Jimmy Conrad exposes Michael Bradley

Any guy that can shoot down four out of five MiGs in a 5 on 1 dogfight is O.K. in my book. Just think what he could do on a soccer field?

Wolverines!

 

So every NFL, MLB, NBA, etc., commentator is hired and paid by the league they cover? Were Stu and Edu paid by all European leagues for covering champions league for Foxsports as well? I don't think you know how this works. I am beginning to suspect you are not an attorney (to continue your court analogy). You certainly can't build a logical argument.

Your argument must not have merit if you must resort to sexist name calling.

Pathetic.

 

I keep reading MB90 did "just fine" the last 2 games. Against 2 totally overmatched opponents. T^T basically had no midfield and MB90 was at his backpassing best. At some point the US will encounter a team with a decent midfield, at which point MB90 will once again become a pylon. He has neither the speed or skill to handle capable midfielders.

 

MB will beat those midfielders with experience and leadership. And if that doesn’t work, with caps.

 

I see FORMER ESPN president John Skipper, FORMER Fox Sports Exec David Nathanson, and Univision Deportes Pres Juan Carlos Rodriguez (why does he get a pass from your conspiracy?) This is a picture from the 2014 announcement of the MLS/U.S. Soccer tv deals.

Holy shit! Are you telling me that network execs attend press releases for TV contract announcements? I bet they don't do that for the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA Football and other major leagues! In fact MLS exerts so much influence, that all MLS games are carried on ESPN +, which I think 5 people and a random typing monkey subscribe to. SUCH POWER!

John Skipper has not been with ESPN or Disney for over 2 years, he has no influence with them, nor can I see any link to U.S. Soccer.

David Nathanson has not been involved with the TV side of Foxsports for more than 2 years. He is a board member of the United States Soccer Foundation, a separate entity from the Federation. He is part of the board that approved the lawsuit filed on behalf of the foundation AGAINST U.S. Soccer. If he is so in bed with MLS/USSF, then why didn't he resign his position when the lawsuit was filed? Unless he's a double agent - nefarious!

And again why does Rodriguez get a pass? Or are you afraid to talk about his involvement?

So BFD. TV Execs appearing in a picture announcing TV sports deal. You will have to provide reasoning and facts as to why MLS/USSF exert undue influence and more power than much larger sports leagues over TV execs and who they hire for broadcasts. Especially considering the total for the TV deal split among the 3 networks is worth $720 million over 8 years, while ESPN will pay $12.6 BILLION over 8 years to show NBA games through 2025. The soccer deal is peanuts compared to 1 league contract, let alone all the others. So why are you asserting MLS/SUM/USSF can exert greater power and control the overall narrative, even regarding who the networks hire?

And no X-Files/Flat Earther "the truth is out there if you look" excuses. I've searched and can't find it. So enlighten me. I will be the first to post here that you are right.

 

"It's a conspiracy: C-O-N spiracy!"

I forget what comedy routine that came from.

 

And you failed. You went for the X-Files answer.

The NYT article is a good article and points to a poorly run organization with a insular hierarchy.

I did the work you asked of me and researched the people in the picture. Tell me what you know about the picture and why USSF/MLS has control over ESPN and Fox programming and hiring decisions. Why do Dan Flynn and Don Garber have more influnce than NFL, MLB, NBA, etc?

 

This is just an act, right?

 

I agree with your post, but I’m wondering if this is an AI that has been fed other messages in the thread and just auto generated this one.

 

Bradley has played just fine in the role Berhalter has played him in.

Berhalter has put together a team that has shown that it can put together a few passes, generate some possession and score a few goals. I'm really liking the Arriola, Pulisic, McKinnie and Morris midfield. The questions we now face are: (1) whether this line up can generate offensive firepower consistently and (2) whether our backline can then hold up against top tier teams.

This Mexico team is not top tier, but they are 2nd tier and should not be underestimated. I predict that Martino will have Mexico press us high & tight. They'll keep it up hoping to disrupt any fluid possession by our guys. The pressure will continue until we burn them and/or their guys get tired.

