McBride Leads Fulham

Telegraph (uk)

Fulham won a vital game against Everton today, 1-0, behind a great goal by captain Brian McBride. Manager Roy Hodgson said of his skipper:

'Brian is an experienced player. He is 36 and a talismanic figure at the club. It was just that little bit of quality that was needed because both teams were defending and fighting hard.'

Everyone loves McBride, even the manager of the opposing club:

"I don't like conceding goals but if anyone was to score I'm glad it was Brian," said [Everton manager David] Moyes, who brought the American to England when he was manager of Preston and them took him on loan to Everton. "He is a great player and a great professional."

Fulham is still in the drop zone; they need to make up four points on Birmingham to keep from being relegated. Clint Dempsey scored the goal that kept Fulham from being relegated last year; perhaps another American will do the job this year? (I hope for Eddie Johnson; our US team needs GAM to get back on track.)

Video of McBride's goal from 101 Great Goals (with French commentators!)

Guardian (uk): McBride the miracle worker gives Fulham a glimpse of the possible

Times (uk): Brian McBride gives faithful something to shout about

Eddie Johnson on Transfer to Fulham

hat tip to DuNord

Fulham Sign Eddie Johnson

Fulham signs their fifth American (Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller & Brian McBride precede Johnson). The $6 million transfer fee is the largest in MLS history. Of course, the fees look higher and higher as the value of the dollar drops relative to the pound; in pounds, it's only 3 million (my keyboard doesn't have a pound sign)

Last year Clint Dempsey scored the $100 million dollar goal that kept Fulham from being relegated to the Championship. Unfortunately they are back in the drop zone. Let's hope Eddie Johnson finds the form that made GAM the first US player ever to score 8 goals in his first 8 games for the USMNT.

Dempsey and Johnson are good friends, so that should help Johnson adjust to England and the English game. They roomed together at the 2006 World Cup. Some links to videos of the two below.

Yanks Abroad: JOHNSON JOINS FULHAM AFTER APPEAL

Soccer by Ives: Eddie Johnson granted UK work permit, signs with Fulham

Studio 90 Follows Clint Dempsey and Eddie Johnson for BBQ (video)

Clint & EJ Interview Each Other on the bus in Germany (video)

Words from Nac (video of Clint Dempsey discussing his Don't Tread video; EJ appears at the end)

Nike: Inside Eddie Johnson video

Nike: Eddie Shows the Love video

Breaking: Deuce Gets His Work Permit

EPL, watch out!

Boston Herald: Dempsey to join Fulham

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy: January 9, 2007

Commander Codpiece with his buddy Jack _____off
Today is the 5th anniversary of the founding of that abomination, the Guantanimo Bay Gulag. (dailykos)

John Edwards speaks out against the war escalators and their lies. (Atrios) Edwards seems to be making a concerted effort not to be a mealy-mouthed milquetoast or managed to death by consultants. Go Johnny Go.

In not-news, Joe Lieberman is despicable. But we already knew that. (Brilliant at Breakfast)

Photo of Chimpy McFlightsuit and his enabler (above) dug up by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). You know, Bush and the guy he can't remember, but nonetheless has spent the last four years disappearing all the official records that might tell us they met. That guy.

Today is the Home Office tribunal hearing on whether England will grant Clint Dempsey a work permit and let him join Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra at Fulham FC. The Boston Globe thinks it's likely the permit will be granted as Dempsey was injured for one of the matches that he didn't play. If he had played he'd qualify for the permit automatically because he would have played in 75% of the US National Team matches in the last two years. You can check in at the boy's website to see how he made out. I wanna see him do the Texas Two-Step celebration on the banks of the Thames!

Football Round-Up

BBC: Liverpool 3-0 Bolton: The hosts take the lead on the hour when Jermaine Pennant's cross is turned in by Peter Crouch
A report in London's Evening Standard says that Fulham, who have already tendered an offer to American Clint Dempsey, are also going to sign Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege for a transfer fee of 1 million pounds. The best thing that can come from those signings is the chance for those two great young Americans to learn from the workhorse of the US National Team, Brian McBride. McBride is never the fastest or the most skilled player on the field, but he works the hardest. If Dempsey and Gooch can learn to Be Like Brian, this will be a match made in footie heaven. (via DuNord, football365 readers have ranked BMB the '4th most underrated player' in English football. Some good end-of-year soccer lists are linked on DuNord, too. It's the best football site out there.)

