Conference Finals [R]

I'm good with Schmetzer becoming the Jose Mourinho of MLS. I never could stand Bobby "washed up nobody" Washaw and most of MLSSoccer.com's "analysis" so seeing that interview and watching the post-game on MLSSoccer with all of them in shock eating crow was priceless. Almost better than getting to another MLS Cup final. That's right MLS, keep underestimating us. Keep ignoring Brian Schmetzer because he is kinda geeky and takes a lot of notes. We'll just keep winning.

 

Yep, that was worth staying up for.

Someone like Ruidiaz is exactly what we need. Can you imagine the triangle of that type of #9 striker, Bou and Gil?

 

So a rematch of 2016 which to me was one of the most boring finals ever. Lets hope there is some excitement this year

 

I don't disagree, but many non-Revs fans will add that most every MLS Cup Final that included the Revs belongs in the category "most boring finals ever."

 

Toronto did what they needed to do when facing a more powerful team. You can argue that Atlanta "deserved" to win, but at the end of the day, Toronto came up big when they needed to with a PK save and a spectacular goal to win it, even if Atlanta carried most of the play. They didn't finish their chances, so they have only themselves to blame.

 

The one where we had a lead on Houston wasn't boring - g.d. DeRosario!

 

On a brighter note, it was good to see Micheal Parkhurst play last night; and then walk off the field without help.

 

Can anyone suggest a reason why I should root for one team or the other?

 

I have cousins living in Seattle who’ll be rooting for the Sounders, and they’re very nice. And Toronto just got an NBA title. That’s pretty much all I’ll be making my decision on. (Seattle matches are pretty fun experiences, for what it’s worth. But Toronto matches may be good too.)

 

I'm also torn. I like Toronto in general, it's one of my favoUrite cities and Seattle fans have the reputation of being obnoxious. ("You might not have thought of this, but maybe tell your owner to run your team more like the Sounders"). Of course, Atlanta has taken over that mantle in recent years.

But Michael Bradley is totally overrated both for club and country, and he made some bonehead mistakes that led directly to some good Atlanta chances--it's on them for not finishing--but he easily could have cost them the game. But in a blunder of Burnsian proportions, his contract automatically renews at $6.5 million if they win MLS Cup this year....

 

And he'll continue to get call ups for the national team!!

 

I don't think Bradley's overrated (but I guess that depends on whose rating it is!). And, I absolutely think he should be called up for the USNT when there's a game of significance.

But, if Toronto gets stuck paying him $6.5M for next year if they win, that's all I need!

 

Well, I have to say, he looked pretty good for Tronna in the first 3/4 of the game. He made several bacon-saving plays on the D end and looked pretty good while they were dominating the game. Then a fluke deflection changed everything..

Welcome to the shoe being on the other foot, TFC. They were dominating like Atlanta did, and somehow the team that was being out-everything'd turned it all around on a single play...

 

IMHO I think Bradley has reached his sell-by date. I was a fan early on, but now it's time to move on from that group. Currently, the Nats suck and a 34-year-old Bradley in 2022 isn't going to improve the situation.

 

The team seriously lacks leadership and any role models. I think Bradley is a great player to keep around to help mold some of these young players, instilling the importance of playing for you country. That said, he shouldn't be playing meaningful minutes for the reasons you've noted.

 

I'm not sure the guy who tried to start a mutiny to get a manager fired and famously caused divisions in a locker room is the guy you should be leaning on for leadership

 

Do tell...

 

There is a good quote on this. During 2015, Bradley approached Dempsey to talk about the team. Here is the full exerpt on the topic per the ringer:

"A few weeks before a friendly with Chile in January 2015, veterans Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey had a conversation about the state of the team. Dempsey, a quiet Texan who was the team’s captain, led with his play on the field, not with his words. When Gulati reached out in 2010, asking him to discuss the state of the team under Bob Bradley, he never picked up the phone or returned the calls.

Now, posed with a question about what should happen with Klinsmann, Dempsey wanted no part of it. “I wouldn’t have done this to your father, and I’m not doing this now,” he told Bradley, according to multiple sources within the team. “I just want to score goals and go fishing.”"

