Crew signs T&T International Midfielder Chris Birchall

[D.H.W]

Crew signs T&T international midfielder Chris Birchall
TheCrew.com

The Columbus Crew announced today that it has signed former LA Galaxy midfielder and Trinidad & Tobago international Chris Birchall to a multi-year contract. Per club and league policy, no further terms of the deal were disclosed.
 
The 28-year-old joins the Crew after spending the last three seasons with the Galaxy. He was signed in 2009, joining the team midseason and making his MLS debut on July 16, replacing David Beckham in a match against the New York Red Bulls.

Birchall went on to appear in 57 matches with 46 starts, netting one goal and three assists on his way to helping Los Angeles win two MLS Supporters’ Shields (2010-11), two Western Conference Championships (2009, 2011) and the 2011 MLS Cup.
 
“We were looking for some experience and Birchall knows the league very well,” said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha. “He’s a hard-working, experienced midfielder and we’re a hard-working team so he is going to fit in well.”
 
A 5-9, 180-pound native of Stafford, England, Birchall came through the youth ranks of local club Port Vale of England’s Second Division (now League One), where he began his professional career in 2001. While at Port Vale he appeared in 78 matches and tallied seven goals.

In 2006 he transferred to Coventry City of the English Championship where he appeared in 29 matches. After short loan spells with Scottish side St. Mirren and Carlisle United, he moved on to Brighton & Hove Albion, also of the Championship division, appearing in nine matches to finish the 2009 Championship season.
 
While at Port Vale, Birchall caught the eye of Trinidad & Tobago coaches and was invited to join the team, being eligible to represent the country because his mother was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. He was called up in 2005 for World Cup qualifiers against Panama and Mexico after impressing the coaching staff in friendlies against Bermuda.
 
Birchall went on to help the team qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, scoring a huge goal against Bahrain in a playoff on Nov. 12, 2005. He started all three group stage matches of the tournament against Sweden, England and Paraguay. In total, Birchall has appeared in 39 matches for the Soca Warriors, tallying four goals.
 
“I feel delighted to be joining Columbus Crew,” Birchall said. “I want to thank everyone who made the move possible. I've played against the Crew a number of times and know how passionate the fans are.

Now I can't wait to work hard and battle for them. That's what it’s all about. Hopefully I can add something to a very good squad and use my experience from Galaxy to help improve our league position.”
 
Chris Birchall
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-9
Weight: 180
Born: May 5, 1984 (Stafford, England)
Hometown: Stafford, England
Citizenship: England, Trinidad & Tobago
2011 Team: Los Angeles Galaxy
How Acquired: Signed on May 7, 2012
Professional Experience: L.A. Galaxy (2009-11), Brighton & Hove Albion, England (2009), Carlisle United, England (2008), St. Mirren, Scotland (2007), Coventry City, England (2006-09), Port Vale, England (2001-06)
 
TRANSACTION:
Columbus Crew (MLS) – Signed - M - Chris Birchall.

[Tallman]

Q & A: Chris Birchall
By Cody Sharrett (TheCrew.com)

TheCrew.com's Cody Sharrett got in touch with the Black & Gold's newest signing, midfielder Chris Birchall, on Monday afternoon to get the Trinidad & Tobago International's reaction on his move to Columbus.

Cody Sharrett: First of all, welcome to Columbus. I'm sure there were other offers out there, what was it that made the Crew appealing?

Chris Birchall: Really, it was the amount of interest that (the Crew) put in me. I heard they were trying to get me ever since last season. It was nice to feel wanted and I knew that they wanted to bring me here. The only reason why it took a bit longer than usual was really I had to think what was best for my family and with my fiancé and my three-year-old boy. I moved back to England, so it was just the case of choosing what was right at the end of the day we all decided that Columbus was the right move.

CS: Obviously, you played with Frankie Hejduk last year, he's here in the front office now, and you've played with Julius James on the Trinidad & Tobago National Team. How did they help influence your decision?

CB: Frankie was one of the best guys I've ever met when he came LA. We became close with his family and we became close. He's only ever said good things about the club. When you hear nice things and you know people on the team it makes the decision a bit easier. You know you're not going in completely not knowing anyone. Like I said, they've been friends and they only had good things to say about the Crew.

CS: We've had several famous Trinidad & Tobago National Team players play here in Columbus including Stern John, Ansel Elcock, Julius James and a few others. What's it mean to follow in their footsteps, carrying on that tradition?

CB: I just hope I can carry on the tradition, really. My thoughts are really just do the best I can and play well for the Crew and do what I was brought into the club for. I do know Stern very well, he is a close friend. I know how much he loved his time here and I think the fans loved him as well with how well he did when he was here. He was another person I spoke to in the past few weeks. He only had good things to say. When a lot of people are saying good things about Columbus, it was very easy to make a decision.

CS: You're coming off an MLS Cup victory with LA. How can you bring that winning mentality to the Crew locker room?

