Confirmed: McBride is Coming Back to MLS

[S_D]

From MLS rules on available on their website.

" (L.) RETURNING U.S. NATIONAL TEAM POOL PLAYERS
In the event a U.S. National Team pool player playing abroad returns to the U.S. and there is interest from multiple MLS teams, preference will be given first to a team prepared to use an allocation. If there is more than one team prepared to use an allocation on a particular player, the current season's allocation rankings as determined by the MLS Competition Committee would be used. In the event no team is willing to use an allocation, the player will be assigned via waivers."



Thought this might help clear some stuff up. Looks to me like TFC has to sign him to get something for him. Being first in line to his rights based on allocation doesn't mean that you can trade for that right I don't think, unless they trade the allocation of course. Can Anyone else help clear this up?

Just to muddy it up.... according to a post on B.S. (take it for what you will) he retired from NT duties 2 years ago so he isn't part of the player pool anymore.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

This is my understanding as well. We don't have his rights, just the first option to sign him or not. If Chicago or Columbus want him for sure, then it would make sense for us to use our allocation to sign him and then trade him to whichever team will give us the most for him - which you would hope would include a good striker.

Yep more or less my understanding as well (although i seem to have great difficulty putting it into words)

[Red CB Toronto]

I am sure he will get DP money. Where do you think he fits in best?

[ag futbol]

Ag, Huckerby has played as an out-and-out winger since 2003, not a striker. He started as a striker but has spent most of his career outwide because he can beat people at speed. the last time he played striker for a whole season, he had six in 14.

And that's hardly the point in the end: McBride is not a prolific scorer, just a very good player. We need a prolific scorer.

That's completely ignoring the different levels that these guys are playing at which are realistically miles apart.

[brad]

That's completely ignoring the different levels that these guys are playing at which are realistically miles apart.

And Fulham weren't exactly a prolific team. You have look bit deeper than the pure goals to games ratio when looking at an out and out striker like McBride.

[ChrisLav]

Chicago Tribune article today from Luis Arroyave that was mentioned earlier in the thread.

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

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

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,4246285.story

Still not sure how this will work and the DP slot. Odds are Chicago is going to need one to have McBride.

[Oldtimer]

Chicago Tribune article today from Luis Arroyave that was mentioned earlier in the thread.



http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,4246285.story

Still not sure how this will work and the DP slot. Odds are Chicago is going to need one to have McBride.

TFC can either use it's allocation ranking, get McBride, and trade him to the Fire

OR

TFC can pass and keep it's top allocation.

Mo may very well choose to keep the allocation so as to have first rights on someone else coming into MLS.

[arsenal]

TFC can either use it's allocation ranking, get McBride, and trade him to the Fire

OR

TFC can pass and keep it's top allocation.

Mo may very well choose to keep the allocation so as to have first rights on someone else coming into MLS.

Doubt Mo will pass. The allocation rule only applies to returning nat'l teamers/former MLS players. Our top allocation last year was wasted on Connor Casey. It will only last until the remainder of the season and I can't see anything close to this valuable returning before then (look SJ wasted it on the Peguero guy).

[jloome]

That's completely ignoring the different levels that these guys are playing at which are realistically miles apart.

Uh, no they're not. The top four in the prem are miles above the CCC, maybe everton, aston villa and Tottenham as well. And Huckerby, like Kevin Phillips and James Beattie, played the first half of his career in the prem -- in fact his first two years at Norwich were on loan from Man City. So again, this distinction is pretty negligible.

It's also generally agreed in England that the top of the CCC is pretty similar to the bottom of the prem. Usually speed is the key difference, not technique or tactical acumen.

And as for the next post, McBride has never been an "out-and-out striker", he's never been a striker period.He's a target man, not a striker. Different things.

All of which adds up to: he's a target man, not a striker. In the same number of years at Columbus as Jeff Cunningham, they scored exactly the same number of goals. And Cunningham is four years younger than McBride.

I'm not saying he's not a great player Ag, I'm just saying he's not the striker we're looking for. Huckerby may not be the overall player McBride is right now, but at least he's played significant amounts of time in the position we're actually trying to fill.

Plus he's a better finisher. Seriously, look up some of the comments on the Norwich chat boards about him over the last couple of years, check out his youtube vids. He's a hell of player.

[jloome]

Someone like................. Pizarro

(when he was at Bayern...scheisse bayern)

Yeah, that's more like it! I'd think DP money would draw someone of his caliber, and he's kind of faded on the Euro front despite being a heck of a finisher.

[brad]

All of which adds up to: he's a target man, not a striker.

Okay - plug the word target man into my above statement and it makes no difference top the meaning.

[brad]

Plus he's a better finisher. Seriously, look up some of the comments on the Norwich chat boards about him over the last couple of years, check out his youtube vids. He's a hell of player.

Youtube vids are nice, but pointless for drawing anything meaningful about a player. Gordon Strachen said about Huckerby - " 'Darren's a scorer of great goals, what we need is a great goal scorer.'"

Regardless, I'd take either Huckerby or McBride. Either would be a serious improvement to our team. We won't get McBride though, so it's a moot point.