Brian McBride: Homeward Bound?

After announcing he would be leaving Fulham to return to the USA, Brian McBride has left the entire MLS on edge.

Sure at 35, McBride is in the closing years of his football career but this is the MLS and a striker of his talent and skill could make or break any team in the league.

The two teams who seem best positioned to land the former US National are his previous team, the Columbus Crew, and his hometown team, the Chicago Fire.

Both are having much better than expected seasons and both are currently one point behind New England for the best record in the league. But both would benefit incredibly from the addition of a skilled player like McBride.

While I think McBride will consider Columbus, Chicago seems to be his destination of choice. For years McBride has talked about returning home (he grew up and played in the Chicago suburbs).

And what better time to join the Fire than right now?

Not only is the team far and away exceeding expectations, they have the core to win the MLS Cup.

With DP Cuauhtemoc Blanco ripping holes in midfields across the league and the stingiest defense (having only allowed six goals this season), Chicago is one piece away from being a serious championship contender.

And McBride is that piece.

The one issue Chicago has had since Blanco joined the team is turning his sublime passes and fantastic midfield play into goals. And while Chad Barrett and Chris Rolff have been better this season there is still a lot of room for improvement.

With his nose for the goal and Blanco's incredible passes McBride would be a perfect fit in Chicago.

If McBride does decide to head home the rest of MLS beware. With the stone back line allowing less than a goal a game, a midfield of Blanco, Marsh and Man U castoff Thorrington supplying the ball to McBride and Rolff or Barrett would be a site to behold.