The Michael Bradley thread

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by ttrevett, Jun 11, 2015.

  1. Ghost

    Ghost Member+

    Sep 5, 2001
    he was awful in the second half. Any halfway good team will press him, force turnovers and outrun him to the top of the circle.
     
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  2. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    So "this is more complex than you're framing it", but also, in the next sentence, "not that complicated". We must ignore a player playing/starting in a superior league, in favor of an average player in a lesser league, because Egg was "clearly going for something specific with his tactical set up", as the team got steamrolled in the 2nd half with the lesser player a key piece.

    Ok, that's it, you've convinced me!
     
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  3. EruditeHobo

    EruditeHobo Member+

    Mar 29, 2007
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes... it's more complicated than you're framing it, and yet it's still not that complicated to grasp. You don't even know how words work.

    This is nothing new. Tactics and experience levels dictate these things on international squads quite often.
     
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  4. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007

    Like I said, its either deny and/or deflect...…...

    To the point of unrealized contradiction.



    Bruce Arena's philosophy and players fail again. And his god-son Bradley once again leads the way.

    Expect the same crap come October until they are vindicated, redeemed, and satisfied.

    FUBU.
     
  5. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Oh yes, I remember how experience levels dictated the last Hex. I heard all about it! til i didn't...
     
  6. EruditeHobo

    EruditeHobo Member+

    Mar 29, 2007
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Only an idiot would think there's a contradiction when a person uses the same word and applies it two different statements.
     
  7. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    Michael Bradley FC.
     
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  8. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    You definitely go a bit further than I do in this case (tho it's pretty funny), but I do agree we'll be seeing the same thing whenever the next qualifiers start up...said it form the start, it's caps record or bust.
     
  9. EruditeHobo

    EruditeHobo Member+

    Mar 29, 2007
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "The sky is blue at 11 am and reddish pink at 7:30 pm."

    Glaring contradiction!!! WHICH IS IT, BUDDY??

    Enjoy ignore. Should have done this years ago after your half-decade of Adu nonsense.
    Goodbye forever.
     
  10. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    And that's how they get away with it. people are more worried about keeping their "bigsoccer" rep than seeing their USMNT progress. Akin to USMNT media members keeping their jobs than actually seeing USMNT progression by always remaining silent on the topic. And those that do, get crucified (a.k.a. andrea canales).

    The USSF board members are quietly waiting for the storm to pass and then its right back to business and electing the cancer known as Jay Berhalter to CEO.

    And this is the case where im hoping im finally wrong about one of my "conspiracy theories". But I don't expect it. I expect to continue to be 100% correct about this inner- cabal.
     
  11. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    Bye!
     
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  12. ETSC

    ETSC Member

    Jul 5, 2004
    Bradley (and Altidore) still had a better forty minutes than any replacement would. The strategy was run them out and score early. Then bet first goal win percentage carries the subs in to victory. It damn near worked, but no way that happens when the next competitive match rolls around - even the crooked screwheads at USSF can see Bradley's wheels are gone. Testimonial friendly time.


    As for Morales - the majority of his career minutes are in BL2, with his teams bouncing up and down in the pro/rel zone. It's a living. But bossing the USA's central midfield? Lacks holding and distribution skills.
     
  13. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Everyone has nebulous reasons as to why Morales won't work. Yet every other starter/key-ish player in the BL this past season is a guaranteed starter for us.

    Morales can't get a call up.

    That is weird, no matter how you slice it. We simply aren't good enough to ignore someone playing 1700 minutes in the BL, no matter how many reasons BigSoccer posters can come up with.
     
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  14. EruditeHobo

    EruditeHobo Member+

    Mar 29, 2007
    San Francisco, CA
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why is it so weird? The guy is way outside the US setup right now, when were his last caps? This is nothing crazy, coaches do this kind of stuff all the time. I'm not even super familiar with Morales, I'm just saying.

    The one thing the Morales comparison has going for it, which I assume is why it keeps getting repeated over and over, is that you're right, at least the guy plays in the BL. Forget about the fact that he might not fit the kind of player/passer Gregg deploys in this role, at least he's competing and getting minutes in a tough league.

    This alone makes his example unique from some of the other suggestions who play in MLS, who also aren't exactly the right profile of passer, and ALSO aren't very experienced within the US setup.
     
  15. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    someone with 1700 in the Bundesliga was ignored in Bradley's position? nah.
     
  16. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    66:27.

