San Jose Deny Birchall Reports. Sealy Possibly Leaving Quakes

[supporter]

http://www.centerlinesoccer.com/http:/www.centerlinesoccer.com/doyle-rubbishes-birchall-talk-but-expects-lima-return/

Doyle rubbishes Birchall talk, but expects Lima return
By Jeff Carlisle · January 7, 2009


If the overseas press was to be believed, it was a matter of when, not if the San Jose Earthquakes would acquire Trinidad & Tobago international Chris Birchall. But on Tuesday, San Jose General Manager John Doyle denied the reports linking the midfielder to the Quakes, stating “I don’t see [Birchall] coming to San Jose.”


Doyle did confirm that on a recent trip to England, Birchall was one of the players San Jose was interested in, but his lack of first team action while on loan at Carlisle United (no relation) meant that Doyle and head coach Frank Yallop were never able to see him in a competitive fixture.

“For us, it went cold,” said Doyle about the possibility of bringing Birchall to MLS.

Doyle had decidedly better news concerning midfielder Francisco Lima. The Brazilian was thought to be dissatisfied with his contract that paid him a base salary last year of $195,000, and speculation had Lima heading back to Russia, where he has spent time with both Dinamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow. But Doyle indicated that he expects the 37-year-old to be playing for San Jose in 2009.

“By all accounts, Lima is coming back,” said Doyle. “Now, he’s not going to be here forever, so we’re still looking for a defensive midfielder. But as of today, he’s coming back.”

Doyle was less optimistic about the possible return of out-of-contract forward Scott Sealy. The T&T international is apparently exploring opportunities in Turkey and Israel, but the Quakes’ GM is still holding out hope that something can be worked out.

“We’ve saved some cap space for Sealy if he does decide to come back,” Doyle said.

[E-man]

“We’ve saved some cap space for Sealy if he does decide to come back,” Doyle said.

sealy could really use a raise. 35K last year

[elan]

http://www.centerlinesoccer.com/http:/www.centerlinesoccer.com/doyle-rubbishes-birchall-talk-but-expects-lima-return/

Doyle rubbishes Birchall talk, but expects Lima return
By Jeff Carlisle · January 7, 2009


If the overseas press was to be believed, it was a matter of when, not if the San Jose Earthquakes would acquire Trinidad & Tobago international Chris Birchall. But on Tuesday, San Jose General Manager John Doyle denied the reports linking the midfielder to the Quakes, stating “I don’t see [Birchall] coming to San Jose.”


Doyle did confirm that on a recent trip to England, Birchall was one of the players San Jose was interested in, but his lack of first team action while on loan at Carlisle United (no relation) meant that Doyle and head coach Frank Yallop were never able to see him in a competitive fixture.
“For us, it went cold,” said Doyle about the possibility of bringing Birchall to MLS.

Doyle had decidedly better news concerning midfielder Francisco Lima. The Brazilian was thought to be dissatisfied with his contract that paid him a base salary last year of $195,000, and speculation had Lima heading back to Russia, where he has spent time with both Dinamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow. But Doyle indicated that he expects the 37-year-old to be playing for San Jose in 2009.

“By all accounts, Lima is coming back,” said Doyle. “Now, he’s not going to be here forever, so we’re still looking for a defensive midfielder. But as of today, he’s coming back.”

Doyle was less optimistic about the possible return of out-of-contract forward Scott Sealy. The T&T international is apparently exploring opportunities in Turkey and Israel, but the Quakes’ GM is still holding out hope that something can be worked out.

“We’ve saved some cap space for Sealy if he does decide to come back,” Doyle said.

That's some BS, what were they watching when he minced the US player in the midfield and pressed on to start the goal that Latapy score vs the US. The players who were on that US team is stars in the MLS.

[frico]

Daiz ah wicked shot elan;it gone clean over de facting boundry.

[de_redman]

Wait a second!! First Birchall says that he has a "massive" decision to make with regards to accepting a contract with the Earthquakes or staying in England. But San Jose saying they never see him in a competitive fixture and for them it went cold!! So who lie?? Did he get offered a contract in the first place?? Is Birchall trying to gain leverage on a possible Brighton deal?? What's the real story here?

[asylumseeker]

My recollection of Birchall's initial remarks is that he did not name a team.


edit: the prior threads treating this subject mention Adams referring to a "massive deal" on offer in America and as far as I can tell, the first mention of the Earthquakes came in Shaun Fuentes' article.

[de_redman]

No... Birchall clarified all that in this interview with Shaun Fuentes!

http://www.socawarriors.net/foreign-based/4821-birchall-has-big-decision-to-make.html

Birchall was the one who called the name of the team...

[supporter]

No... Birchall clarified all that in this interview with Shaun Fuentes!

http://www.socawarriors.net/foreign-based/4821-birchall-has-big-decision-to-make.html

Birchall was the one who called the name of the team...

