FanHouse

Brian McBride retired from the U.S. men's national team after its disappointing World Cup showing in 2006. Soccer by Ives, however, is reporting that the Fulham striker has expressed an interest in joining the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing.

Generally, the Olympic soccer tournament is a U-23 event, but the International Olympic Committee grants each team three roster exemptions for over-age players. McBride, who has never participated in the Olympics, will be 36 in August when the Games begin. Plus, several players on the U.S. senior team will be busy with World Cup qualifying in August, meaning McBride could easily be one of the U.S. Olympic team's three over-age players.

The timing of these games, however, makes this curious. After all, the English soccer season begins in August, and no club likes the idea of one of their starters missing the entire preseason because of national team duties.

However, McBride plays for a club that looks certain to get relegated from the Premier League by the end of April, and it's unclear whether the American forward figures into Fulham's future plans. Could McBride's interest in the Olympics be a sign that he doesn't want to end his career in a Coca-Cola Championship? Would he choose to cap his career with the kids in Beijing and ride off into the sunset?

Either way, a forward line featuring McBride and Jozy Altidore seems fairly formidable, no?