CORAL GABLES (Thursday, July 24, 2003) — U.S. forward Brian McBride will be sidelined 4-6 weeks after suffering a minimally displaced fracture of the orbital floor of his left eye during last night's 2-1 loss to Brazil in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.  McBride also suffered a laceration over his left eye, which required eight stitches.
   
“Obviously we’re very disappointed for Brian,” said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena.  "Brian is a fierce competitor, which is what you saw in the play last night when he was injured. He's a great asset to our team, and for now we just wish him the best of luck with his recovery."
   
The injury occurred in the 26th minute. McBride rose to head a corner kick from Earnie Stewart, and collided with Brazilian defender Alex. The U.S. team played with ten men for nearly five minutes while doctors determined whether McBride could resume play. He received the stitches in the locker room during the second half of the game, and was examined this morning by Dr. William Means, a facial surgeon in Coral Gables, Fla.  McBride will leave Miami today, and will be further evaluated Monday morning.

There are no plans to replace McBride on the roster in advance of the Gold Cup third place match this Saturday in Miami. Kickoff at the Orange Bowl is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on Galavision. The U.S. will face the loser of the Mexico v. Costa Rica semifinal to be played tonight at 10 p.m. ET in Mexico City.