CB: Really, I mean I still keep in touch with the boys in LA. I've got a few good friends there. To be honest, it wasn't just the playing side. We had a great team spirit. A couple of the guys said they missed me in the dressing room, it means a lot. It's not just your ability on the pitch,  people like you being around and in the locker room as well.  I think that's one of the problems with LA at the moment, they've brought into a mix of players and the team spirit is not as high as it was last year. That's another thing that I'm trying to do here is just come in and work myself in on the pitch and try and bring some banter and some good humor into the dressing room because that's really my personality. I can get on with anybody and I'm down to earth and I like to have a laugh at the same time.

CS: You haven't played since MLS Cup. What have you been doing to stay fit and how far away do you feel you are from being match fit?

CB: I was training for two or three months with my local team back in England, which is Port Vale where I started my career. Up to about five or six weeks ago, I was training with them. But when you haven't trained soccer match fit for five or six weeks, it does take its toll and its time to get back. I really hope it doesn't take quite long to get me match fit. I don't know what the idea or the schedule is for me. Whether it's to get me a little bit fit first and then throw me in or whether it's to throw me in and try to get me match fit as quick as possible. I really won't know until I speak with (Crew head coach Robert Warzycha), but I'm hoping that it's not longer than a few weeks.

CS: And when you finally do get on the field, what do you feel you can bring to the Crew's midfield?

CB: Just really my style, which a lot of MLS has seen. It's really just trying to do the dirty work and win the balls back and put some good tackles in and just be that kind of anchor between the defense and midfield. My best position is defensive midfield, even though I can play on the right. I think really just to win a lot of tackles and win the balls and get the ball to the attackers that can do the damage really.

[Bakes]

Still can't figure out why L.A. treated him as surplus to requirements.

[boss]

Congrats, Me Mum 

[Cocorite]

Glad to see him find a club. All the best Birchie

[Tallman]

Columbus get experience they need in Birchall signing
By Craig Merz (MLSSoccer.com)

Foremost among the reasons for signing former LA Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall to a multi-year contract on Monday is the Columbus Crew’s 2-4-2 record.

The numbers tell the story for a side that’s struggling through a crater full of injuries, forcing Robert Warzycha to rely on young players who are still learning about the speed of the game at the professional level.

“He is a quality player who has experience,” Warzycha said on Monday. “If you want to close the game or score in the end, you need experience on the field. Sometimes with so many young players we don’t have it, especially with all the injuries. You can’t always put so many things on their shoulders.”

Of the 17 players who dressed for Saturday’s 0-0 tie at Portland, 10 were in their third year or less and the only bench player with more than 20 games played in MLS was 24-year-old defender Shaun Francis.

The England-born Birchall, who turned 28 on Saturday, can remedy that. He has 39 caps for Trinidad and Tobago via his mother’s citizenship and played three matches in the 2006 World Cup for the Soca Warriors.

He also appeared in 57 matches for the Galaxy, including 46 starts, before being released after LA won the MLS Cup last November.

Birchall's primary spot is defensive midfield, but he can also play on the right flank. He told the Crew's official website that he sees himself as the anchor between the defense and midfield, with his primary job being to “…win a lot of tackles and win the balls and get the ball to the attackers that can do the damage.”

Another factor in the acquisition of Birchall was the health of holding midfielder Danny O’Rourke, who played only six games last season due to knee surgery. He’s started all but two matches this year.

“Danny’s been pretty darn good for us the last two or three weeks, but something could happen to him and he misses five weeks in a row,” technical director Brian Bliss said. “It was kind of a preemptive strike.”

The Crew thought they had a deal for Birchall in early January but he decided to pursue options in Australia that eventually fell through. He had been training with his former English club, Port Vale, when talks with Columbus resumed three weeks ago.

To make room for Birchall, the Crew placed goalkeeper William Hesmer on the season-ending injured reserve list. He underwent microfracture surgery on his right hip last month.

Second-year defensive midfielder/defender Rich Balchan is a few weeks away from returning after sports hernia surgery, and when he is activated the Crew will also place forward Tommy Heinemann (left knee surgery) on the season-ending IR.

Another move will have to be made at the end of June when Costa Rican forward Jairo Arrieta joins the team.

[de_redman]

 

[Andre]

congrats...and new the crew have the biggest trini set ah players in the MLS - birch, james, george...me eh know bout balchan...deifinitelty a trini name

http://www.thecrew.com/players

almost like back in the days of ansil elcock and stern john.

[Big Magician]

enjoy Birch.... de man is 28 yes... we real waste some players boy...steal two WCQ away from them...sad

[Tallman]

New Crew man Birchall acclimating to life back in US
By Craig Merz (MLSsoccer.com)

Chris Birchall had been in Columbus less than 48 hours after an transatlantic flight, but he already felt at home when he awoke Tuesday for his first training session with his new club.

The Stafford, England, native was greeted by familiar rain and gray skies that only began to show a peek of sun by midday.

