Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Flex on January 01, 2009, 02:15:13 PM
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Birchall has big decision to make.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
To go MLS or not.
Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Chris Birchall has a major career decision to make at the start of 2009 – Whether to stay in England or make the move over to the United States Major League Soccer.
It was reported on BBC on Wednesday that the English-born player was heading to USA after completing his loan deal with Carlisle United but Birchall confirmed today that such is not the case.
He has two options which involves a deal offered by MLS club San Jose Earthquakes and has also been invited for a try out with Brighton by Micky Adams, the man who signed him at Coventry City from Port Vale following the 2006 World Cup
“It’s a massive decision for me to make as far as my career goes and it’s one which Ill have to think very carefully about and decide in maybe two weeks,” Birchall told TTFF Media on Thursday. “But at the moment I haven’t made any final decisions on going to the US.”
He will join Brighton on a one-week training stint after which Adams is expected to make an offer while San Jose head coach Frank Yallop wants him to sign with the club and join them for preseason training in February.
Now if Birchall goes to the USA, he is considering the fact that it will allow him to be closer to Trinidad during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers as well as give him the chance to join the team in a live-in training camp in Argentina in the build up to the match against El Salvador on February 11. Birchall said that he had no fears over his fitness as if he did sign with San Jose, he would have the option of staying on and training with Brighton or another English club up until his switch to the MLS in February.
“Coventry paid me off and I spent my time at Carlisle where I’ve played a series of Reserve games and also had some brief appearances for the first team so I’m fitter than I was at Coventry. At Carlisle I’d been playing 90 minutes of Reserve football in midweek as well as getting runs with the first team on the weekend.
“I’m in a far better position now than I was at Coventry because both these new offers can be beneficial for me but I’ve got to take a good look along with my agent and see which is the better one,” Birchall said. “I’ll know more and come to a firm decision in maybe two weeks as far as my future lies.
“The fact that going to the US will mean I’m closer to Trinidad is definitely something that I will think about and fitness wise I’m not worried because I will definitely be active in England before the MLS season starts. But I’m heading to Brighton on Monday for a week because my old manager Micky Adams wants me there and if I do well enough in that time then there’s the possibility of them putting a decent deal on the table.”
Birchall also shared his thoughts on the 2009 period as it relates to international football with T&T and one of the things he spoke about was the desire to put away any and all differences that may have plagued the team in the past
“I think we are all really eager to get the situation regarding the World Cup bonuses out of the way. We need to throw out that argument and I think that will definitely happen in the new year. Since I’ve been back it’s been exciting because we all realize that we can play some good football and be a force to be reckoned with while having our best players in the team.
“Jack Warner had some words with me when I got back into the team and in some way he apologized for whatever ways the football may have been affected. I personally appreciate everything he’s done for me and I think the other players feel the same too. He brought me from League One football into the international stage and a World Cup and there’s nothing in my career that I appreciate more than that. The last thing I want to do is get into a fight with the Vice President of FIFA, so we definitely want to get this issue out of the way and focus on reaching the next World Cup,” Birchall added.
“This year (2009) is going to be a really exciting one because we’ve put ourselves in a great position, even better than in 2006 I think. We have done the hardest part which was getting into the final round because we faced a tricky contest to get there. We’ve been in this position before and I think with the blend of youth and experience we have now… we can definitely be a force. I feel we can be in with a great chance of winning all our home games and looking for points on the road which should put us in a fine position on the standings.”
Birchall also made his feelings known on the appointment of Russell Latapy as assistant coach.
“It’s not a surprise to any of us. I think we are more than happy now that it’s a done deal and a bonus to the rest of the team. We can learn loads about the game in every aspect from Russell and it’s nice to have him in a capacity where we can speak to each other and he can share his ideas with the head coach and vice versa. We are definitely looking forward to working with him in a way that is going to be more than a teammate relationship,” Birchall concluded.
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Just shows that the MLS is truly on par with League One :)
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Like the idea that he would consider the move to the US because it would put him closer to T&T and make it easier to be available for training etc. Putting country in line with career, he seems more "trini" than some :)
But because I missed some things, can someone explain the thing he's talking about with the bonuses?
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Just shows that the MLS is truly on par with League One :)
JW apologize ???
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
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Birchie we will support you behind either decision
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Just shows that the MLS is truly on par with League One :)
JW apologize ???
he have feelings :o
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Just shows that the MLS is truly on par with League One :)
JW apologize ???
he have feelings :
Yeah right
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San Jose is one of the better situations for him I think... plus Sealy out there too.
