i haven't once said he isn't an option at DM. I have responded to the "real argument" and all i have said is i hope others get as much playing time as he has. maybe you should read my post first? I said he is one of our options. i'm not ignoring the "real" argument just expressing my opinion. The previous poster stated MB has won the starting position FAIR AND SQUARE? If he has won the position "fair and square", when has anyone else been given the oppurtunity?
If you think anyone on this team has won a roster spot (let alone a starting position) 3 years before the tournament, you're mistaken. He's getting playing time because: 1. He's our most polished youth player right now. 2. He's a consistent starter and performer in the Eredivisie. 3. Youthful mistakes aside, his overall performances for the USMNT have been of high quality. 4. Unlike so many other US youths, Bradley actually got on a very respectable learning curve early and stayed on it... his time with the Nats is a clear extension of that learning curve. I honestly don't think there is anyone in the US pool that it would benefit us to play in his place right now. I don't buy the Clark is rotting on the bench theory. He has seen very respectable minutes this year. Other than Clark (and Feilhaber, who has played more minutes than Bradley to this point I believe) who else is ready to get a serious look in that spot?
Your opinion is wrong. Bradley's strengths are composure on the ball, confidence, agression, and a pretty good distance strike. Opposition to Michael is primarily emotional...folks who weren't picked first on playgrounds, on teams where the coach's son played, et al. Time to mature. No debate really. Kid's good and earning his spot.
Clark, Benny (for full 90),Beckerman, .....? Once again, i'm not saying he isn't one of our options, i just don't think he's our best. Plus, he played 5 straight games at the Gold Cup and we didn't get to see what others could do. and i hate the argument that Clark and Benny were playing with the "B/C" team in Copa. Go back and watch the U20's again. For how good MB played, he was pretty much directly responsible for two of the first three goals they gave up. Plus in the first couple minutes of the U20 Brazil game, he was pressured and played a perfect through ball to the Brazilian forward who almost scored. Like i said earlier, he has a couple of "brainfarts" per game and doesn't seem to ever look forward. yes he breaks up some plays during games, but then looks lost with the ball at his feet. he always looks to pass back or puts his teamates in bad spots after he passes the ball. I'm not sold and hope we see some others get the oppurtunity to blossom. With BB at the helm, will MB keep getting the big game starts? Once again, i understand you're argument, just don't agree 100%.
i agree that he has good composure on the ball, but from what i seen, his shot is below par. how many times has he tried a one time shot and scuffed the ball to the goalie?
Well thanks for the definitive word there big guy. And, no my opinion about Michael was not formulated from deep seeded bitterness, because I have none. You are really crappy at pop psychology by the way. You keep repeating the same tired line and it makes you look like a fool. Bradley will be a good player for the US in the future, but he doesnt deserve all the minutes he is getting now.
who cares? Makalele could not put the ball in the net from more than 10 feet away and not even consistently then! Mikey is Roberto Carlos compared to Makalele. And Makelele is among the top at d-mid in the world.
You All Bradley Haters Only Rip On Him Cause He Is Bobs Son. Stfu Cause You Dont Take It Objectively. Benny Is Only 2 Years Mikeys Senior And Is Getting Just As Many Starts And Doesnt Always Play Nearly As Good As Mikey Like For Instance Against Brazil He Was Invisible. Im Grown So Sick Of This Nepotism Bullshit Just Shut Up Already. Arrrrggggggh AND REMEMBER IT WAS BRUCE WHO FIRST CALLED UP MIKEY FOR THE SENDOFF SERIES SO OBVIOUSLY IT AINT NEPOTISM BEECAUSE BRUCE KNEW MIKEY WAS THE REAL DEAL SO STOP WITH THIS BRADLEY HATING BULLSHIT I DON'T WANT BRADLEY TO BECOMNE THE NEXT DONOVAN ON BIGSOCCER ENOUGH OF THIS
wtf? we did not i repeat we DID NOT look better with bradley in there. that game was benny's debut and one of his best games. if i can remember correctly the game was over when bradley came in. c'mon where do u get this nonsense.
