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Bircham is back with the nats!!!


Jarrek

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http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/news_story.asp?id=52768

9/3/2003

(CP) - Midfielder Marc Bircham, who retired from international soccer after a falling out with coach Holger Osieck, says he is ready to play for Canada again in the wake of Osieck's departure.

Apparently the Canadian Soccer Association wasted little time welcoming the English-born player back to the fold. Bircham says he was contacted Monday, the day before the CSA officially confirmed a CP report that the coach had stepped down.

Bircham burst on the Canadian soccer scene in 1999, brought into the Canadian camp after officials learned he qualified to play for Canada because his grandfather was born in Winnipeg.

Bircham played 13 times for Canada, making a dream debut in 1999 in the 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in Belfast that was Osieck's game first at the helm.

He scored for Canada in that game - before ever setting foot in the country.

The Queens Park Rangers player turned his back on Canada after a disastrous trip to Japan for the Confederations Cup in 2001. Osieck never played him in three games, a slight that rankled all the more because Bircham had brought his father over to Japan.

``I was away for three weeks and I hated it,'' he said after the trip, before turning his sights on Osieck.

``He treated us like kids.''

Osieck said Bircham hadn't shown in training he deserved to play. But it was clear the hard-nosed German and fun-loving Londoner did not see eye to eye on or off the pitch.

Two years and 18 internationals later, with Osieck gone, Bircham says he would love to play for Canada if it fits in with his club commitments.

``I said I'd be more than delighted to come back, if it didn't affect my games playing for QPR, because that's my priority for the minute,'' Bircham said Wednesday from London. ``It's a big year for us. It's the last year of my contract and we've got to go up to Division One. But if I didn't miss any games, I'll be more than happy to come back.''

That could be a problem. Canada only has one game scheduled, an Oct. 11 friendly in Finland that clashes with QPR's game against Brentford.

There is no schedule yet for Canada's World Cup qualifying campaign, which is expected to start early next year. But while top leagues in Europe close down for business at certain times, to facilitate international fixtures, it's business as usual at the lower leagues, such as the one where Bircham toils.

QPR is once again bidding for promotion to the English First Division. The club made it to the promotion playoffs last season, only to lose to Cardiff City on an extra time goal.

Bircham did not want to revisit his differences with Osieck. But he said playing for Canada was not enjoyable under past management.

``You should be proud to represent your country and enjoy going to play for them and it just wasn't that way. It's in the past. I said what I've said about Holger and hopefully it can be a new start for Canadian soccer, which I think it needed.''

Bircham is enjoying a new lease on life with QPR, the club he supported as a boy, after leaving Millwall in July 2002.

He is a fan favourite at Loftus Road, for his play, bubbly personality and colourful hairdos.

He proudly notes London sportswriters voted him West London Player of the Year last season.

``I pipped Gianfranco Zola for that,'' he said, referring to the former Chelsea star.

Zola took London player of the years honours, relegating Bircham to second.

``To come second in all of London, I was more than chuffed with,'' he said. ``You know the type of players here. You have Thierry Henry, Zola and Marc Bircham in the running for player of the year.''

Bircham's current look mirrors the QPR colours - as in a blue-and-white streak down the middle.

``I was going to change it this year but I had so many letters from fans, because they've got it done and they loved it. And blue hair colouring sales went through the roof in London because of it.''

Sales were so good he was approached by Schwarzkopf hair products.

``They sponsor Liz Hurley as well,'' Bircham noted.

They came to him after the promotion playoff at the end of the 2002-03 season and told him they would pay him to wear his hair blue and white. They also promised to do his hair for free.

``So I've got another season with blue-and-white hair,'' he said.

``It might clash a bit with Canada's kit,'' he added.

Notes: TSN has won the rights to Euro 2004 and will show all 31 games from June 12 to July 4. ... Toronto Lynx midfielder David DiPlacido was named to the A-League team of the week, as was Charleston's Canadian defender Mark Watson.

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He's made himself available again (ie. come out of retirement) - not quite the same thing as being back with the team, especially if he is prepared to turn down invitations to play for his club - I'm not saying I blame him in that respect, given his tenuous connection to Canada, but with midfield being our deepest position, where we struggle to find room for emerging youngsters like Hutchinson & Klukowski, his return still might not be so imminent.

BTW, Radzinski & Holger very much saw eye to eye from 2001 onwards. I don't know if we can expect an improvement in this regard with a new coach, & I fear that we may see the opposite. But that remains to be seen.

As for Jazic, Holger did as much as he could in that situation. Aguiar of course is a different story & we may well see Fernando play for Canada once again.

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Guys, I always loved Bircham. His loyalty for Canada is indisputable. Bircham never lost trace of the Canadian squad, even though he was no longer part of the National team. In fact, Bircham has admitted that he still followed the progress of the National squad through the Internet while he was in exile. By doing so, he was hoping for that opportunity that would allow him to come back. Man, I love this guy, and I couldn't care less what the Bircham bashers have to say about him. Marc, welcome back. You did the right thing.

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Guest Jeffery S.

