Big news in U.S. Soccer tomorrow? … Not so much
by Steve Davis on Jun 30, 2011 12:42 PM EDT
Email
PrintBased on Jack Bell’s report two days ago in the New York Times, I was ready to be on high defcon alert today and tomorrow. Jack, a good dude who is good at what he does, had an email exchange with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati. Here’s what Jack had to say on the New York Times’ Goal blog in an exchange that broached the subject of U.S. coach Bob Bradley
The question to Gulati on Tuesday was simple and straightforward: Will Bob Bradley remain coach of the U.S. national team?
His answer (in an email response) was, “We’ll have something to say later this week.”
Later, Jack added a disclaimer from U.S. Soccer officials, who said “Gulati’s one sentence response was not intended to imply that he was planning to make a coaching change.”
Still, the drink had been stirred. Paired with all the emotional over-reaction of Gold Cup loss and a previous embarrassment against Panama, the pitchforks were already out for high-level blood. So, people made the leap and thought we were possibly staring at a big moment. A few media pundits were more aggressively calling for change, and more than a few supporters were piling on.
So I put my little journalistic antennae in the air this morning … and I can safely say that everyone can just stand down.
Gulati apparently just meant to say that he was pressed for time but would have a little more media availability later this week. Sunil is a smart guy, but sometimes when he speaks extemporaneously he can wander off course and leave a little too much room for interpretation.
I never assumed there was a coaching change in the offing anyway. I thought if there was news, it might be a development on a technical director’s post, or possibly some coaching news on one of the youth teams.
Look, for all the Bradley haters out there, I think you’re just going to have to be OK with the guy for a while. I don’t always agree with everything he does or doesn’t do. This misplaced trust in Jonathan Bornstein, for instance, has come back to haunt him.
But generally, as I’ve said and written before, I think Bradley gets enough from the talent available. And if we’re being honest, as I’ve said and written along various platforms, it’s about the players. Always. It’s about the players.
I’ll have a little more on this on a piece for SI.com, scheduled to run Saturday. Whatever issues there are, it goes deeper than one coach at the top of the totem poll.
18 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
This is frustrating
Bob is a great guy but I honestly think the entire US soccer system needs an overhaul. We only won a single game in the WC and limped through friendlies after. While we went to the finals of the Gold Cup, no one can argue we looked like the strongest team at the tournament.
It is too bad we signed Bob for a big contract (up until WC 2014 i think) because we really need to fix something and I think Bob and Sunil need to go. I agree with you that it is all about the players. However, from all the accounts I have read and judging by the work ethic on the field. we are getting diminishing returns from Bob as coach.
It also wouldnt look as bad if Michael didnt play all tournament. He is a really good player but had a bad tourny. I much rather Edu in and maybe get some attack.
To play devil's advocate
The US did win their group in the WC. They tied England which was a victory in and of itself and they did beat Slovenia on the field… its just not Bradley’s fault a vindictive ref stole the game winning goal away from them.
They did win
Winning our group was awesome. However, the England game was a tie due to Rob Green’s mistake. As for Slovenia, I think with the caliber of the US team, we should be able to overcome a poor mistake by the referree. We played horribly the first half and we payed for it. The fact that Bradley cant motivate the team for a WC speaks to both his coaching and the team.
It seems there is a lack of focus during Bradley’s era in where we give up early goals. Either way, we need to have a coach in the wings waiting before we get rid of him
This is the best opportunity to make a change
you don’t want to have to make a change in the middle of WC Qualifying
Win or lose, we'll always be there for you.
by johnjahafanclub on Jun 30, 2011 1:41 PM EDT reply actions
The minute that littling inkling of change came out
there was wildfire spreading that “the players are miserable” and “the team is stale” and so on. I couldn’t help but wonder if those things were quotable somewhere deep down the chain, or if it was all speculation once the idea of Bradley being replaced was out there.
meh...
bradley’s done a decent job so far, given the talent he’s been provided of course, but i do think it’s time for a change. and if it is happening, then this is definitely the time, given we still have 3 years til the world cup.
capital letters suck.
Players?
I am tired of heard about US weak player pool. Yes, its not that strong, so we compliment that by getting and average at best coach? How bout we go after someone who can get the best TEAM out of our average 11? It took Mexico what? 6 Coaches to get it right? They seem to have it right now.
And by-the-way, I think the USA has been bad under Bradley. We have beaten up on CONCACAF and Mexico, but this has been masked by a Mexico team that has been all over the place. They were headcases when they played USA. Tell me what the USA has done? CONCACAF is not strong and our only metric is Mexico, who has been below standard.
Mexico is back and now we are seeing the USAs true colors… and they stink.