“When I landed on Sunday, and especially Monday, it was humid and hot and I was thinking, 'I’ve got to get used to this again,' because there was a training session here last year when we played Columbus with the Galaxy and it was boiling,” the former LA midfielder told MLSsoccer.com. “Today, I woke up and it was nice for me, but it seems to fluctuate from sunny one minute and rainy the next.”

Birchall shook off the jet lag and went through a full workout, a day after the club announced the signing of the 28-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international.

As much as Crew head coach Robert Warzycha would like to insert him immediately into the injury-ravaged lineup on Saturday against FC Dallas, Birchall has not played a competitive match since helping the Galaxy win the MLS Cup in November.

“We’ll see how he is tomorrow and Thursday,” Warzycha said. “He’s tired from the time change and he’s not game fit. We’re going to have to make a decision later on.”

Birchall said he can play Saturday if asked but that being at full strength will take time.

“I don’t think I would be doing myself justice and the team,” Birchall said. “Fitness is a major part of my game and if it’s not there I get frustrated. I don’t think [Warzycha] will be rushing me. I probably need two or three weeks of training every day.”

However, his routine will be temporarily interrupted when he returns to England to marry his longtime girlfriend, Lucy Mulroy, on June 9. They couple also have a 3-year-old son, Ashley.

Fortunately for Birchall, after Columbus play Chicago on May 26, they are idle until June 16. So his wedding plans slot in perfectly.

By the time he returns, the former Port Vale star is expected to compete for the Crew's defensive midfield spot, although he can also play out on the right flank.

“He helps the team on both sides of the game,” Warzycha said. “When you have to score a goal or defend a good result, he’s probably the guy you want on the field.”

Defender Julius James said Birchall will also be good for the locker room. He would know, as they're roommates with the T&T national team.

“It’s great that we know each other and are friends," said James, "but it’s even better for the team that he’s a good leader, a hard worker."

James promises to show Birchall around the city and help his family relocate when they arrive sometime in July.

So far, Birchall likes what he’s seen of the "Discovery City" and feels right at home.

“There are great neighborhoods; lots of greenery," he said. "It’s not dissimilar to England.”

[MEP]

3 trinis ....well ah finally have ah MLS team to back

[#4]

Congrats Birchie on the signing... and this! 

New Crew man Birchall acclimating to life back in US
By Craig Merz (MLSsoccer.com)

However, his routine will be temporarily interrupted when he returns to England to marry his longtime girlfriend, Lucy Mulroy, on June 9. They couple also have a 3-year-old son, Ashley.

Fortunately for Birchall, after Columbus play Chicago on May 26, they are idle until June 16. So his wedding plans slot in perfectly.

[Tallman]

Birchall knows Crew Stadium success
By Adam Jardy (The Columbus Dispatch)

Chris Birchall knows a thing or two about success in Crew Stadium. During his three years as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, the newest Crew signee went 2-1 in Columbus against his future team.

That success is not the only thing he thinks of when it comes to playing the Crew, however.

“It was always a big game when we played against them because of how passionate the fans were whenever we came here,” he said. “It was ‘Blackout the Galaxy’ and all that kind of stuff. It was great. The fans really made it difficult. Luckily when I was at L.A. we always had good results against Columbus but it was always one of the hardest games. I always enjoyed them.”

As a member of the Galaxy, though, surely Birchall was accustomed to getting teams’ and fans’ best shots in every road match, right?

“Yeah, but to be honest it was always advertised a lot more when it was here,” he said. “There were T-shirts and banners advertising blackout the galaxy. Every game we played was high profile, but there was always a nice atmosphere, more of a European atmosphere here with the fans. It was very passionate with the songs and chanting. I always enjoyed playing here.”

Birchall said he also relied heavily on the advice of Julius James when making his decision. The two played together for the Trinidad & Tobago national team and were roommates for years, Birchall said.

However, Birchall is a British citizen. When he did not come to terms with the Galaxy after the 2011 season came to a close, he returned to England along with his fiancée and three-year-old son. Birchall said he is set to get married in three weeks, meaning the two will be able to live with him in Columbus instead of only being able to acquire 90-day travel visas.

He will play as a central defensive midfielder. Technical director Brian Bliss said Birchall was signed to provide insurance against starter Danny O’Rourke’s injury concerns.

“I’ve seen Danny,” Birchall said. “I’ve known Danny through MLS for many years and I’ve seen him play and he’s a very good player. Technically, he’s very good. He works hard. For me, it wasn’t thinking of any competition when I came in. It was just, Columbus was interested and I wanted to come and that was it. It’s up to the coach what team he picks but I know there’s room for both of us.”

Birchall has scored one goal in his 57 career MLS appearances, while O’Rourke has gone the entirety of his 150 matches without a goal.

“Seeing him in training today, he’s very good so I’m sure that goal will come for him,” Birchall said with a smile.