Gianluca is dead on: Bircham is available, but is not necessarily back with the nats. Nor Jazic, nor Aguiar, nor Menezes. I find it very odd and a bit disturbing that the CSA contacted him before officially releasing the resignation news. Players cannot be privileged in this way, as in the end it is the new coach who will decide the squad, not the CSA. All the CSA can do is inform a coach about who is available and help with club negotiations etc.

For me noone is ever a sure starter, everything is debatable.

Aside from this, surely it was an agreed upon resignation. I suspect the CSA asked him to resign or they would fire him. Since by firing him they would be required to compensate him, and Holger would not resign without this compensation, I suspect they agreed to a severance that would approximate one for firing acc. to his contract.

Thus the resignation is simply for Holger to save face, not for the CSA to save money.

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I don't see Bircham being anywhere near the level of Stalteri, DeGuzman, or Brennan nor do I see him having the potential of Nsaliwa, Klukowski or Hutchinson. Aguiar probably should rank ahead of him too given the level of play he is at.

The question then becomes, "What assurances does Bircham need to play for Canada and do we really want to give them?"

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quote:Originally posted by Canuck Oranje

I don't see Bircham being anywhere near the level of Stalteri, DeGuzman, or Brennan nor do I see him having the potential of Nsaliwa, Klukowski or Hutchinson. Aguiar probably should rank ahead of him too given the level of play he is at.

The question then becomes, "What assurances does Bircham need to play for Canada and do we really want to give them?"

Agreed. Its amazing though to see how many people (in a thread on the old board) would have Bircham as an automatic starter in an ideal Canadian starting midfield, with relegating the likes of De Guzman to the subs bench.

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Well, it doesn't really matter. The good news is that at least he's made himself available which in the end will boost the talent pool a future coach has to chose from. Besides, if he was good enough to be included in the squad in the past, he certainly fits into the picture right now.

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Well, it doesn't really matter. The good news is that at least he's made himself available which in the end will boost the talent pool a future coach has to chose from. Besides, if he was good enough to be included in the squad in the past, he certainly fits into the picture right now.

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Being a Queens Park Rangers fan I wouldn't want him to miss any important matches for us this year, as we attempt to win promotion back to Division One, but having relatives who live in Toronto, I have a soft spot for Canada, so I wish both parties well. I believe Canada has a game on October 11, so do we (QPR) a West London derby against Brentford (he scored twice against them last season, including a last minute winner in the road game), so I hope he will be wearing the hoops that day, but being a fan of his, I hope he can help Canada reach the World Cup in 1996.

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Don't be naive. Must you go over the top on EVERY Canadian who is overseas?

Bircham has "indisputable" loyalty to Canada? Why? Because he follows them on the net once and a while?

I follow Marseille on the net, does that mean I'm undisputably commited to Marseille?

As others have pointed out, Bircham is just barely Canadian, and if given the choice he would no doubt play for England. There's probably very few players who are truly commited to Canada. Who REALLY care. The label of being udisputably commited to Canada shouldn't be thrown around so easily and it certainly shouldn't be attributed to someone like Bircham.

I have nothing against him, but the fact is, Canada is a second choice for him. It's a "better than nothing" scenario, and unlike the Whore, that's perfectly ok because the fact is he isn't really Canadian.

quote:Originally posted by Luis_Rancagua

Guys, I always loved Bircham. His loyalty for Canada is indisputable. Bircham never lost trace of the Canadian squad, even though he was no longer part of the National team. In fact, Bircham has admitted that he still followed the progress of the National squad through the Internet while he was in exile. By doing so, he was hoping for that opportunity that would allow him to come back. Man, I love this guy, and I couldn't care less what the Bircham bashers have to say about him. Marc, welcome back. You did the right thing.

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quote:Originally posted by Blue and White Army

Owen and Marc are exactly the same: brought up in one country, but playing for the Nats of another.

Funny how one is branded as a "whore", and the other a "hero".

We went through this ad infinitum in the past. I think that the main differences are:

  • England did not want Bircham, and so they lost nothing by our taking him
  • Bircham never committed to the English team before accepting the call from Canada
  • Hargreaves means much more to a comparatively weak Canadian side than he does to a top-ten-in-the-world English side

I don't think that the situations compare very closely at all, when it comes to the effect of the two decisions. Obviously the ruling in both cases is similar but the situations are about as comparable as the players themselves are.

Allez les Rouges,

M@

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quote:Originally posted by Blue and White Army

Owen and Marc are exactly the same: brought up in one country, but playing for the Nats of another.

Funny how one is branded as a "whore", and the other a "hero".

They are not even close to the same!!!

Marc did not chose Canada over England. England was never an option and if it was I would expect him to have chosen England.

Hargraves chose England over Canada. He had the chance to do something special for his country. Make a sacrifice and play for a lesser soccer nation but one that is your country. He had a real choice and did not make us proud. Doing the right thing sometimes involves sacrifice and I have used him a an example of what not do do in talking with my young soccer loving boys.

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It's been what, 2 years since Hargreaves chose to play for England..Let's get over it. Anyone can see he plays like a Canadian anyways.

Marc Bircham's story is kind of cool if you ask me (And nobody did). He sought out a country to play for, learned our national anthem and cared enough about playing for Canada that he flew his dad in to see him. Plus, it's not like he's playing for Canada through marriage like that American French guy..He does have some Canadian blood in him.

Alex

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