    This is a moment that should be marked down for the future. On this play, Jonathan Dos Santos exposed Bradley as a 57- year old still playing soccer.

    Liability at its finest.
     
  17. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    People also act like Morales is 24. He's 29. He's the same age as players that people are lumping in with "the old guard." He's the same age as Jozy Altidore.

    Anyway, I have no problem with Morales. No problem if he's called in. I do think that the state of the number 6 position is exemplified by the fact that Morales is the cause célèbre for the fanbase. Alfredo Morales..................isn't N'Golo Kante or something. He might be better than Bradley, but from what I've seen he's not really going to change the dynamic of this team. He's not that good.

    By the way, let's not ignore how different the team is going to be with Tyler Adams.

    Fact: Tyler Adams has played more career minutes than John O'Brien. He's 20.

    And the right back experiment with Adams should end this season as Adams starts being recognized as one of the best young midfielders in Europe.
     
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  18. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So first you fabricate an argument and suggest if someone doesn't want Bradley starting, that equates to believing everything in Europe is perfect and everything American sucks.

    Then when that poor debate tactic gets pointed out, you post about sex with farm animals.
     
  19. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    C'mon. No one has said that Morales is "Kante or something" - it's simply a reaction to Berhalter building the team around Bradley/Trapp. It's a completely false argument you're making.

    I would argue that a McKennie/Morales pairing is significantly better for the entire team than Bradley/McKennie because they complement each other much better.

    More specifically, I think there's a real chance that it does "change the dynamic of this team" not because Morales is so good but because he's a better fit with fellow B1 player McKennie.

    I do agree that Adams is the better partner for McKennie but if either Westin or Tyler go down, it's far far better to have a more similar player in Morales than a player like Bradley/Trapp whose inclusion forces a series of cascading compensations that hurt the team.

    Question: which player is a better poor man's facsimile for Adams and/or McKennie (assuming they're our best CM pairing): Morales, Bradley, Trapp?
     
  20. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Nobody said he's Kante. Nobody said he's young. Many said he's better than Bradley.

    Yes, a BL starter would improve the team. That's all this is about. USA isn't good enough to ignore BL starters.

    Why are people ok ignoring Big 4 starters? Just cuz you're all upset people don't want Bradley around anymore. It's really bizarre.
     
  21. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The basic premise I've seen is when we're starting and calling in players who wouldn't sniff a Bund lineup, Bradley, Trapp, Morris, Zardes, Arriola, etc, someone like Morales deserves a chance to stake his claim. That he doesn't even make the original 40 man roster raises eyebrows. We have starters who can't trap the ball yet a Bund player isn't worthy of a look?

    This is akin to the Slovenian national basketball team not calling in an NBA player because he's not Michael Jordan and instead going with guys who couldn't make an NBA roster.

    If the bar for getting called in is being Kante or changing the dynamic of the team, we'll have a camp with 2-3 players.

    The bigger picture question asks, why is this bar seemingly applied to players playing abroad and not to domestic players?

    Why does Trapp get the armband for a year and have Fox specials run on him when he is not Kante, nor does he change the dynamic of the team?
     
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  22. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I do think it is hard to say if teams would want Bradley outside MLS. Toronto overpays him so heavily that I can't imagine any other team wanting to match that salary, but if he were on the open market without a sugar daddy throwing piles of money at him, he may generate some interest at fair market value.
     
  23. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Yep, probably true, but how many rumors have you heard? If a team wants a player, it gets out. Landon didn't want to move, but Everton and Bayern (i think he had a loan here too?) wanted him for multiple loans.

    Only thing I've ever heard is a Liga MX team, which was probably fabricated by his agent for negotiation since his contract is running down (and even if it wasn't, it's Liga MX).
     
  24. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I was hoping the interest in Mexico was true. If he was able to get his game together and be a strong player in that league, it may help his reputation and help him pick up his level. And, if he was sent to the bench, we could clearly see he's past it. Would be a nice measuring stick. Honestly, I think he'd probably still do well in Mexico because that league while higher in quality than MLS does play a a slower pace. Overall, I'm fine with him being a bench option these days, could be valuable to close out a game coming on with fresh legs against a tired offense. I just don't see him as a key player for us anymore and when everyone is healthy, moving better players around to keep him on the field seems egregious.
     
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  25. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    If you could work a third g into egregious, e.g., eggregious, you'd have something.

    Or maybe Greggregious - the sub-optimal placement of a better player to accommodate a lesser, favored player.
     

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