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Chicago Fire Forward Brian McBride Voted MLS Player of the Month for April

April 30, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


NEW YORK (Thursday, April 30, 2009) - Chicago Fire forward Brian McBride was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for April. McBride notched four goals in four League games during the month, and led the Fire to a 1-0-3 record; they remain the lone unbeaten club in Major League Soccer.

The 36-year-old MLS All-Time Best XI forward has made an immediate impact in his first full season with the Chicago Fire. McBride leads the League with five goals and the Chicago Fire sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 10 points and a 2-0-4 record.

In the Fire's Week 4 match against the San Jose Earthquakes McBride captured MLS Goal of the Week honors for his 57th minute strike. In receiving a Cuauhtémoc Blanco headed pass at the top of the penalty area, McBride deftly flicked the ball across his body, spun and fired a low drive past San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon. The Fire tied the Quakes 3-3 on the road.

The following week McBride tallied his third and fourth goals of the season, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes of the 2-2 draw with the Kansas City Wizards. McBride capped off the month by leading a stirring comeback against the defending MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew. Trailing 2-0 in Columbus, McBride ignited the Fire's comeback in the 86th minute finishing a Patrick Nyarko cross with a leaping, driven header into the back of the net. The goal garnered McBride his second MLS Goal of the Week nomination. The Fire went on to tie the Crew 2-2 in McBride's third game against the club that drafted him number one overall in the inaugural MLS Draft in 1996.

McBride, a Chicago-area native, has scored 10 goals in 17 appearances since returning to Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire during the late half of the 2008 season. In his previous stint in the League, seven seasons with the Columbus Crew, McBride established himself as one of the premier forwards in League history. In nine MLS seasons he has scored 75 goals, four behind Preki who is 10th among the League's career scoring leaders. McBride left MLS for Fulham FC of the English Premier League in 2004. He led the Cottagers in scoring during the 2006-2007 season and was named the club's Player of the Year. He appeared in three FIFA World Cups with the United States men's national team, and captained the U.S. men's team at the 2008 Olympic Games. This marks McBride's first MLS Player of the Month award.

The Major League Soccer Player of the Month is selected following the last regular season game of each month by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR). The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership guidelines can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.

2009 MLS Player of the Month Awards

March: Fredy Montero - Seattle Sounders FC

April: Brian McBride - Chicago Fire

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. MLS kicked off its 14th season on March 19, and will feature 15 teams each playing 30 regular season matches. They include Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and, in its inaugural season, Seattle Sounders FC. A Philadelphia expansion team will debut in 2010, while expansion teams in Vancouver and Portland will debut in 2011. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official website at www.MLSnet.com.


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