Just days after the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup Final loss to Mexico, there is tangible unhappiness in some American fan circles about head coach Bob Bradley and whether he should stay on as head coach.
Bradley did guide the United States to the Gold Cup Final, but fell short in the quest to lift the trophy. That loss has put Bradley squarely on the hot seat, at least as far as some U.S. fans are concerned.
While U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati hasn't addressed Bradley's future yet, it seems unlikely a change will be made one year into Bradley's new four-year contract, not for falling short in the Gold Cup Final.
Here is the question for U.S. national team fans. What do you think should happen with Bradley? Think he's doing a good job and should stay on, or think he's been terrible and must be replaced immediately?
Cast your vote here:
How did you vote, and why? Do you think Bradley should stay in charge, or should a change be made?
Share your thoughts below (and please keep comments brief. Any absurdly long comments will be removed).
Am I the only one that thinks we should have hired Klinsmann right after the world cup? I’d still say he should get the job if he’ll take it.
If they are not going to replace all the “soccer people” in the USSF then they should just as well leave him. No one of any worth is going to take the job with their hands tied by big wigs at the federation office with no experience t in the ever evolving world of player development in world soccer.
PS – this does not mean I am a Klinnsman drone. There are a lot quality managers who wouldn’t touch this under the present regime running player development, technical development etc. Maybe not qualifying, or barely just, is the only answer to bring on the big changes that are really needed.
GO NOW
Jeff,
You have the name already 😉 but here it is again: Osian Roberts, Wales Technical Director and former All-American at Furman (Dempsey). Google his BBC video on mini football and then tell me there’s no one “who could really replace” BB.
Why do you guys keep deleting my comments!!!
Lippi would be great if we could catch him… but what if there was a realistic Bradley replacement that no one is talking about? Someone who’s studied Lippi’s method? Someone with a depth of experience in both the US and Europe? Someone with a deep resume with proven ability at coaching identifying, developing and coaching talent from the youth ranks all the way to the international level? This person exists. His name is Osian Roberts. Google his article on WalesOnline.
best answer to this question i’ve seen by far is Sean O’Conor’s article at no short corners. I totally agree with him. It’s not about Bob my friends.
Yo BBrad I got your back all the way! Go USA!
He’s not horrible, or bad, hell, he was pretty damn good. He just shouldn’t have been offered that second cycle. National coaches get one world cup go, thats it.
I’m not a big fan of Bradley, but I’m even less of a fan of ditching a coach without a clear plan and manager waiting in the wings. So, until the US knows that they can get their man I say they stick with Bradley.
I’m so tired of these kinds of empty statements. How exactly does “the next step” happen? What does “making strides” look like?
Aside from having the most goals at the end of the game, how do you create a winning team? BE SPECIFIC! If you have ideas we’d all love to hear them.
We all want the USMNT to win the WC in our lifetime if nor sooner, but HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? Firing someone until this magically happens is not really an answer.
and that blueprint would be?
90000 tickets sold = USSF cleaned up on Gold Cup, while USMNT wallows in medicority.
Bob is a mediocre coach, facts are facts.
Sunil was just too lazy to do anything about it after the last Cup.
OK Sunil isn;t being paid supposedly, so I can understand why he didn;t want to be bothered by running a proper search for coach after the World Cup.
But because Sunil is a lazy unpaid volunteer of a USSF figurehead, we get stuck for coaches for 2 cycles every time???
Time for Sunil to earn his travel per diem and first class travel…and find a new coach.
Names please? Have seen the Jan camp lists? Did you see the 2009 GC team? How about the last Olympic team? BB has tried out pretty much everyone.
Because – he’s past his expiration date/ability to inspire motivate his team?
As evidenced by team usually giving up goal inside of 20 minutes of hearing his pre-game pep talk??
“mediocre’ is not good enough is it?
Bob should never have been been hired, let alone rehired.
When your star player leaves you dangling in the wind…it’s time for the coach to go because it’s easier to find a better coach, than, evidently, for USSF to identify and groom talent.
Listen to Landon, and move on, since Bob’s feelings are not our concern. Pay him the $ owed, pat him on the back, and let’s move on.
+1
Do you work for the USSF and are in all the meetings and have access to all correspondences. If not I call BS on you for knowing anything about what BB has or hasn’t done regarding the youth program which btw I don’t believe is his job.
It seems you are also a part of the NTs inner workings to know just what kind of coached Jesse Marsh and Sorber are. Are you an exNT player? You’ve been coached by these two? You’ve been to full camps and witnessed their performances? You’ve reviewed game footage with them? Maybe you’ve spoken to members of the team regarding their coaching abilities? Man, you are highly placed to have both kinds of access.
Like I said I call BS on you. You’ve got yourself convinced of things you truly have no clue about – BBs involvement in the youth program and whether or not BB’s assistants are in fact good coaches.