Berhalter likes the buildup that starts with passing out of the back. That's Ream's game, but Bradley is extremely important schematically here, too. First, he will support the back four. Then, if he's able to connect to the midfielders, we'll do great. If he can't, we'll be in trouble.

Because he is obviously our best player, Pulisic will get the Cobi Jones treatment.

After all of the opinions on this and other threads, the bottom line is that we are playing for the Gold Cup title and Michael Bradley did his part on the field to help get us here. Now, it is on to Sunday and another Gold Cup title.

 

Simple. Had the U.S. flopped, the torches, pitchforks and guillotines would be coming out. But with the U.S. not having lost a game in the tournament and now playing for the Gold Cup Championship, Berhalter's reign is secure for now and his experiment will continue to play itself out.

Regardless of where U.S. fans stand divided - like on Bradley, Berhalter and other team-related issues - put those differences aside until Sunday and support all of these guys in their quest for another Gold Cup title.

 

Yeah....sure.... You know, Zhe' Fulano, that it is possible to hold five [or more] thoughts at once?
First, "Yeah, go USA and beat Mexico!"
Second, "Michael Bradley as a starter is sand in the engine of his team. If General Egg wanted to force an homage to 'The Hero of Couva' well, then, General, Mission Accomplished. Mr. Mediocrity did not prove fatal to making the final. Congrats."
Third: "Berhalter was never going to be fired by the USSF at this stage of his tenure, even if the team had gone belly-up to Curacao. Brother .Berhalter.....er......Chicago House.... was not about to let a mere near two years of stagnation since failing to make the WC dissuade him from being his Brother's Keeper!".
Fourth: "If this Gold Cup is styled as an experiment by General Egg, then what does General Egg take from this experiment as he reflects upon it after the fact? That's where the shit truly decides what to hit".
.Fifth: "Setting aside all the crap about what happens as we prepare for WC qualifying, let's never forget, muchachos, that there is, on this Final Day, the glorious chance to carve into the Annals of History yet another Dos a Cero! "

 

Let the play on the field and the results speak for themselves. We'll all have more to talk about Sunday night.

 

Also, he's not going to be fired because he clearly doesn't deserve it.

 

was this not the last time Bradley played Mexico? Maybe I'm missing a game or two against them since, but I'd have 0 problem with him starting. He's been there, done that and has being playing okay to great in the role he's tasked with with the better players around him. Don't forget how long he carried the midfield. In McK and Pulisic he has some guys who are finally better than him

 

Hmmmmm.... superdave can't read. If superdave could read, he would have been able to read. ""Berhalter was never going to be fired by the USSF at this stage of his tenure, even if the team had gone belly-up to Curacao. "

Now superdave sure can have his opinions, so superdave can go on to state that even if the team had gone belly-up to Curacao then General Egg "clearly doesn't deserve" to be fired. Heck, superdave could have doubled down on that riff and said the same even if the team had gone belly-up in the group round. In which case superdave would simply have been illustrating my point. That with his brother as one of his bosses, Berhalter was not going to be fired by his peeps in the USSF no matter what the hell happened at the Gold Cup.

 

LOL, I remember watching that live and yelling "GOD DAMMIT BRADLEY WHAT THE FXCK ARE YOU DOI...OH SHIT GOAL!!". The TV angle was too tight to see Ochoa off of his line.

Forgot how weak the crowd was at that game too.

 

What do Chris Armas, Kyle Beckerman and Michael Bradley have in common? They all played defensive midfield and they all got shat upon. It is a non-sexy position.

 

Vehemently disagree. If you think he's been close to great in this role, I'm shocked. As someone posted above, I believe JJ was the better player. I find MB to be perhaps the most overrated US player of all time. He was briefly good (2010-2012ish); but, that was really more in an attacking role, when he had others (JJ, Beckerman, Edu, Clark) to cover him. Frankly, I've always thought JJ was forced to sacrifice his game for MB, and the US may have been better off without MB there (unless there were suspensions).