Fresh on the heels of hearing that Jurgen Klinsmann was being interviewed for the U.S. National team, Bob Bradley was re-named as coach at a press conference this afternoon in New York City. Many were caught off guard with how quickly this happened.
Bradley was given a four year extension that keeps him in charge until 2014 and has been lauded with praise after the U.S. national team won their group over England at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.
There is no doubt that this decision is going to have it’s supporters and detractors like most any hiring. What will come out in the coming days is how far the reach of U.S. soccer and president Sunil Gulati went as far as interviewing candidates. It is clear that maybe only Klinsmann, the former German national team coach, was potentially interviewed.
Bradley will have the experience of going through a previous cycle heading into his next four years but was this program due for a change in philosophy?
No one can question Bradley and his loyalty and effort to U.S. soccer. He was heard recently speaking rather freely to a European broadcaster and clearly put the “for hire” sign out as far as Aston Villa is concerned which no one should have a problem with.
Do you like the re-hiring of Bob Bradley?
ADIDAS INCREASES COMMITMENT TO MLS
In 2004 Adidas signed a ten year deal with MLS for the sum of $150 million dollars. It was a watershed moment for the league and Adidas became the official athletic sponsor an licensed supplier to the league. Adidas has now agreed to new terms that is valued at more than $200 million. The good news here is that one has to assume that dollars will be funneled to both the Academy Programs and a new reserve league that is essential. Essential for the Academy programs because without a reserve league we will never see the full potential of the Academy program.
The return of the reserve league is key and goes hand in hand with the Academy league and program.
The deal with Adidas is worth now an additional $24 million per year. Adidas is clearly trying to make it’s mark on player development in the United States.
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Ughhhhhhh.
4 more years of mediocre play and no creativity in the midfield.
Great News for US Soccer all around,especially MLS and The Young Academy Players.
I love how You Personally were the first person to inform Domminic Kinnear that Bob Bradley would remain as the US Coach..he was excited
Bradley blows! I guess once it came out he had absolutely no shot at the AV job (less than 24 hours), he quickly snatched whatever US was gonna offer him. Hope it was breadcrumbs! He is a huge mistake. I can’t wait until 2014 when the US advances out of the group stage and then loses the next game. I’m gonna have to revert to early 80’s and root for Mexico again. Signed the whitest man alive!
Now if we can just get Bradley to wear a suit instead of the same pi*c** sweat suit every game.
Yes, I like rehiring of Bradley as head of USMNT. Maybe a patriotic thing with me, but I like American National team being lead by an American.
Bradley has done good job and deserves to stay for next World Cup run. I’m sure the “German Genius” Klinsmann wanted a kings ransom.
Kudos to Adidas for stepping to the plate for MLS once again. Would put them in same class as Lamar Hunt and Philip Anschutz as for keeping MLS alive and willing to put dollars behind the league and sport of soccer in U.S.
While not always the greatest fan of Bob Bradley I think this move makes sense. A lot of detractors seem to think the US talent pool is greater than it really is. Bob knows what these guys can do, and with the addition of a new round of young men to add to the team, he will have more talent at his disposal in Brazil than he did in South Africa. The Gold Cup will be an epic battle this time around. I can’t wait!
Thumbs up on the Bradley rehire. The fact is that the U.S. team at the World Cup was more entertaining to watch than any in the past — even more than the 2002 squad (which went one round further). Yes, the team has problems (on the defensive end, with giveaways, and poor finishing), but the progress shown in the last four years under Bradley warrant giving him another four-year deal.
Great another early exit in 2014………………..
The USMNT is completely void of creativity and ideas when they play. That starts with the coach. To be completely honest, we need a non-American coach. Creativity is not and has never been an aspect of American soccer. Its not going to suddenly become that way by rehiring the same people who have proven they don’t have those qualities.
J,
What I don’t understand is why don’t the European based players on the USMNT play with any sustained creativity? They train with creative players and are coached by creative coaches. I still believe the US talent pool is below that of most countries, but I also believe that it is improving. Would I like to see a top name foreign coach in charge of the Nat’s? Yes, but I think their woes start with the talent at hand.
