Trinidad and Tobago national team member adjusting to life with Galaxy
CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy recently welcomed a talented international to their midfield in hopes of helping spice up their attack. But he's not that one.
Chris Birchall, unlike teammate David Beckham, doesn't have a controversial book written about him, he isn't married to a pop star and he hasn't been the object of the Galaxy faithful's scorn. He doesn't get even a fraction of the notoriety accorded his famous counterpart, one of the most recognized athletes in the world, but Birchall still figures to play an integral role in the Galaxy's rapid rise from the depths of MLS.
"He told me his plan for me is to get me into the team, and that's the only thing I want to hear," he said of Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. "Whether it takes two games or 10 games, as long as I'm in his plans for the foreseeable future, I'll be happy with that."
The 25-year-old recently signed a multiyear contract and made his season debut July 16 in New York, when he replaced none other than Beckham with 20 minutes remaining in a 3-1 victory. He also played the entire second half (in place of Stefani Miglioranzi) of last Sunday's 2-2 friendly with Italian powerhouse AC Milan.
Arena said he first noticed Birchall, a midfielder on the Trinidad and Tobago national team, when he coached the U.S. in a 2006 World Cup qualifier in Foxborough, Mass. He has been following him ever since.
"He's a smart player, a good passer of the ball and he's quick on closing down on the ball," Arena said.
Sometimes too quick, however. Birchall found himself matched up against AC Milan's Ronaldinho on several occasions last Sunday and got a first-hand look at the Brazilian's prodigious talents.
"It was a bit daunting," Birchall said with a smile. "I didn't really have time to think about it; he was moving all over the place. It was just a matter of me trying to stay on him and not let him play. You let him play and get involved in the game, he's going to hurt you.
"And he did a few times where I tried to get too close and he spun me a few times. That's what you get with probably one of the best players in the world."
Arena said he thought the new midfielder will benefit from his time spent defending against the two-time world player of the year.
"I think he had a tough, little matchup," Arena said with a sly grin. "But I think he's fit in quite well. He, like any player, needs a period to climatize in a new environment not only on the field but off.
"Considering all those factors, he's done quite well.''
Birchall was brought in for a two-week tryout in mid-May but had to return to his English club, Brighton & Hove Albion, because it wouldn't let him out of his contract. He also played in Trinidad and Tobago's CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
But the Galaxy's interest still was there once the international transfer opened July 15 and he's here to stay. He admitted he, like many fans in England, followed the Galaxy because of Beckham's presence in Los Angeles.
"And now I'm a teammate. It's bizarre," he said. "My whole career has been bizarre. You never know what's coming next. You just have to take it one day at a time.
"I'm 25, and I've got a lot of years I can play football here."
He also said he likes what he has seen from the Galaxy during his short time in southern California.
"The guys are happy and it's a great team spirit," he said. "We all get along. It's a great bunch of guys, and it's showing as the season goes along."