Would you like to explain this one. Or you can sit there and look stupid Actually you are the one who looks like an imbecile. What makes you think we are in love with the father son. I hated Bradley as the coach of the Metros. He went by the book and couldn't adjust. The same as Bruce. His son, on the other hand, has real promise. It is posters like you who have a hardon for Adu, inspite of his career who need a reality check.
what dont you get? feilhaber is not that wil run at ppl he is some who is best utilized when he sits in pockets and distributes the ball. ie michael carrick. about adu: how is it possible for you tell me and everyone else on this forum that bradley is better than adu when adu was the second best player in the tournament in canada. bradley wasnt even the besttop 3 player in the squad. 1. adu 2. altidore 3. szetela. bradley showing promise: bradley is no technically gifted at all. he just one who doesnt stop running will kick at u, tug at u and will always make a stupid decisions like fouling in the box (brazil) tackling from behind (canada) and get out of position because he is wanting to mark ronaldinho and kaka. plz quit saying that we're calling for him to be dropped. he can be on the team play his 30 mins a game as a sub and let the better qualified players that are technically gifted and are more dynamic.bradley is only one-dimentional while the others will give it their all in marking and can actually make things happen in the attack as well. bradley cannot. what a DM does is win the ball by hounding opponents (bradley) and then fitnd the open man to start a quick counter attack (not bradley). rico can do that role as well as feilhaber. the only reason we haven't seen much of feilhaber in that role is because once bradley debuted against ecuador that was all that was seen of feilhaber there even though he played well that day. also bradley does not by any means deserve to start every game and play for 90 minutes.
You're wrong. I've watched the game several times. When Bradley came in it was tied 1-1. Landon scored two after the half, and Bradley sprayed some nice passes all over the field and Ecuador suddenly couldn't keep the ball. Go back and watch.
I agree 100%. Jr would have eventually ended up in the line up of the USMNT but the fact that his Dad is coaching the team has sped up that process I would say 2 or 3 years before it should of happened. Specially the way in which he has been introduced in to the team as a regular starter. I dont know about the rest of you but that smells like Nepotism to me.
Ok, so he shouldn't have gotten the playing time he has over the last year... and wouldn't have developed as quickly. Note the fact that Bradley has improved dramatically in that time and is officially a crucial player for the team now. So throw away Bradley. Maybe he develops at a decent pace on his own in Europe. Maybe he doesn't. But he's not crucial to the US by this point, that's for sure. Instead of him, who should have gotten all that time at C/DM this last year? Who has the right balance of current and potential skill? Who was at the right point on their development curve to get serious playing time for the USMNT over the last year?
Develope as quickly? Thats the point he hasnt developed he still making bad descisions and looks "in the way" of other players. Crucial player? Crucial to what? To the US playing with 10 men for making a stupid descision and getting him self kicked out or to make yet another bad descision and give the other team a penalty shot? he wasnt the best player in his own U-23 team, how is he the one with a regular starting spot on the National Team. Clark has shown more in the FEW minutes that he has been given in that spot than Bradley in all of his starts. I always wondered why it was that everytimg Clark had a good game he would get benched. Lets just say I dont wonder why anymore.
We can't take it for granted that Mike will grow out of making the occasional boneheaded play. Ref Mastro
Thats the problem its not "occasional" he does it every game. Every game he looses the ball and chases after it like a 5 year old. Most of the time ends up in a foul that gives the other team a good opportunity to make something happen.
I honestly don't know what games you're watching. Bradley was arguably the motm for the US against Brazil. He plays in arguably the most important position for the US if it is going to have success at the next World Cup. He's the kind of kid we should be developing with starts right now. He's a much surer bet than all these kids and cusp names people are just throwing out there right now, most of whom don't even play his position. But of those that do, who should be getting more time? Szetela? Beckerman? Clark is 24 and I agree is more polished than the 20yo Bradley. But the two play on a similar level right now and Bradley's upside is definitely much better. That said, Clark has gotten a very respectable amount of playing time, including all or most (80+ min) of numerous games during the summer. That's not a "few". This is especially reasonable in light of the fact he's been playing for the Dynamo all summer in league and tournament games.
Thats the whole point. Bradley has been given the chance to develope with the NT while other players have not, and he's still not as polished or talented as Clark. Who knows where Sztela or Edu would be if they had been given as many minutes as Mike. Our NT coach has to look to put the best players on the field. Bob is failing to do that. Let Mike develope like every other 20 year old player.....slowly. Spead the wealth (minutes) around amongst our several options.