Brian McBride facts for kids
McBride in 2006
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Brian Robert McBride | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | June 19, 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Arlington Heights, Illinois, United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Milwaukee Rampage | 18 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | VfL Wolfsburg | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | Columbus Crew | 161 | (62) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | → Preston North End (loan) | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | → Everton (loan) | 8 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Fulham | 140 | (33) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Chicago Fire | 59 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Wembley | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 413 | (137) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | United States Olympic (O.P.) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993–2006 | United States | 96 | (30) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is a famous American former soccer player. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals. Brian played for well-known teams like Columbus Crew, Fulham, and Chicago Fire.
He is one of the top goal scorers for the U.S. national team. Brian spent most of his career playing soccer in the United States, but he also played in Germany and England. Fans loved him when he played for Fulham, and he even became their team captain. He was named "Player of the Season" twice. After he left Fulham, they named the sports bar at their stadium, Craven Cottage, McBride's to honor him!
Contents
Early Career in Soccer
High School Years
Brian McBride was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He played soccer for his high school team at Buffalo Grove High School. In 1988, when he was a junior, he helped his team win the Illinois state championship.
In one important playoff game, Brian broke his nose in the first half. But he was tough and came back to score the winning goal! During his four years in high school, he scored 80 goals. He even played as a defender in his senior year and scored 33 goals. In one regional final, he even played as a goalkeeper and saved four penalty kicks! Brian was also named an All-American, which means he was one of the best high school players in the country.
College Days
Brian had a great time playing soccer at Saint Louis University from 1990 to 1993. He played in 89 games and set new records for goals (72), assists (40), and total points (184) for his college team.
He was named an All-American twice. Brian was also chosen as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Great Midwest Conference three years in a row. He decided to become a striker, a player who focuses on scoring goals, when he turned professional. Brian is one of only 22 college players to have both 40 goals and 40 assists in their college career.
Playing for Clubs
Milwaukee Rampage
Before joining a major league, Brian played briefly for a smaller team called the Milwaukee Rampage. In just 18 games, he scored 17 goals and helped with 18 assists.
He played with Tony Sanneh on this team. Years later, at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Brian and Tony connected for a famous goal. Tony passed the ball, and Brian scored! Brian said they had practiced that play "a thousand times" when they were teammates in Milwaukee.
VfL Wolfsburg in Germany
In 1994, Brian went to Germany to play for VfL Wolfsburg. At that time, the team was in the German Second Division. It was a chance for young American players like Brian to play soccer in Europe.
Brian found it hard to get playing time and score goals there. But one of his two goals helped Wolfsburg reach the final of a big cup competition called the DFB-Pokal. After that season, Brian decided to return to the United States when Major League Soccer (MLS) was created.
Columbus Crew
Brian came back to America in 1996 for the very first season of Major League Soccer. He was the first player ever chosen in the MLS Inaugural Draft.
He played for the Columbus Crew for eight years. During this time, he scored 62 goals and made 45 assists in 161 league games. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI, which means he was considered one of the best players in MLS history. In 2011, the Crew honored Brian by making him the first member of their Circle of Honor.
Short Loans to English Clubs
While playing for Columbus, Brian had two short loan periods in England. First, in 2000, he played for Preston North End. He played well, but had to miss some games because of a blood clot in his arm. This happened after a hard hit in his first game with Preston. Preston wanted to buy Brian's contract, but MLS thought he was worth more money.
Two years later, in 2003, a top English team called Everton needed help. Their coach, David Moyes, remembered Brian's good play at Preston. Brian joined Everton for three months and scored four goals in eight games. He even scored in his very first game with them! Everton wanted to keep him longer, but MLS wanted to sell his contract, not just loan him again.
Fulham in England
In January 2004, another English team, Fulham, bought Brian's contract from MLS. He played 18 games in his first half-season, scoring five goals. He continued to play well for Fulham, scoring many goals. He signed new contracts to stay with the team until the end of the 2007-2008 season.
Brian was Fulham's top scorer in the 2006-2007 season with twelve goals. He became the team's captain in August 2007. Sadly, in August 2007, he dislocated his kneecap during a game. He returned to play in early 2008 and scored his first goal after the injury in March 2008.
Brian won Fulham's "Player of the Year" award in 2005 and again in 2006. He was so popular that in 2009, the club renamed a bar inside their stadium "McBride's" in his honor. On May 28, 2008, Brian announced he would leave Fulham to return to the United States and play in MLS.
Chicago Fire
Brian wanted to finish his career playing for the Chicago Fire, his hometown team. On July 30, 2008, the Fire traded with another team to get the chance to sign Brian.
He played his first game for the Fire on August 16, 2008. Brian scored his first goal for Chicago against the Houston Dynamo. He also scored in a big playoff game against his old team, the Columbus Crew. Brian scored nine goals in the 2009 season.
On September 3, 2010, Brian said he would retire after the 2010 MLS season. He scored his 80th career goal in MLS during his final match. He received a standing ovation from the fans when he left the field.
Wembley F.C.
In June 2012, Brian briefly came out of retirement to play for Wembley in their FA Cup matches. He joined several other famous former players like Ray Parlour and Martin Keown. They played a few games but were eventually knocked out of the competition.
Playing for the United States National Team
Brian McBride was a very important player for the U.S. national team. He played in 96 games and scored 30 goals for his country. He first played for the national team in 1993.
He played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments: 1998, 2002, and 2006. He scored goals in both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. This made him the first American player to score in two different World Cups! He was the only American to score in the 1998 tournament. Overall, Brian has scored three World Cup goals, which is one of the most for an American player.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Brian was hit in the face by an Italian player during a game. He needed stitches. The Italian player was banned for four matches because of this. After the 2006 World Cup, Brian announced he was retiring from playing for the national team.
However, in 2008, Brian briefly returned to play for the U.S. team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was one of the older players allowed on the team and served as captain.
Coaching and Management
Brian McBride started the Brian McBride Soccer Academy in Lake Zurich, Illinois, to help young players learn soccer.
In January 2020, Brian was named the general manager of the U.S. men's national team. This means he helps manage the team and make important decisions.
Honors
Brian McBride won many awards and championships during his career:
With Columbus Crew
- U.S. Open Cup: 2002 (a major cup competition in the U.S.)
With United States National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2002 (a championship for North and Central American teams)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 (chosen as one of the best players in the league)
- MLS 50/50 Club (for players with at least 50 goals and 50 assists)
- MLS Goal of the Year Award: 1998 (for scoring the best goal of the season)
- CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP: 2002 (Most Valuable Player of the tournament)
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Shoe: 2002 (top goal scorer of the tournament)
- MLS Fair Play Award: 2003 (for being a fair and respectful player)
- Fulham Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
- Chicago Fire Team Player of the Year: 2009
- Chicago Fire Golden Boot: 2009 (top goal scorer for his team)
- National Soccer Hall of Fame: 2014 (inducted into the Hall of Fame for his great career)
See also
In Spanish: Brian McBride para niños
