how to get your son on the national team

[socceriscoolusa]

I found it odd that Bob Bradley's son was given a spot and playing time on Bruce Arena's us national team right before the 2006 world cup without the coach (Bruce Arena) having any intention of playing him in the world cup. Since Bob Bradley is a long time partner and friend of Bruce Arena you can see the connection here and why Bob's son would get playing time right before the most important tournament in 4 years.

You have to ask yourself, is this fair? Is this the way we can select the best national team by giving out favors to friends in such an obvious manner? Am I the only one who thinks this is strange and unethical? How much more of this type of thing goes on in every level from us national team to MLS to college to ODP and down to club level? How is it effecting the level of play in the usa when a better player might be cut in favor of someone's son with the right connections and brown nose?

I did some more research and found out the Bruce Arena also called up his own son into the national team. I don't know much about Bruce Arena's son and his playing credentials but from what I know he went straight to the MetroStars at age 17 without any college or previous professional experience and then got called up to the national team (see article below) by his dad (Bruce Arena) without having made an impression, scored a goal, or done anything notable or good in any way in professional soccer.

What's next? Look for Bob Bradley to call up Bruce Arena's son or look for another top USA or MLS head coach to have their son on the national team?

The best way to get your son on the usa national team? Be the coach.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/31/sports/soccer/31SOCC.html?ex=1369800000&en=c36ce31e6a2bd571&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

[thespian89]

If Bradley Jr. is wearing a Nats shirt it's because he deserves it. Maybe there was no intention in taking him to the World Cup but it may have been more a learning experience for someone who is expected to be a big part of the next couple cycles.

[UxSxAxfooty]

Oh my.

Read the article again.

This time very carefully.

[Davids26]

There are so many things wrong with your post.

First: Kenny Arena played for the U-20's in the 2001 Youth World Cup. He has no previous full national team caps or even call ups.

Second: Kenny Arena went to the University of Virginia.

Third: Mike Bradley had been playing for Heerenveen prior to his call up for the pre-WC camp. His season was over, he wasn't doing anything. He was called in to make up the numbers in camp (11 v 11)... Whats wrong with this? Should Bruce have called an MLS player that had no chance of going to the World Cup and interrupt his and his team's season? Or should he have called in a guy who'd been getting minutes in a top flight European league that didn't have anything going on?

Finally, you have to be batshit crazy to compare Kenny Arena to Michael Bradley as far as playing pedigree goes... Kenny Arena's been out of MLS for two years. Michael Bradley is a starting central midfielder (a position we need to develop new players at) for a Dutch team thats challenging for Europe. But I guess dad should leave him out of the team so as to avoid the accusations that he's only picking him because of his last name.

[socceriscoolusa]

If Bradley Jr. is wearing a Nats shirt it's because he deserves it. Maybe there was no intention in taking him to the World Cup but it may have been more a learning experience for someone who is expected to be a big part of the next couple cycles.

more than freddy adu? more than 500 other mature MLS players killing themselves for $40k a year to get on the us team? and more than robbie rogers (who I think is the next eric wynalda)? I'm sure there were more than a handful of other, and, yes, better, players who could have fit the spot other than the head coaches best friend's son.

(btw I actually like Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley)

[UxSxAxfooty]

more than freddy adu? more than 500 other mature MLS players killing themselves for $40k a year to get on the us team? and more than robbie rogers (who I think is the next eric wynalda)? I'm sure there were more than a handful of other, and, yes, better, players who could have fit the spot other than the head coaches best friend's son.

(btw I actually like Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley)
Not any ones who were out of MLS season and available for training, however.

Buy a ********ing clue.

Someone close this moronic thread. Remember when Paul Grafer played goal for the US?

[Elninho]

Michael Bradley is one of the first guys off the bench for a team playing in the UEFA Cup this season, and started the last four matches of last season for Heerenveen. He's one of the top candidates for the USMNT's central midfield for at least the next two World Cup cycles. Why wouldn't he be called up?

[Deuteriumoxide]

what is the point of this thread?

Is Kenny Arena even playing pro ball anymore?

That article is like three years old.

[MarioKempes]

socceriscoolusa, please pick up the white courtesy phone. Clue is calling.

[socceriscoolusa]

There are so many things wrong with your post.

First: Kenny Arena played for the U-20's in the 2001 Youth World Cup. He has no previous full national team caps or even call ups.


errr, wrong read the link I posted in the NY Times that talks about Bruce Arena calling up his son to the FULL US NATIONAL TEAM.


