a couple that jump out at me: "we need to break youth in slowly" (adu, altidore, ect) ~ baby bradley has been getting a consistent 90. "you need to be getting regular first team minutes to play for the nats consistently" ~ bocanegra and EJ get regular 90 minutes while riding the pine, or not even dressing. i'm sure there are more.
Valid points - but the arguements you make have more holes than Swiss Cheese 1) Micheal Bradley - He fits the second criteria to a T. He plays 90 minutes in one of the top 10 leagues in the world for a team that plays in the UEFA Cup/Champions League reguarly. He is there go to CM and as of right now he is the top 5 player pool for CM for the USA. Yes he has his weaknesses, as do all players. 2) Bocanegra - Named a better CB in the USA pool right now that is a better option that has not recieved a look (cant include, Danny Califf, Jay Demerit, Jimmy Conrad, Bobby Boswell, Clarence Goodison, etc.) All those listed players have recieved looks in Bradley's time and none have shown exceptionally well except for Califf, DeMerit, and Conrad. I think as of right now Bocanegra is the best we have at that position, simply fits the criteria. EJ - well, I am not the biggest fan. I see his upside, but I see more of his downside. Give the younger guys a run and chance. Well put on this player.
This is why everybody is upset about Bradley...E.Johnson... If EJ want to improve he need psychological training he need to be motivated to run like a pit bull after 10 cappucinos. On the last 3 games he have been a SCARE POOZIECAT just watching other people run while he just wait for God to make him a pass. Perhaps Frankie Hedjuk could send him some videos of how to play and run crazy all over the field...
Yep. Michael Bradley is the clearest, most blatant case of nepotism I've ever witnessed in professional sports. Questionable if he'd even get called up if Dad wasn't coach. Extremely doubtful he'd ever start at this point in his career/development and there's absolutely no way in hell he'd be starting EVERY game and playing 90 minutes every game (ARG aside...finally...and look at the difference in the team's performance without baby B gumming things up). He's marginal in his defensive duties and a complete write-off when it comes to play making. No vision. No evasiveness. Terrible in tight spaces. Bad decision making (dished off a nice hospital pass to Beasley the other night). The only thing I've ever seen him do well consistently is make short, square or backwards push passes when he's in plenty of space. He's easily the least athletic and least skilled of the midfielders on the roster - Yet he gets this ridiculous amount of playing time. Oh, but he's only 20 so give him a break. He'll be great one of these years. Dad just needs to find the right guy to partner with him in the middle.
no intention to knock the players, and i'm not nearly as anti-bradley as many here, but there are some glaring inconsistency with what he says, at least to the press, and his player decisions. he doesn't really come off as saying what he means, and meaning what he says.
You really think that a US coach other than Bradley wouldn't call Mike in? Interesting... Pretty sure any of them would given Bradley's year @ his club. What I do find further interesting is that he has 3 subpar matches and yet everywhere I read these clubs that are interested in him are reporting back that they like what they've seen from these matches.
I thought he played a very strong 45 minutes against Argentina, and fairly well against Spain. I really don't think he has been to bad it just gets ridiculous the minutes he gets when he isn't much better than Edu or Clark, if it all. I actually think Edu is better than Bradley myself.
Zico makes valid points i think. Bradley hasn't earned his significant playing time. I think he is a step slower than all other midfielders in our pool. I have yet to see what makes him clearly our best option in the middle. He seems technically solid when he has time, and he does work hard. He does seem to have a good work ethic, but I don't think that is enough at this point. I would take Mastroeni, BF, edu, and a hand full of other players ahead of MB at this point. I think his season in club play has earned him the right to be in the pool, however your comment about interest from other clubs is irrelevent. Altidore and Adu have not only had more interest in them, but have actually gotten signed to bigger clubs than Bradley, and that hasn't won them a starting role for the Nats. I would rather continue the search for a center mid than deign Bradley the heir apparent to Claudio Reyna.
Here is my ranking for US central mids: 1. Edu 2. Mastroeni 3.Bradley 4.Feilhaber 5.Clark Feilhaber and Bradley can easily swap postions but for the most part it is accurate. Bradley does not have the same vision Edu has and he is good in tight spaces. Bradley's ball retrieving abillity is just as good as Mastroeni's but Mastro is better in close spaces. Bradley's scoring record is pretty good as a D-mid in a second tier league and has to put him ahead of Feilhaber because of even Derby won't give him a start.And Clark is nothing special.