And the Xenophobia continues…..Why they would not consider a south american coach is beyond me, only an american or europeans get a look. The US has the players who have more ability to play agrresive ball control offense, but constantly rely on those who are all about counter attack long ball strategy….its really an injustice to the team and its fans…..Im not asking for Jogo Bonito. It is pure insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. My patriotism doesn’t allow me to not cheer for the USA, but it is hard to support with decision like this. They tie out futbol future to a guy that nobody else wanted or had any genuine interest in. The only people who wanted him were american owned teams who were probably asked to float that rumor out there to create some value for him. It hurts, but I will have to agree with Thomas “I’m gonna have to revert to early 80’s and root for Mexico again”,
On another note, Glen, is the reserve league really coming back 100% confirmed? If so, that is great news!!!! Also, does any of that Addidas money get funneled down to the teams like revenue sharing?
Keep up the great work and Go Dynamo!!!!! They may have fallen upon hard times, but they will be back, sooner than must think.
Not a good decision. It was time to part ways.
Glen,
I respect your opinion, but I feel four years is enough for a coach of a national team program. The team constantly gave up early goals. The team was not the same after Novak left to take the Philadelphia job. On goal.com I suggested a bold move and appointing Aguirre as the new coach. I think this move would be better than a Bradley redux.
I feel that Gulati needs to go and the US program needs to be bold. Appointing national team coaches who are American or spent most of their time in the states is stale. A lack of ambition seems to appear in the U.S. mens program. A lack of ambition that should worry every US supporter. I hope that Bradley has learned from his mistakes, but I consider myself very worried.
The adidas contract is a very positive development for the game. The league needs to reinstate the reserve level games to develop the talent pool. However, I hope it will be for younger players rather than extending playing careers for marginal post college players. More players such as Bowen and Stephens for the Galaxy need to be developed by each side. The league needs to allow more players to be home grown so that teams such as the Dynamo or the Galaxy would further develop their youth academies.
I’m not on the Klinsmann bandwagon (although he might be a good solution), nor do I think the USMNT coach has to be a foreigner (although that might bring a new perspective), but I do think that 8 years is too long for a national team coaching stint, unless that stint has shown dramatic progress. Bradley has had a solid stretch, but there hasn’t been dramatic progress. He transitioned the USMNT from the Bruce Arena stable of players — that wasn’t an option, because the elderly nature of those players forced him to make the transition — but now he’s in the same rut that Arena was in, only with different players.
In my mind, Bradley’s coaching decisions have shown the same strengths and the same weaknesses as Bruce Arena. Bradley’s strengths give him great insight into the player development process in the US and allows him to minimize the limitations of the players developed in that pool. Bradley’s weaknesses will mean that in 2014 we will have essentially the same roster that we had in 2010, only everyone will be older. Furthermore, he doesn’t know how to incorporate American players who have different skills and abilities because they developed outside of the US devellopmental system. For that reason, gifted players (e.g. JF Torres) will never see significant time because incorporating them often requires adjusting the players around him, or changing the system of play…perhaps even giving up the “empty bucket” midfield formation. Bradley can’t make such adjustments, and there are certain players (like his own son) who Bradley has given tenure, so they will never be benched even if the match conditions or the player’s performance demands it.
Love the Adidas contract. As others have mentioned, they’ve been the strongest of partners throughout MLS history. More should be done to recognize them.
Here’s my issue with Bradley….he’s predictable. It has become easier to gameplan against him with time because he does very few adjustments. His tactics are are hesitant and defensive against all but the weakest teams in the region. Its like he lacks confidence in his game-planning. And I hate the excuse of “he did well this time around, he should be the coach for Brazil because he deserves it”. Well, Lippi won the World Cup with Italy in 2006. Look at how well things went with Italy because of predictable planning, predictable player selection (because he was most comfortable with the players that won in ‘06), and lack of new ideas in general. Try to convince me that Bradley in 2014 would be much different than the Bradley we saw this year. I don’t see it. And as badly as Italy did this year with Lippi, I fear that Bradley and the US could do worse in the years to come.
About new coaches, I like Klinsmann. He has confidence, swagger, and is not afraid to try new things. But, if for some reason, I can’t have him, I would really think about someone like Jose Pekerman, someone who can really develop young players and turn them into stars. He would need to have his own people helping him build the foundation (Pekerman will be 61 years old in a couple of days). How about Jose de la Torre from Toluca? They always seem well-disciplined to me. The US team could certainly use that.
I would mention Marcelo Bielsa but he’s staying in Chile for now. Not sure about Aguirre. He’s smart and talented but he had his own player personnel issues too. Like why was Javier Hernandez left on the bench? Though, he did mention that he did not want to go through a whole 4 year cycle. So, why take the US job now?? In fact, with his love of Mexico, why would he ever take the US job?