Q&A with Bob Bradley

[pokemoncards]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/national/2006-12-18-q-and-a-bradley_x.htm

[golazo68]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/national/2006-12-18-q-and-a-bradley_x.htm

For whatever reason, I can't shake the impression of Bradley being Bush after Ronald Reagan.

Not enough fresh wind- nothing against his background, but not the new direction which is really needed at this time.

I also hate that Bradley will be auditioning for the job likely at the expense of letting young guys game experience. He will necessarily be too results focused over the next 6 months- and that really sucked after 6 months of no friendlies. I can't blame Bradley for trying to win these matches which means we will most likely see a Mastroeni over a Clark, etc.

We essentially will have lost an entire year in which we could have been giving our youngest talent great exposure to international national team soccer. Guys like Ricardo Clark, Justin Mapp, Chris Rolfe and maybe Lee Nguyen and Robbie Rogers should have been getting major minutes in friendlies during this time. This was the time for those guys to learn on the job and make their mistakes- not later in qualifying.

I'd be surprised if the younger, unknowns get much playing time before Bradley gets chosen as permanent coach. He won't want a 1-0 loss to Guatemala, etc. on his resume. Especially against Mexico I wanted to see young guys, but I definently don't see that happening.

[Bruce S]

For whatever reason, I can't shake the impression of Bradley being Bush after Ronald Reagan.

Not enough fresh wind- nothing against his background, but not the new direction which is really needed at this time.

I also hate that Bradley will be auditioning for the job likely at the expense of letting young guys game experience. He will necessarily be too results focused over the next 6 months- and that really sucked after 6 months of no friendlies. I can't blame Bradley for trying to win these matches which means we will most likely see a Mastroeni over a Clark, etc.

We essentially will have lost an entire year in which we could have been giving our youngest talent great exposure to international national team soccer. Guys like Ricardo Clark, Justin Mapp, Chris Rolfe and maybe Lee Nguyen and Robbie Rogers should have been getting major minutes in friendlies during this time. This was the time for those guys to learn on the job and make their mistakes- not later in qualifying.

I'd be surprised if the younger, unknowns get much playing time before Bradley gets chosen as permanent coach. He won't want a 1-0 loss to Guatemala, etc. on his resume. Especially against Mexico I wanted to see young guys, but I definently don't see that happening.
I feel better about it.I think he is a younger guy, more open to new ideas, less of a know it all.We shall see.

[Bigrose30]

I'd feel better if he gave one non-vanilla answer to an interview question, although I guess it would be easier if he weren't the "interim" coach.

Nothing went wrong in 2006? Hello, McFly?

Maybe he'll grow a pair when he's named full coach.

[Mason16]

I understand your point golazo but one [old] crticism of BA was his over-reliance on the old guys, picking experience over promise. Since that failed, perhaps BB will realize that the young guys are key to international success. Yes, they will hurt you on ocassion due to lack of experience, but they can also provide suprising results. I'm hoping this is the case. The challenge is picking the right young guys; the ones who can rise to the ocassion and elevate their game.

[appoo]

he HAD to do that. He had no choice.

We can say "bench everyone! Start Rolfe!" because have absolutly nothing at risk. Out your job on the line, and you'd start doing things very differently

[Adam Zebrowski]

keyb to success is talent...

if friendlies affect ussf decision on bradley it's a hopeless affair...

gold cup and copa america should be the evidence..

and we all know about copa america 1995 results giving us sampson, and his failings in 1998 in france are evident...

usa needs a manager for the finals....

the talent pool can get usa thru concacaf, BUT the major concern should be managerial effectiveness at the big stage

[Chicago1871]

We essentially will have lost an entire year in which we could have been giving our youngest talent great exposure to international national team soccer. Guys like Ricardo Clark, Justin Mapp, Chris Rolfe and maybe Lee Nguyen and Robbie Rogers should have been getting major minutes in friendlies during this time. This was the time for those guys to learn on the job and make their mistakes- not later in qualifying.
With the exception of Nguyen and Rogers, all these guys are on the training camp roster. How do you prefer your crow? ;)

[MBloom]

I also hate that Bradley will be auditioning for the job likely at the expense of letting young guys game experience. He will necessarily be too results focused over the next 6 months- and that really sucked after 6 months of no friendlies. I can't blame Bradley for trying to win these matches which means we will most likely see a Mastroeni over a Clark, etc.

Doesn't look like this prediction panned out

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http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=396785&root=us&cc=5901

.......Bradley understands his work is all about development, and that he won't stray from that endeavor in some thinly veiled gambit to win insignificant matches and solidify his hold on the spot.

[Skurwiel007]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/national/2006-12-18-q-and-a-bradley_x.htm


I hate this guy!!! :mad:

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

Well, I guess we need to all get over the WC since nothing went wrong, we just had bad luck.........

[Seanin]

I'd feel better if he gave one non-vanilla answer to an interview question, although I guess it would be easier if he weren't the "interim" coach.

Nothing went wrong in 2006? Hello, McFly?

Maybe he'll grow a pair when he's named full coach.

Wow. He had a chance to lay down an early marker for achievement ("some young players we expected to show they could take charge of the team wilted in a tough environment - we need better leadership all over the field this cycle and we need players to translate potential into performance. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN in Germany, it needs to happen next time") and passed it up in favor of some bromides about "that's the way the ball bounces".

Reason #367 Klinsmann would have been a great addition: he'd be much harder to impress. I imagine him saying something like: "The team didn't do as well as it should have in Germany. They folded against the Czechs and, even though they put in a spirited performance against the eventual winners, really should have been able to beat Ghana, who were less experienced and, apart from a few stand-outs, not a great team." Oh well. Donovan is going to love Bradley.