SI.com on the EPL
While the news is still slow, here’s a quick catchup on a couple of good interviews SI.com’s Jonah Freedman did recently. Jonah has been in the UK and got to interview our three Americans, which makes for an interesting read. All three come over pretty well, and our boy Clint tells just how much his not being used got to him.
That was the tough one. The team paid £1.5 million to get me from MLS. To have me over here making decent money, but not have me playing, it was like, why would you want to keep a player around who you’re not getting any use out of? But it’s frustrating to think that you came all the way over here only to get knocked out of the top division. You want to be in the best league. You want to play against Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Then there’s this:
SI.com: Brian and Carlos, you spent the early parts of your careers in MLS. Would you eventually like to go back?
Bocanegra: Yeah, I’d like to. But that’s a lot later on — I’d like to stay here as long as I can. [Bocanegra turns 28 later this month.] If the right opportunity presents itself, I’d go back to Chicago in a heartbeat. Or obviously, being a Los Angeles-area native, the Galaxy or Chivas USA.
McBride: Yeah, of course. I have great affection for MLS. There’s a lot of interest on my part and on a few teams’ part. Whether that’ll happen we’ll have to wait and see.
Whoa there. Sounds a little like Brian’s angling for a move back. Correction, he obviously is thinking about it, but I wonder whether it’ll be sooner than *we* think. He’s publicly thanked Coleman for giving him his breakthrough chance in England a couple of times and I guess there may have been a bond there. With the change of management at Fulhma and at this stage of his career it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to learn that he’s had enough of watching long punts soaring through the London sky all year, and that a move back to a slightly… easier? less physical? closer to home!… league would really appeal to him.
Then Jonah’s got the goods on Mr Shevchenko of Chelsea. And it sounds like he’s not over the moon either.
