Ibrahim Said "close to signing"

[ManUtd4ever]

Ibrahim Saeid arrived in USA and will be joining TFC in Charleston on Friday for their 3 matches, and will put pen to paper after, if all goes well. I guess he didn't give us the birdie after all.

He had problems obtaining a visa to USA and he just got his papers sorted out. USMNT assistant coach and goalkeeping Zaki Abdel Fattah (Egyptian who worked with Preki at Chivas) has saved the move from collapsing, after Ibrahim Said faced problems obtaining his papers. Zaki Abdel Fattah "convinced" Preki to be patient and the papers eventually came through this week. Ibrahim Said arrived in NYC yesterday at 3:30 pm EST and will link up with TFC in Charleston and is expected to feature in all three matches.

TFC TV mentioned that Toronto FC still has some new trialists for Charleston. He should be one of those.

I just heard his phone call too on a show. He called from the airport, an hour before take off.

That's the phone call. It's in Arabic. At 1:55 he mentions "TORONTO FC" and said he's been training solo and staying in shape and is ready to prove himself with TFC and do good things. He also says that financial terms aren't on his mind and he just wants to take this chance to do well and he's fully concentrating on succeeding with Toronto. He states that he's looking forward to adapting to life in Toronto and can't wait to settle down in Toronto. He also mentions that he has everything (belongings, etc) with him and he's not returning to Egypt after Charleston and that he's finalized his shit in Egypt already. His family is moving to Toronto within a month or two, after he finds a house.

He looks exactly like "Said" from the TV series "Lost"...

[106-12]

I just listened to the interview in Arabic. He sounds very excited to be coming to Toronto. Says he needs to prove himself and he doesn't want to make the same mistakes he made when he went to England. I think he will be a good player for us.

[Pigfynn]

^^Wow! someone who's excited to come and wear the shirt..I like him already.

[Shaughno]

He's definitely a good player... if he can keep his shit together, he'll boss our backline no doubt about it.

[jabbronies]

He's definitely a good player... if he can keep his shit together, he'll boss our backline no doubt about it.

This is something we have never had. Even when we had Marshell in the back, he was tough, but he wasn't someone who really controlled what was happening in the back.

[Shaughno]

And something we've been asking for since Day 1.

[Detroit_TFC]

Best news so far this preseason, I was worried he had reconsidered coming to TFC.

[Stencils]

Very interested to see how this works out! This is definitely something to celebrate.

[sully]

This is something we have never had. Even when we had Marshell in the back, he was tough, but he wasn't someone who really controlled what was happening in the back.

Can he speak English?

[Shaughno]

Can he speak English?

Well he was at Everton for a short time, so I'm assuming he can at least understand it...

[Oldtimer]

He won't need to know English. Preki will be yelling at him in Serbian...

[brad]

This signing could be big for us. Not only on the defensive front, but transitions out of defense to attack (IE Said to JDG). This could be the first step to actually launching a counter attack....

[Shaughno]

This signing could be big for us. Not only on the defensive front, but transitions out of defense to attack (IE Said to JDG). This could be the first step to actually launching a counter attack....

I remember years 1&2 I (and many others) preached about not having the midfield to work the ball up to our strikers. Last year we had the midfield, but nobody to really work the ball up the field from the back. Hopefully this is the signing we've needed. Commanding, talented, experienced CB.

[maninb]

Yah baby!!!! Perhaps an answer to our #1 priority!!!!

[tfc88]

He won't need to know English. Preki will be yelling at him in Serbian...

"Jebem ti Mater, pitchku!"

[brad]

I remember years 1&2 I (and many others) preached about not having the midfield to work the ball up to our strikers. Last year we had the midfield, but nobody to really work the ball up the field from the back. Hopefully this is the signing we've needed. Commanding, talented, experienced CB.

I hope so too.

This is one (of the many) reasons we conceded so many late goals as well. We couldn't retain possession on the transition from defense to offense.

[Brooker]

thank god!

[Shaughno]

No thank Preki... and his contacts

[GuelphStorm2007]

Finally some good news. Hopefully this guy will work out,

[jloome]

I believe I'm owed a karmic beer for predicting that, after the Robbo debacle, there'd be a signing today or tomorrow (or both).

THey always soften the blow that way. Old PR trick.

Huge though. Guy's a total nutcase, but a helluva player.

[jloome]

No thank Preki... and his contacts

Stunning that Mo couldn't pull this one of, eh

[flatpicker]

It's so nice to get a little good news in TFC land.

[DangerRed]

I want to be positive here, but... contract or it didn't happen.

[Brooker]

No thank Preki... and his contacts

THANK RADOSAVLJEVIC!

[Shaughno]

I believe I'm owed a karmic beer for predicting that, after the Robbo debacle, there'd be a signing today or tomorrow (or both).

THey always soften the blow that way. Old PR trick.

Huge though. Guy's a total nutcase, but a helluva player.

LOL I'd give you that karmic beer if it was official... until then, you're only half right

[Pachuco]

We are probably still a couple of weeks away from seeing this guy sign (IF he does sign). He's probably going to trial through Charleston tourny, and then negotations begin, and then maybe, just maybe, we'll get pen on paper, if he's good enough and if Mo doesn't fuck it up. Shall I remind everyone about Kiki?

[Shaughno]

We are probably still a couple of weeks away from seeing this guy sign (IF he does sign). He's probably going to trial through Charleston tourny, and then negotations begin, and then maybe, just maybe, we'll get pen on paper, if he's good enough and if Mo doesn't fuck it up. Shall I remind everyone about Kiki?

Yeah, at least Said has said that he doesn't care about the money, he just wants to impress. Which is miles better than what Kiki was after, which was plain ol' greenbacks and couldn't give a shit who he was playing for.

[Pachuco]

Yeah, at least Said has said that he doesn't care about the money, he just wants to impress. Which is miles better than what Kiki was after, which was plain ol' greenbacks and couldn't give a shit who he was playing for.

This is true. Money isn't always the sticky point in negotiations though so who knows. Just saying, this guy is further away from signing then some of the other trialists that apparantly have stuck around from the Disney tourney.

[Shaughno]

Yes and no... technically he was supposed to be here earlier, but Preki was convinced to wait for his work permit to go through. From the sounds of his brief statements and articles it's not so much a trial but rather a near signing.

[Detroit_TFC]

Hope the strike talk doesn't freak him out. "Welcome to MLS - oh by the way we're going on strike and you're not going to get paid."

Having said that, since it took a lot of effort to get US visa he probably wouldn't leave now.