Stevie G. an MBE. Soon enough we'll be calling him 'sir'. About time -- he should have gotten it after the Champions League win in 2005, but we'll take it for the FA Cup heroics.

Crouchie (pictured above) had another bicycle goal on Sunday against Bolton. How can Rafa sell him? Plus, it would break Coach Mom's heart. Even before we met him in the elevator in Chicago, she's been a big fan.

I guess Britain has its own version of "Punked", with Rio Ferdinand as Aston Kutcher. Who Ate All The Pies has a segment where he messes with Shaun Wright-Phillips (aided and abetted by John Terry).

Footie News

The many faces of Jurgen Klinsmann
FoxSports reports that Jurgen Klinsmann is to be the next USMNT coach. Let's hope so!

via duNord, Eurosport reports that Real Madrid has made a bid for Gooch, Oguchi Onyewu, our massive defender currently toiling for Standard Liege in Belgium. Real Madrid! Teammate of Beckham, von Nistelrooy, and Raul! My god, he could be playing next to Roberto Carlos. Another report we hope is correct.

From Who Ate All The Pies (it's an English thing), video of current England soccer players in their youth. Look for the Michael Owen goal about 3/4 of the way along - he scores from the kickoff. Oh, and Robbie Savage with a cameo as Little Lord Fauntleroy.

Clint Dempsey (The Deuce) has reportedly been offered a deal by Fulham FC, but is going to have to appeal for a work permit, as he doesn't have sufficient appearances for the US National Team to automatically qualify.

Reading, home of Americans Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann, are 6th in the table in the EPL. They did have the highest point total ever in the Championship last season, but their start is amazing.

U.S. - Costa Rica Squad Announced

Arena Names 18-Man Roster In Advance of Oct. 8 Qualifier in Costa Rica

ROSTER BY POSITION

Goalkeepers (2) – Kevin Hartman (Los Angeles Galaxy), Tim Howard (Manchester United)

Defenders (8) – Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Wade Barrett (San Jose Earthquakes), Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Dan Califf (San Jose Earthquakes), Eddie Lewis (Leeds United), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake), Jonathan Spector (Charlton Athletic)

Midfielders (5) – DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven), Ricardo Clark (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Convey (Reading FC), Kyle Martino (Columbus Crew), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards (3) – Brian Ching (San Jose Earthquakes), Santino Quaranta, (D.C. United), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)

Looks like we will finally get our first look at Tim Howard in a while -- he's been riding the pine at Man U., and between Kasey Keller's dazzling domination and Tim's first child being born, he hasn't even been called up this year.

Glad to see Jonathan Spector on the roster, too. Hope this time Bruce puts him in. Please God don't let our average age at the World Cup next year be close to 30. That team will just break down and get overrun.

Eddie Pope? I think Bruce sees his past more than he sees his present. I love and adore Eddie Pope, but he's done at the international level. Once you lose that step as a defender, it's over. Can you see him going head to head with Wayne Rooney? Kaka? Eto'o? Shevchenko? Nope. We tried this last World Cup (Jeff Agoos) with disastrous results.

Twellman (too short) and Ching (too slow) haven't impressed me yet. But Twellman is a scorer, and his fabulous record of late strikes with the Revolution this year has earned him this spot. With scoring phenom Eddie Johnson still suffering from fractures in his feet, Bruce must find another striker, just in case. That's where Ching comes in.

At least our two best young players are on the squad, Damarcus Beasley and Oguchi Onyewu. When we shut down the other team's striker, he's been Onyewuued.

What can I say about all those MLS guys? I just don't understand giving all those roster spots to people who have such a small chance of making the World Cup squad. Wade Barrett? A 29-year-old who's been capped once? Come on. I'd rather see Freddy Adu, Eddie Gaven, Zak Whitbread, Justin Mapp, Alecko Eskandarian, Benny Feilhaber, Marvel Wynne. Young players with promise. Too bad they didn't go to U.Va.

Oh well. At least he didn't call up Chris Armas.