On defense, Kenny Arena has shown improvement and Juan Forchetti can help and is ready to step in. With Clint gone, John Wolyniec will step in and we could push Amado Guevara up." Arena, a rookie, is Bruce Arena's son.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/31/sports/soccer/31SOCC.html?ex=1369800000&en=c36ce31e6a2bd571&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND



Second: Kenny Arena went to the University of Virginia.


so this makes him good enough, experienced enough to be called up to the full us national team?


Third: Mike Bradley had been playing for Heerenveen prior to his call up for the pre-WC camp. His season was over, he wasn't doing anything. He was called in to make up the numbers in camp (11 v 11)... Whats wrong with this? Should Bruce have called an MLS player that had no chance of going to the World Cup and interrupt his and his team's season? Or should he have called in a guy who'd been getting minutes in a top flight European league that didn't have anything going on?


wikipedia says he got his first start in europe one month before his US National team call up and only started 4 games total for Heerenveen.

what about Jay Demerit, who actually earned his spot in the EPL based on his ability and actually scores goals in the world's top league, I'm sure he was free since the EPL takes a break during the world cup and I'm sure he'd kiss his toes to get a call up just to train with the us national team, yet alone play in a game like the coaches best friend's son.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bradley_%28soccer%29

Michael Bradley (born July 31, 1987 in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American soccer player, who currently plays as a midfielder for SC Heerenveen of the Dutch Eredivisie.

With his father, Bob Bradley, in charge of the Chicago Fire, Bradley lived in Palatine, Illinois as a teenager. He then moved to the Bradenton Academy, the United States's dedicated facility in Florida for the training of its Under-17 national team for four semesters, from the fall of 2002 to the spring of 2004.

Before leaving Bradenton, Bradley signed a Project-40 contract with MLS, turning professional at the age of 16, and entering the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. In the draft, Michael Bradley was selected 36th overall by the MetroStars, who were at the time coached by his father.


Finally, you have to be batshit crazy to compare Kenny Arena to Michael Bradley as far as playing pedigree goes... Kenny Arena's been out of MLS for two years. Michael Bradley is a starting central midfielder (a position we need to develop new players at) for a Dutch team thats challenging for Europe. But I guess dad should leave him out of the team so as to avoid the accusations that he's only picking him because of his last name.

starting? hmmm he had 4 starts in 2006 and I'm pretty sure he's not the star of their team, how many starts this season?

I'm only comparing them in that they both got on the national team and their 1st pro teams because of their daddy or their daddy's best friend, I mean come on this obvious.

[shinzui]

They could have called up Air Bud or Pele for the 24th spot in the USMNT pre WC camp and it still wouldn't have meant a thing. An extra player was needed so that there were two complete scrimmage squads during practice and Heerenveen wasn't playing competitive games like all MLS and Scandinavian based players were.

[socceriscoolusa]

Michael Bradley is one of the first guys off the bench for a team playing in the UEFA Cup this season, and started the last four matches of last season for Heerenveen. He's one of the top candidates for the USMNT's central midfield for at least the next two World Cup cycles. Why wouldn't he be called up?

guys, listen, the national team is for ALL-STARS, PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE...

at the time he had had a total of 4 starts and 14 short appearances for a mid-level dutch team (2nd tier europe) and 30 games in the MLS

is this really the best we have for our national team?

[socceriscoolusa]

They could have called up Air Bud or Pele for the 24th spot in the USMNT pre WC camp and it still wouldn't have meant a thing. An extra player was needed so that there were two complete scrimmage squads during practice and Heerenveen wasn't playing competitive games like all MLS and Scandinavian based players were.

so you are saying a call up to the us national team must not be important and we shouldnt scrutinize every single player called up? wonder why we get spanked by ghana and the cheq republic in the world cup with this attitude...

[SUDano]

This post is soooooooooooooooo wrong and off base. It wasn't a call up ijit!
M.Bradley was OUT OF SEASON and came to camp as a EXTRA PLAYER to fill out practice. All MLS players were IN SEASON. He wasn't an alternate or next in line. If someone got injured someone else would have gone. He didn't MAKE THE NATIONAL TEAM for the World Cup. He will one day though. Christian Jimenez (an many others) even practiced with full national team as a 17 year old at one time. Start a thread on that.
You shouldn't be able to start a thread ever again.

[dark knight]

It's a credit to this forum that we haven't seen more threads like this. Feel free to opine about nepotism in our neighboring USA Men forum.