No...he never names a team in that 'article', only Fuentes does.

[de_redman]

English is a hell of a thing... This seems like reported speech to me, but I could be wrong.

"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."

[Babalawo]

Some players are just good at international football and some are just good in club football.  Like Birchall is the opposite of Ronaldinho

[Filho]

That's some BS, what were they watching when he minced the US player in the midfield and pressed on to start the goal that Latapy score vs the US. The players who were on that US team is stars in the MLS.

Daiz ah wicked shot elan;it gone clean over de facting boundry.

Maybe the reporting is shite. maybe it's not. but what was reported is not far fetched imo. Maybe they did see him play against that uninspired US B Team in a meaningless qualifier for the U.S. That may have alerted their interest. Maybe no they wanted see more.
(i)The T&T USA game was probably seen on TV and they wanted to see more where they could look at him live (there is a big difference). You get a better feel for the speed of the game, and you get to focus on the player 100%, on and off the ball over 90 minutes..not just when a camera focuses on him. you get to here how he communicates with platers and his body language when things are going well and poorly. and maybe, just maybe they wanted to see more than one game.

ii)Birchie playes defensive midfielder for us and right midield for his club. Maybe SJ wanted to see him as a right sided midfielder.

Who knows..maybe this real BS. but probably not for the reason u stated.

[Filho]

Some players are just good at international football and some are just good in club football.  Like Birchall is the opposite of Ronaldinho

Nah..Dinho used to real rip for Brazil. Check WC 2002, Confed Cup 2005, Copa America 99. Think he was on a Brazil side that won a Under 17 Wc too. His international form went south the same time as his club form. BUt up until Wc 2006, he was killing dem on all levels. Den he kinda start the descent. Hopefully he could come back somewhere close, cuz people memory short.

[asylumseeker]

English is a hell of a thing... This seems like reported speech to me, but I could be wrong.

"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."

Here's my observation/concern. Fuentes opens that article by referring to the BBC as a source:

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.

As in Birchall denies that he'll be heading to the USA after the Carlisle loan deal ... refutes the credibility of the BBC story

Then Fuentes writes:

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

One could infer that Birchie provided Fuentes with said specifics, but this is not stated explicitly. Further, during the remainder of the article Birchie is not quoted as mentioning the Earthquakes.

Fuentes may have acquired his information elsewhere. And, Birchie could have answered as he did without confirming or denying the specificity of the club association or Fuentes' possible independent knowledge. Indeed, Bichall's statement was:

"It’s a massive decision for me to make as far as my career goes and it’s one which I'll 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.”

Here, Birchall comments on a move to America generally. I also note that he uses 'decisions' ... plural ... one wonders whether interest in Birchie comes from more than one MLS club

When I examine all the quotations attributed to Birchall, he mentions 'Coventry', 'Carlisle' and 'Brighton' specifically, but curiously, I find no explicit mention of 'San Jose' aside from what Fuentes suggests Birchie said ... in its hypothetical context ... "as if he did sign etc".

Dahis all I was saying.

Gen mgr says ... " I don't see [him?] coming to San Jose" ... same way, he doesn't say he is not coming definitively.

[Bakes]

That's some BS, what were they watching when he minced the US player in the midfield and pressed on to start the goal that Latapy score vs the US. The players who were on that US team is stars in the MLS.

Daiz ah wicked shot elan;it gone clean over de facting boundry.

Maybe the reporting is shite. maybe it's not. but what was reported is not far fetched imo. Maybe they did see him play against that uninspired US B Team in a meaningless qualifier for the U.S. That may have alerted their interest. Maybe no they wanted see more.
(i)The T&T USA game was probably seen on TV and they wanted to see more where they could look at him live (there is a big difference). You get a better feel for the speed of the game, and you get to focus on the player 100%, on and off the ball over 90 minutes..not just when a camera focuses on him. you get to here how he communicates with platers and his body language when things are going well and poorly. and maybe, just maybe they wanted to see more than one game.

ii)Birchie playes defensive midfielder for us and right midield for his club. Maybe SJ wanted to see him as a right sided midfielder.

Who knows..maybe this real BS. but probably not for the reason u stated.

I also think they were speaking specifically about seeing him play for Carlisle as they spoke about not seeing him in a fixture while scouting there.


As for "who lying"... very well could be the club.  Maybe they were rebuffed and trying to save face so that other free agents wouldn't think of them as a club next man blanking.  Who knows...

[supporter]

English is a hell of a thing... This seems like reported speech to me, but I could be wrong.

"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."

hehe, asylum puts it nicely in that Birchall never said that. Read his quotes. Fuentes implies it, and he's been known to make a mistake or two.

[Blue]

Folks, the article doesn't say San Jose aren't interested. It says that he probably wont end up at San Jose. I read that to mean he will probably chose an English team over them.