The Gold Cup loss wasn’t his fault. Mexico had far more talent to draw on than he did. However, that game should have been moot. He should have been fired after the World Cup (or not extended). He’s never gotten complete performances from his guys. His anomalous successes belie literally years of inconsistent, middling performances by his team. He’s had enough time to prove he could get more out of these guys. Next.
hahahahahha
great post…totally agreed…where did u hear about those young prospects you mentioned that are now on Argentina’s radar? Were they ever in the USA’s youth system?
And to answer who should replace him, I think Marcello Lippi would be a terrific coach.
Bornstein for cherundolo? Yooooouuuurrrr fired!!
Come on over, Mr. Ancelloti, the sun is shining and the weather is great.
When we find the real replacement for Eddie Pope and the 2002 defenders then we can talk about player development. The US needed more attacking players and now the team needs the next defenders. For this year Cherundolo is the best we got. Maybe over time Omar Gonzalez, Perry Kitchen, or Ethan White can become an Eddie Pope type player. They just need to get the calls in meaningful games.
Ives, you are dangerously naive about the state of US Soccer currently. The U-17 thrashing, along with other shortfalls, have necessitated a change in US Soccer…big time. Yes, I know this is not BB’s fault, but with a dearth of talent the next couple of years we need a coach who is much more tactically astute.
I agree with you on Holden and Chandler – that’s partially what I meant. Some people who think our talent pool is better than it is already seem to think they’re already international caliber players. I hope they will be, but we can’t expect more of Bob based on the performance of players we haven’t yet seen excel at the international level.
I’m a big Benny fan. I think after Adu, he’s the next best thing we have in terms of creativity in the midfield. Difference maker? Probably. But not a big difference. If everyone’s healthy, he probably doesn’t even get into the game most of the time.
which players??, the rich kids from the academies??, im not saying get them to the USMNT yet, go around, have scouts watch them and bring them to the mix, it`s not rocket science…
agree on that! Cabrera is way better.
Where are the nest great batch of US defenders? The US defense has not been reliable with the exception of Tim Howard. It is really hard to be creative if you need your most creative players consistently needing to cover for a week defense.
The US has produced some of the best players ever, yet the player pool seems mediocre at best. Why?
It comes down to player selection. Remember, the team is only as strong as it’s weakest link. Time and time again we have seen players selected to the pool that are not as good as others.
This is the coaches decision, the coaches selection. He lives or dies by it, as he should.
It’s a no brainer to pick a Dempsey, or Donovan or even a Howard, players who have proved themselves to have no peers in the USMNT.
Outside the obvious, it then comes down to who the coaches pick that are off our everday radar, the palyers who are good but get little accolades because they do a good job and are expected to do so.
The previous wisdom of choosing ANYBODY playing in Europe seemed a safe bet. But many of those who play in a second tier national league (outside the big 6 of Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands) would get the nod over MLS players in most cases.
This should not now or never be the rule or policy.
It seems to me that many players abroad and many at home, have been overlooked or not given an equal opportunity because of the coaching staff “playing favorites”. There is no doubt about any of this. It is clear that Bob Bradley gave more opportunities to players he favored rather than take a chance on new blood. Players who were error-prone or who have clearly not produced were given EXTRA opportunities because of potential or just because they have played for the current coach at a club level.
As a result of poor player selection, of not looking at enough players, and giving those “favorites” many opportunities time after time, the pool got rather small at crucial times. It may be forgiven to a first year/new/rookie coach, but NOT one who has been on the job for over 5 years.
This is an abject coaching failure. And as such, the continuation of this coaching administration must be terminated as it is a result of a systemic failure and not one of circumstances.
I give you a complete list of coaches who have more technical skills than BB, one is Tuca Ferretti, the brazilian coach of Tigres, the one that seated Bornstein, yeah, that`s a great coach, who else, Guillerm Vasquez Jr., pumas coach and champion with only one year on the job, who else?, Velez Sarsfield coach, and I can go on and on…
On the squad selection, he has plenty of fault, why bring Bornstein if you can play Lloyd or Castillo, hell, he had Whitbread, Gonzalez, Gale, there are plenty of better defenders, why bring Rogers if you can have Convey or Mix,mmm, not a clue… great for BB.
Adu was a given, we were calling for him as fans, cause we understood he was a skillful and committed player.
I’m with you on the suit and tie, or at least a sportcoat and collared shirt…damn, that track suit is tired and fugly. And it’d be a stone groove if Bob would also don a bowler hat.
Come on by the time these players are being selected for the national team developing them is too late. You are not getting onto the US squad because BB saw you playing on the streets of Baltimore or LA. Silly. The US coach can give players of known abilities a chance but they have been found by someone else before. Is the USA really losing so much untapped talent, I really do not think so. How many of the Mexican team grew up in the USA? We need to tap that talent but I think that growing up here affects their soccer IQ and development. Dempsey is really a special player who plays like he only played pick up soccer as a kid.
