Oh that's right they are not despite displaying the resilience, courage and dedication needed by a leader. Not to mention the experience.
Let's say the USA had to beat Mali. Bradley would be first player I'd put on a plane to Timbuktu... ...but only if we were playing them at home.
I'll wait for the 'real' coach but if it's Berhalter I expect the captain remains the backup CDM, Trapp. Which is better than the auto captain by birth we've been stuck with but hardly more than a title. The on field leaders will be McKennie, CP, Miazga and soon, Sargent and Weah. Captain is only captain in name with the young talent coming out, lead by example is what's needed and it's coming, regardless of coach's pick for the armband.
CP could've rallied the troops via text message for the past year had they mailed the armband to his place in Dortmund. SUM was too cheap to cover the postage since that money was reserved for the MB.
It may not matter to the team and it may not matter to certain players but some players categorically either get better with the role or get worse, Donovan vs dempsey. For example. But if I'm Yedlin I have to be looking around thinking damn, what's a brother got to do to get the arm band, wait I KNOW get beat over and over and over again as a defender, works for Bradley. And now it could work for Trapp . I've gotta get in on that.
The less we talk about captains the better. If it were up to me, and it should be, I'd make a rule nobody could be captain for 5 straight games. Nobody cares about captain, and it's just gonna be the same MB90 situation when the next "captain for life" starts sucking but can't be dropped because he's captain and has experience. No thanks, count me out.