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Why would he have to try out with Adamas if Adams knows what he bring to the table. Unless he mean see how he fit with the team. To much games with English football.
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San Jose is one of the better situations for him I think... plus Sealy out there too.
Plus they have an english striker starring for them, so that could help Birchie settle in.
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que sera sera.
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
I think that the distance in time zones is also a factor
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
He eh have to go to Miami. Remember it have direct flights from Houston to T&T.
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
He eh have to go to Miami. Remember it have direct flights from Houston to T&T.
Yep Contentintal
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Glad to have it cleared up .thanks Chris .
As for Jack .....being one of his fiercest critics ,me eint know if he had a change of heart ,whatever he have in there ,but ..........Nearly everything I and we ask of him ,he did ,end blacklist ,get a good coach -did not pan out ,not his fault,he tried- ,try to fix it with latas ,ect .So if the man apologize ,its very big of him .I for one gonna give the devil his due .Come on Jack we know you love TnT football ,pockets already lined nicely ,fix everything boss.
Have a happy new Year Jack ,and fire any body who impeding our progress ,with petty jealousies and biases .Latas go tell u who is who .
breathe weary breathe ,slow breaths lol
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Glad to have it cleared up .thanks Chris .
As for Jack .....being one of his fiercest critics ,me eint know if he had a change of heart ,whatever he have in there ,but ..........Nearly everything I and we ask of him ,he did ,end blacklist ,get a good coach -did not pan out ,not his fault,he tried- ,try to fix it with latas ,ect .So if the man apologize ,its very big of him .I for one gonna give the devil his due .Come on Jack we know you love TnT football ,pockets already lined nicely ,fix everything boss.
Have a happy new Year Jack ,and fire any body who impeding our progress ,with petty jealousies and biases .Latas go tell u who is who .
breathe weary breathe ,slow breaths lol
When d players get dey money my breathin will b normal again. So u know I movin wit an oxygen tank these days.
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San Jose looks like the better option to me i think he will fit in well in that line up
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I glad for him yes, quality of play aside, Birchie would see more first team action in MLS than in England and this would only benefit us in the long run
GO BRICHIE GO AND SHOW THEM THAT RIGHT FOOT CANNON!
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blessings in your decision making Birch...
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Glad to have it cleared up .thanks Chris .
As for Jack .....being one of his fiercest critics ,me eint know if he had a change of heart ,whatever he have in there ,but ..........Nearly everything I and we ask of him ,he did ,end blacklist ,get a good coach -did not pan out ,not his fault,he tried- ,try to fix it with latas ,ect .So if the man apologize ,its very big of him .I for one gonna give the devil his due .Come on Jack we know you love TnT football ,pockets already lined nicely ,fix everything boss.
Have a happy new Year Jack ,and fire any body who impeding our progress ,with petty jealousies and biases .Latas go tell u who is who .
breathe weary breathe ,slow breaths lol
When d players get dey money my breathin will b normal again. So u know I movin wit an oxygen tank these days.
How much he owe them like 50 million rite ?
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Just shows that the MLS is truly on par with League One :)
explain
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How big a difference would that be in terms of pay? Cuz.....from wha i know...MLS eh really dat known for lucrative wages. I wish de man all de best doh....once he could get a consistent first team run.....
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Chris Birchall: Symbolic MLS Signing
By Kartik Krishnaiyer (majorleaguesoccertalk.com)
BBC Sport is reporting that English born Chris Birchall, of the Trinidad and Tobago national team will sign for the Earthquakes. From my vantage point this is an important symbolic signing for MLS. Birchall is English born and has never played his club football outside England. He became the first white player to suit up for the Soca Warriors in 40 years during CONCACAF qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
Even though Birchall’s career has been spent in England’s lower leagues, his signing indicates two very important trends:
* English born players that have never played club football outside of England’s football bubble (When you spend time in England, you don’t pay close attention to football leagues outside of the British Isles) are willing to consider MLS as a realistic option to continue a football career. Very few English born players play outside of England or Scotland. In fact, MLS may have the most English born players of note outside of Great Britain.
