Today's News,Thursday, July. 31

[denime]

Toronto FC confirms McBride deal


Canadian Press
July 30, 2008 at 3:40 PM EDT

TORONTO — Toronto FC has finally landed its man.
The MLS team acquired forward Chad Barrett, a 2009 first round pick and future considerations on Wednesday for the rights to forward Brian McBride.
The deal had been rumoured for more than a week.
"First, I would like to thank all parties involved in getting this done," Toronto FC manager Mo Johnston said in a statement. "The real winners in this deal are MLS, the Chicago Fire, Toronto FC, and Brian McBride.
"The Fire has brought back a wonderful striker and we're getting in return, a promising young striker as well as a first round draft pick. It was important that we received the No. 1 pick in this deal and hopefully it will serve us well in the future."


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Now that MLS is making waves it's time it gave national teams a hand

Cathal Kelly During all-star week in Toronto, Major League Soccer officials could barely wipe the grins off their faces. After a decade of sleeping in the shed, MLS has finally been invited to break bread with the big kids of the NFL and NBA.
Commissioner Don Garber noted the fact that D.C. United draws more viewers than baseball's Washington Nationals in the U.S. capital. It's a bit of a leap from there to claiming that soccer has joined the big four sports leagues, but Garber made it. And who can blame him? Times are good.
There are at least two measures of MLS' success. On the business front, the franchise fee is ballooning like tulip bulbs on the Amsterdam exchange. Toronto paid $10 million (U.S.) three years ago. Those two cities who buy in for 2011 will pay something in the region of $40 million. In a crummy U.S. economy, that's something.


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TFC finalizes big trade

Toronto FC finally has landed its man.
The MLS team acquired forward Chad Barrett, a 2009 first-round pick and future considerations yesterday for the rights to forward Brian McBride.
The deal had been rumoured for more than a week.
"First, I would like to thank all parties involved in getting this done," Toronto FC manager Mo Johnston said in a statement. "The real winners in this deal are MLS, the Chicago Fire, Toronto FC, and Brian McBride.
"The Fire has brought back a wonderful striker and we're getting in return, a promising young striker as well as a first-round draft pick. It was important that we received the No. 1 pick in this deal and hopefully it will serve us well in the future."

The 23-year-old Barrett has five goals and four assists in 16 games this season. He joined Chicago straight out of college in 2005.
The native of Oregon also has been a member of the U.S. U-18, U-20 and U-23 national teams. Barrett played in all four of the U.S.'s U-20 matches at the FIFA world youth championship in Holland in 2005.



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SUNSHINE

[TFC_Junky]

In some respects the comparisons are eerily similar.

They are both strikers, they both wear red jerseys, they were born in the same year, they’re the same height, and there’s more than a passing resemblance.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/reed...ce_to_tur.html

Nice article, Nigel.

[Oldtimer]

On Wednesday, McBride signed a two-year deal with the Fire that runs through the end of the 2009 season. He spent 41/2 seasons in the Premier League with Fulham.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,5800818.story

I expect that McBride will retire at the end, so Chicago gets 2 years of McBride, we get Barrett possibly for years, plus a first-round draft pick that may pay off for some time to come. Building for the future!

[Oldtimer]

The Impact are juggling things following their unexpected CL spot:

Nick De Santis wants to make sure there's a fiercely partisan crowd when the Impact plays real Esteli FC of Nicaragua in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League showdown. And that's why the team has juggled its schedule to make the Aug. 27 game part of its season-ticket package.
"I remember Canada once played Trinidad in Toronto and there was a steel band down on the field," said De Santis, who is the Impact's technical director. "It felt like a home game for Trinidad. We want to make sure that our players know this is a home game."
The Impact was originally scheduled to play Portland in a regular-season United Soccer Leagues First Division game on Aug. 27. Season tickets and other tickets previously sold for that game will be honoured for the CONCACAF match.

The additional games - Canada could play at least six more games in the Champions League if they get past Real Esteli - means De Santis is trying to beef up the roster. He announced midfielder Félix Brillant has signed with the team. The Brossard product played in Norway last year and has experience with the New England Revolution of the MLS.
'We have 23 players and we'd like to add three or four more because we have a lot of games coming up," De Santis said.

This is where a lack of MLS roster-restrictions comes in handy.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...7-50d8f77ce241

[Roogsy]

Yeah...that 18-man roster is BRUTAL! MLS needs to do away with it.

[scooter]

morning thanks again denime
check the roster---barrett on tebily off

[rocker]

wait, so the delay was Barrett signing an extension with the Fire before the trade was official?

[RealG-TFC]

I hope Esteli wins.

[Carts]

I hope Esteli wins.

Not just win, I'm hoping they win 8-nil...

[Technorgasm]

so will we se BArretta start on SUnday? hope so.

I also hope that before he starts he meets the press so he has a chance to say ho w happy he is to be playing here. . (riiiight ?)

[Toronto_Bhoy]

Gotta admit…looks like another good bit of business from Mo.

From nothing he's got us a new striker [can't be any worse than what we've been using] and a number one pick.

Good work Mo.