, he spent two loan periods in England. The first came in 2000 with Preston North End. Two years later with Everton he scored four goals in eight games.