* MLS needs to focus heavily on bringing internationals from CONCACAF based countries to the league, especially ones like Birchall with World Cup experience. This is largely about semantics and marketing. Very few people actually believe Birchall is a top class international. But he did start three games at Germany 2006, and continues to feature prominently for the Soca Warriors. When trying to sell the league it is easier to do so with footballers who feature for their national sides and have World Cup experience than with the random Argentine or Brazilian player who will never sniff the national team. Now this having been said the Christian Gomez’s and Emilio upgrade the quality of play in the league in a way a Birchall never could, but again it’s a tougher sell to say “our league matters,” to snobs of the international game. (I know several EPL/La Liga fans who find the number of MLS internationals without any national team experience laughable.)
Birchall should help the Earthquakes as well and that is ultimately the reason this signing is being made. If MLS is able to finesse its schedule through international breaks for 2009, expect more signings like Birchall while the transfer window is open.
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Chris Birchall: Symbolic MLS Signing
By Kartik Krishnaiyer (majorleaguesoccertalk.com)
* MLS needs to focus heavily on bringing internationals from CONCACAF based countries to the league, especially ones like Birchall with World Cup experience...
When trying to sell the league it is easier to do so with footballers who feature for their national sides and have World Cup experience than with the random Argentine or Brazilian player who will never sniff the national team.
Real talk.
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
He eh have to go to Miami. Remember it have direct flights from Houston to T&T.
Same kaki pants isn't it ?
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
He eh have to go to Miami. Remember it have direct flights from Houston to T&T.
Same kaki pants isn't it ?
It would save him a couple of hours. I used to do de San Francisco -> Miami -> Port of Spain run and dat used to take about 10 hours, including layover. But say wha, me eh tink travelling go be much of an issue for him.
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Closer?? from sanjose to the northeast coast is 6 hrs, from the northeast coast to trinidad is 5 hrs,7 hrs to miami and 3 hrs from miami to T&T.
to me england seem closer.
He eh have to go to Miami. Remember it have direct flights from Houston to T&T.
Same kaki pants isn't it ?
It would save him a couple of hours. I used to do de San Francisco -> Miami -> Port of Spain run and dat used to take about 10 hours, including layover. But say wha, me eh tink travelling go be much of an issue for him.
also... while de TNT run might be therapy... if he have to meet up de team in de US.. or Mexico.. or El Salvador or any one of de Hex countries... it go definitely be easier..
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Just shows that the MLS is truly on par with League One :)
explain
Birchie's only two options right now are League One and the MLS. No Championship team will have him because he hasn't really played regularly in a long long time. Alan Shearer said MLS was equal to League One awhile back, and because the mindset is he is not good enough for the CCC (though you and I both know otherwise) he is only good enough for MLS or League One, thus, even the MLS believes they are only as good as League One (where Carlisle are). Again, we all know Birchie is capable of playing in the CCC and perhaps even beyond that, but the world doesn't seem to know it yet.
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It would save him a couple of hours. I used to do de San Francisco -> Miami -> Port of Spain run and dat used to take about 10 hours, including layover. But say wha, me eh tink travelling go be much of an issue for him.
It's not being closer that matters so much, because San Jose is only marginally closer to T&T than Carlisle is and the travel time would be more or less the same.
What would make the biggest difference would be the closer time zones. That makes all the difference in the world when it comes to recovering from jet lag. Plus the qualifiers in the USA, Mexico and Central America would be much easier for him to get to from SJ.
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Birchall cancels contract
ccfc.co.uk
CHRIS Birchall has today left the Sky Blues by mutual agreement, leaving him available to join another club.
His contract would have seen him with City until June 2009.
Birchall, a Trinidad and Tobago international, joined City in summer 2006.
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It would save him a couple of hours. I used to do de San Francisco -> Miami -> Port of Spain run and dat used to take about 10 hours, including layover. But say wha, me eh tink travelling go be much of an issue for him.
It's not being closer that matters so much, because San Jose is only marginally closer to T&T than Carlisle is and the travel time would be more or less the same.
What would make the biggest difference would be the closer time zones. That makes all the difference in the world when it comes to recovering from jet lag. Plus the qualifiers in the USA, Mexico and Central America would be much easier for him to get to from SJ.
Isn't SJ 4 hours behind TnT? England is 4 hours ahead.
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Oh yeah. You could be right.
Sometimes I forget just how far east of the USA that T&T is.
Anyway, it would still be easier on him for many of the away qualifiers.
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Oh yeah. You could be right.
Sometimes I forget just how far east of the USA that T&T is.
Anyway, it would still be easier on him for many of the away qualifiers.
It's not that far... it's essentially on Atlantic Standard time... one time zone or 15 degrees.