I agree to some extent
I believe a good coach can make not so great players play better together, I don’t think Bradley has done that. I think it’s equal parts lack of talent and uninspired coaching. Everybody says we’ve gotta wait for these youngsters to grow up and mature, which is true to some extent. But it seems like these guys just don’t have the killer instinct that top players at an international level seem to have. And if MLS doesn’t step up and mature, you’re never gonna be able to really compete at a higher level. Just imagine how good Donovan could’ve been if he hadn’t crapped out in Germany due to his personal issues, and if MLS didn’t keep a stranglehold on his contract and he stayed in Europe. He’s good now, but could’ve been great.
Regarding coaching, the team has not really accomplished much under Bradley aside from flukes. Making it to the Confed Cup final is one example. Winning the group in the WC is another. I think a coaching change would be a good kick in the ass to the team and would help shake things up a bit, maybe get some new ideas. I’m not saying we need to go get Cruyff so we learn total football or anything like that, I’m just saying a good, seasoned coach with new ideas (either local or international) might be what the team needs.
by chrisperry1983 on Jul 1, 2011 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
You really think Mexico's ascension is about the coach?
De La Torre is the first Mexican coach to have access to Chicharito, an in-form Gio Dos Santos, Pablo Barrera, and Andres Guardado. The Mexico teams we faced in the mid-oughts certainly had the mental issues you cite, but they were also a shadow of the current edition in terms of talent.
De La Torre is a reasonably talented coach, but he has a special group of players. Switch him and Bradley, and I think the result would have been exactly the same.
Writer - Black and Red United
by ChestRockwell on Jul 1, 2011 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Wrong guy at the wrong time
I think Bob Bradley is a fine coach, who has, on AVERAGE, gotten an output commensurate with the players’ talent. They overachieved on occasion (Spain), and under achieved on occasion (Panama). He is a loyal, disciplined, sometimes flexible, effective coach, who is quintessentially American, but good enough that he might succeed elsewhere. I fear our problem is that quintessentially American might not cut it anymore.
The frustrating thing is seeing how quickly MLS grew in a 4 year period, and not seeing any similar growth (one might say there was a regression) in the national team. As much as I hate to admit it, Beckham stirred the pot and was a catalyst for raising the standard of the domestic league. I think an accomplished foreign coach would do something similar for the USMNT. I think we need a new creative direction (and a comprehensive one, across all age groups – Claudio Reyna is making a good start of that).
A team with a coach who isn’t Bradley loyal, but instead enforces ruthless European results driven practices could take the team to a new level, and improve the culture around the national team program. I think that is the foundation needed to bridge the gap between now and Jason Kreis, who is likely the coach who will eventually lead us to something greater.
Bradley hasn’t failed, but he has outlived his usefulness.
Wait a minute...
You want a coach who has the ability to take the team to a new level, enforce European-style practices, drills, and tactics…and improve the culture? So a high-level European club or national team manager…and then say he’s only a bridge to Jason Kreis (who has no such experience)???
reason to make change
I am not a Bradley hater. I think he has done more with this team than most expected when he started. I would like to see a change but not just for change sake. I think if Gulati has a coach that is better than what we have then this would be a great time to make the change for two reasons.
1st I think this is a good time to make a change without jeapordizing our WC qualifying.
2nd it sends the message that we now expect to be the best in CONCACAF and we played at times like we were the third or fourth best team. That is not exceptable
But if you are just firing Bradley to fire him without someone to step in then you are just sending the 2nd message to future coaches. And a future coach may not be as good as Bradley.
I agree with your sentiment...
But future coaches will also see Bruce Arena had an 8 year tenure followed up by Bradley who has had thus far at least a 5 year tenure. If anything they will see US Soccer being loyal with coaches to a fault in my opinion.
Jose mourinho
Jose mourinho has said several times that c
by Sawdawg12 on Jun 30, 2011 5:42 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Coaching the USMNT is his final goal. Maybe the special one can save us from our special problem which is we live in a country with 313 million people and we can’t seem to develop 11 world class players.
by Sawdawg12 on Jun 30, 2011 5:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I Like Bradley
and his son is like Mr. Fundamental. I’m not sure he has a lot of skill but he does everything using great technique.
I think he should be “promoted” to a youth squad to produce more players like Bradley Jr.
The only problem is the one that is obvious and has been stated by others. “Who the hell else is better AND available AND willing to coach the US National team?”. I would say as soon as you get that dude you hire him and transfer Bradley, but until then Bradley is the best option. We should start sending our best young MLS coaches to Europe as well to get a talent pool going.
Larry Bird Coaching Theory...
Larry Bird had a theory that on the pro level, top coaches only work for 3 years, then their ability to motivate runs out. UNLESS they perform major overhauls of personnel and/or assistants. Bob hasn’t had that and he’s taken the team as far as he can. It’s time for a new flavor and a new way to get our players a little less comfortable with their standing in the team.
Both the best praise and worst criticism I can think to bestow upon Bob Bradley...
… is that his tenure has, essentially, just been an extension of Bruce Arena’s time at the helm. There has been no significant departure from the form that Arena led this team to, and it’s likely that there won’t be under his watch.
Bradley is fair as a caretaker, but to get to a world-class level, we need a world-class manager.
