On what planet is this a defense of Bradley? This team this cycle has been hot garbage, mutinous on a manager, playing with cowardice, on precarious terms to qualify, and too delicate to let some players be called up -- all under Bradley's captaincy. This is what matters now. It's been nearly 4 years and a destroyed ankle since Bradley last played for Roma. It's time to move on. It's time to move forward.
And if history justifies his Captain For Life status, let's not act as though Michael has an unsullied past of being respectful to coaches and to competition for "his" spot on a team. https://www.si.com/more-sports/2011/07/14/mbradley-incident
I'm not sure which of these two Bradley quotes is more frustrating! *** or The problem with MB isn't his IQ or leadership, both of which I rate very highly but rather that his playing ability has markedly declined since his ankle injury and/or return to MLS. Also, WTF does "failed as a leader in the campaign" mean? Did you bend the space/time continuum and now know that we lose at T&T tonight while both Panama and Honduras win? Because if we qualify and we're f***ing going to tonight(!), we've succeeded in our campaign. *** props to USS97531 for starting a great thread though
He is also the first guy to stand up and defend 'the team' and even to some extent Klinsmann when "unnamed sources" were talking to Strauss way back in 2013 after Honduras.
Wait, you mean despite his failure to lead, we might manage to qualify by not losing to TnT tonight after having modern era disasters for WCQ at home and being led by a teenager. Then, yeah! What a lion! LOL Good one!
I didn't realize there were style points for qualifying. I guess that mexico's last WC was abysmal since they needed a playoff vs Oceana.....
Are you really dumb enough to say that he said that to 'protect' his spot rather than because he is a leader?
LOL - I think that qualifying is the primary qualifier for success and we're on the verge of doing just that. You, however, have labelled MB a "failure as a leader in this campaign" because we need to beat T&T and CP has emerged as a star. Therefore, I'm pointing out that Mexico barely qualified but yet still put in a strong World Cup performance that most would consider successful. Most, but not you apparently.
If you don't think Bradley should be captain, then blame Klinsmann and the current coaching staff. If you don't think he should play as much, then blame Bruce Arena and the competition that has been unable to supplant him. He's been a devoted member of the team for a long time and he's sacrificed a lot for the crest. Even if you don't rate him, you can indicate that without the disrespect for him and the opinions of people who disagree. As for Pulisic, I wouldn't be in any rush to name him captain. He deserves to have a full cycle to keep his focus on his personal development without having any more pressure heaped on his shoulders. He's still in the process of figuring out how high he can fly. If he wants it, his time will come. For now, he's already plenty good enough to be taken seriously. When he speaks, people listen.
What is it, one loss in the last 12 competitive games since Arena took over? And that to a 2014 World Cup quarterfinalist who has a starter for the best club in the world. Seems like decent leadership to me.
Sans Pulisic or Brooks, anyone not on this team, right now is the next captain. MAJOR USSF (US Soccer) overhaul coming.
Guy does not deserve even one more cap. And anyone who argued with me the last month that he is a great player, and the best of what we have, and nobody else is EXPERIENCED enough or ready...please deactivate your account. What an absolute embarrassment. Goodbye Gulati, Bruce, and Bradley. Never want to see any of your three again.
Come on out, Bradley shills/Bigsoccer sock puppets! I can't wait to read Doyle's defense of Bradley because he offers "intangibles", like a polished, empty head that can reflect the stadium lights into the defenders, or something "high level" like that.
Didn't you hear? McKennie isn't ready. He's played 6 games in the BL!!!! LOL, like he's better than Bradley!!!! Did you see the amount of running MB did against Panama??!?!? You guys are crazy!
Players who can't be captain, because they've taken the honorable route and retired from international play: Nagbe, Gonzalez, Bradley, Howard, Beasley, Zusi. Player who should be captain: Pulisic. That simple.