McBride: ‘Just try to control the things you can’

Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney checked in with Brian McBride on the eve of the USA-China match in Oakland (Jan. 27, 5:30 pm ET espn2). The Oakland training camp marks the first time the U.S. forward has been called in by Coach Bruce Arena since being sidelined with a blood clot for three months. SOCCER AMERICA: Your loan to Preston is the second time you’ve been overseas. Before the advent of MLS, you spent some time with the German club Wolfsburg. How do you compare the two? BRIAN McBRIDE: It’s a lot easier because of the language and the culture. A good coach and a good group of guys. It’s a lot different than Wolfsburg. We play 4-4-2, with no wrinkles whatsoever. Most teams play a straightforward 4-4-2, the odd team might play 3-5-2. It’s a very fast game. It’s not necessarily the cleanest soccer. A lot of time there’s not a lot of soccer, but that’s not to say the players aren’t good. The fans want to see everybody flying about and working their butts off for them. But on the whole, they are quality players. SA: The First Division (EnglandÆs second tier) has the reputation as a slam-bam league. BM: Our coach wants us after the ball, to put pressure on the ball. It’s a good amount of work. When things go right, we win the ball in their half and are able to move it around. When that happens, everything goes well. There are the players who have the ability to do it. But if we’re unable to get out of our end, that’s where we struggle. SA: You’d only been at Preston a short time before you suffered the injury that caused the blood clot that kept you out of action three months. What happened? BM: It was five minutes into my first game. It was a 75-25 ball I knew I wasn’t going to get, but I wanted to make sure the fans and teammates knew I wasn’t afraid to get involved in a little collision. I took a good shot to the arm, but we were right back up. I got a foul called on me and that was that. At the end of the game, I felt like I had a dead arm, a muscle bruise. The next day, I lifted [weights] and tried to loosen it up. It didn’t loosen up, it became a little more stiff. Next day at training, it was OK, after the second day, it started to get a little more stiff and I had some swelling. The team trainer said it was probably nothing, keep an eye on it. It got progressively worse. I played a game, and after the game, I had some swelling. I’d been hit just under the biceps and the clot formed in the armpit. I have extra piece of tissue or muscle that pushes down on the vein, I’ve had it all my life. It had occluded the vein to half its normal width, and the clot got stuck in there. I started having trouble raising my arm. I played a second game with it, and after the game I came into the locker room and took off my shirt. One of the guys said, “Holy s***, look at your arm.” I looked down at my [right] arm and it was twice the size of this one. SA: How was the clot diagnosed? BM: The did an ultrasound scan, and they saw the clot right away. Dr. Edwards in Columbus told me to get on a plane right away. They made a hole under the bicep and inserted a catheter. It was a long process. It was supposed to take two hours. They had to go in and balloon the vein. The procedure took eight hours. They put me on blood-thinners. After I got out of the hospital, I felt great, but I had to be on blood-thinners because after a procedure like that the vein is damaged a little bit and wants to heal itself by clotting just like when you get a cut. It was three months total without games, without playing. I was able to start training and lifting about seven days after the procedure and I was able to start kicking a ball about seven days after that. The danger was the clot coming back. Normally, you’re out six months, you’re on blood-thinners six months. The doctors were understanding to my age and thought my body would heal quicker, because most of the studies aren’t of people my age. SA: You’ve played a few games for Preston in the last month. How have you done? BM: I definitely feel ready to play. I just know I’m getting better. But I’m not all the way back yet. SA: Has this changed your outlook on the game? You’ve already had both cheekbones fractured as well as this. BM: Things you can’t control happen to you. Just try to control the things you can. I can control my fitness and my attitude. The doctors all felt I was going to be all right. I missed the game. But saying that, it was nice. It was the first time I had three months off from soccer. SA: After the China game, you go back to Preston. When does the loan deal end? BM: It’s supposed to end March 10, but we have a game March 11, and I’d like to play.