Bradley was also the strongest locker room voice against "ze germans". Key players like Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, John Brooks... who because they werent born in the US he didnt feel were committed enough. Imagine that? Thinking JJ wasnt committed enough? Anyway, that caused some divisions in the locker room, where it pissed off guys like Geoff Cameron, who were playing abroad and wanted to play with the best team mates available.

Its all moot, because we saw Bradley's commitment to winning in Couva, down a goal, nonchalantly walking to take a corner 5 minutes into stoppage time.

Anyway, I havent wanted anything to do with Mikey since then, and those are my reasons why.

 

So you're upset that our captain was trying to address the sinking ship that was Klinsmann's national team post-2014 World Cup? The whole point of that little anecdote is to show that Dempsey wasn't much of a leader off the field; I think you're beyond reading into things if you think that's a negative reflection on Michael Bradley.

You conveniently left out this bit which makes it clear that Jermaine Jones was part of the core of the team. Very different from players like Timmy Chandler, Julien Green, John Anthony Brooks, amongst others who seemed to come and go and provide little unity and camaraderie with the team. You honestly feel like they were committed to the NT in the same way that a Dempsey, Bradley, or Jones were?

"After training the following day, Bradley, Dempsey, Altidore, and Jones took a few extra laps around the practice field and vented about the nonsensical tactics, the team’s plummeting morale, and Klinsmann’s role in all of it.

It was only the start of the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, but something was amiss inside the group. Over the next year, the team’s veterans would continue to talk; the water was boiling over."

Bradley was already a shell of himself in 2017 and the tactics employed in Couva did him no favors. Questioning his heart and commitment to the NT is disgusting in my opinion. I only hope that he gets into managing following his playing career and instills some of the same leadership and passion in our NT players. It's quotes like this are how Michael Bradley should be remembered:

“Throughout the last cycle, there were tough moments that led to hard conversations. As captain, different things came to me. I never shared who was involved or what was said, and I’m not going to start now. After the game in Trinidad, I answered every question. I took responsibility and said we have nobody to blame but ourselves.”

 

I'm with Crooked on this: IMO Bradley was a class act, a strong midfield general and among the best USNT players of his time. I always thought the nepotism stuff was b.s. - I felt then and do now that it was ridiculous to think we had anyone better at his position, regardless of who the coach was.

As for questioning the commitment of the foreign born-and-raised players, I think you would have had to be in the locker room to know whether that was the case. Citing Jermaine Jones to counter the argument doesn't fly to me - I'm not sure I fully buy the argument (particularly regarding the German-Americans: did the native born players really welcome them in and 'trust' them?), but if true, surely JJ was the lone exception. But, as we saw up close, even he would put self-interest up front at times.

As for Dempsey, if the account was correct, you can take that as a principled stand, or a self-centered individual who refused to exhibit leadership when it came with a potential personal cost. I'll go with Bradley, again, as someone in leadership who saw problems and wanted to do something about them.

I think all this (and all the wrangling about coaches) is missing the real reason behind the decline of our NT. IMO it is, ironically, about the success of MLS. More and more of our best players and prospects have been playing here in MLS than in more challenging situations and circumstances abroad, getting less exposure to more sophisticated training, tactics, coaching, opponents, competition, etc., etc. Is it any coincidence that our best player (by a *huge* margin) is one who has exclusively trained and played in Europe?

 

WRT Bradley, I guess we'll just have to disagree. Plotting behind the coach's back in order to overthrow him seems cowardly to me, not like leadership. I definitely thought he got his chance with the NT as a result of nepotism, BUT that he took that chance and earned his spot for 8 years (2008-2016). That doesnt make him a leader, but it does mean he deserved to be on the team on the basis of playing ability, as one of the 23 best players available.

WRT to ze germans, I just cant believe an observer can watch Alfredo Morales, Danny Williams, Fabian Johnson, or Jon Brooks play and question their heart. Maybe their training regiment because of how frequently theyre hurt, but never their heart. Tossing out 4 guys who make the team better to appease one guy, who by the end of 2016 probably did not, seems like backing the wrong horse.

On a final note: We could have had Ventura Alvarado (captain of Necaxa, the 2nd best team in Liga MX) and Duane Holmes instead of Walker Zimmerman and Christian Roldan on the last roster. I dont know why the manager continues to ignore them, but I dont think its because the US pool is lacking in quality talents plying their trade abroad.