That is another problem, how many kids are playing pick-up soccer? Not many, even if they play, they may go to the basketball court with their friend and not on the soccer field.
Ha!
very true…the only addition for mexico lately has been Javi Hernandez…remember how Dos Santos was off the radar for a couple years? now he’s back in action thanks to a fresh face for mexico…we just need new blood to invigorate the Nats…
The only thing that bothers me about Bob that I can’t let go of is how his son always starts and plays every single minute and his insistence on giving Bornstein and Rogers a million opportunities…so sick of it…KILL BOB NOW
All the points have been touched. US Soccer has reached in essence its realistic goal. Bob Bradley is not the problem but part of the problem. True, Mourinho or Guardiola can come and nothing might happen but at least there is hope that something might happen, with Bradley there isn’t anymore. So the question is do we waste three years to shorten the gap with Mexico (they will still dominate regardless who comes because of the quality in the field and who they have leading them in the bench who is a very good coach)? Plus his stubborness to bring Bornstein and other players is extremely questionable. Today with the humiliating elimination of hte U-17, previously the U-20 getting eliminated, the problem is huge. We are at a crossroads to be happy with what we have or make fundamental changes to learn and take those necessary steps to emulate what Mexico is doing right, what others are doing right what we have been doing right and intend to become elite. Getting to this part was the easiest, getting to be elite will be extremely difficult or just ask Mexico. They are not even there yet.
The problem for BB is that the USA has not had a reliable back line and defensive players like the 2002 team with Eddie Pope and Carlos Llamosa in the center. Look at that 2002 defensive roster and compare it to teams that BB has put out on the field. There is no comparison. Cherundolo was the best player for the US when you consider the entire tournament. Also, Tim Howard has not had the consistent string of lights out games like Bard Freidel … that may also be the result of the back four sitting in front of him. He is just guessing at what they are going to do. I think of Tim like Kasey Keller too nice, the Gk needs to be more vocal with his defenders like Friedel or Tony Meola.
Some good points, but I disagree with this: “Holden, Feilhaber, Demerit, and Chandler would certainly be useful players, but none are difference makers at the international level.”
Holden and Chandler are still unproven, thus, we don’t know if they’re difference makers as of yet. I’ll give you, Demerit, but Feilhaber has proven to make a difference for the US when he has played as a sub.
Abolish pay to play…
Which should make coaching easier…….. Shall I say Maradonna!!
eddie pope and john o’ brien, a couple of my old time favorites…i’m happy with Reyna as well…McBride…great grinder…but i think the kids nowadays have a higher skill level…just afraid to try it against top level competition
About time man, Ives this post was needed…
He should go, definetly, thanks to Mr. Mediocre we have a robotic squad trying to beat great soccer countries, its awful, no imagination, no real knowledge, we don´t have any creators on the team, well, it sucks to be a USMNT fan right now.
We need a new coach, someone with insight and who develops talent from the streets, where the talent lies, we can´t compete with brazilians, mexicans or argentinians who know how to dribble past two or three defenders, only Adu is doing it and he´s not valued as a great player.
Bring Torres back to the mix, MIX, who else?, well give Zack Whitbread a chance, have some balls and work with Guido or other u17 players, try new things, play Donovan up top…
i was being pretty sarcastic about Bora…but he did do a good job with the players he had back then…of course the US had to be defensive in 90 and 94…we were playing with semi-professionals…
BOB has to go now…
seriously…how Findley ever gets to play on the National team is beyond me…MLS, sure why not…but we’re talking about the world stage here…
Bob didn’t find Chandler…Chandler was found by Yanks Abroad and Tony Sanneh…Sanneh called the USSF about the up and comer Chandler…
I do think he has been finding and trying more players that ever before. Is it that there are just more players, maybe. The problem is that there was more emphasis on winning the Gold Cup than necessary. All of the friendlies and even this tournament should have been about expanding the player pool. But even with that the fans will grouse. I do not think that he has done an awful job but maybe the players need to see someone new.
I have recently begun to understand the relationship between coaching and results on the pitch. I don’t think you can discount the importance of quality coaching, NOR the importance of individual efforts and talent on the field. The coach is part of the team and his decisions and strategies will have a massive, potentially catastrophic or brilliant effect on the game.
In the Gold Cup final I had complaints with the way the team was managed… I am not a professional player or coach but there were things that clearly could have been done differently to change the outcome of the game. I also had complaints about individual performances of players.
All that said, I think bringing on a new coach is always a gamble. How can you know that the new blood will do as well as or better than the outgoing manager? What if he does worse? We didn’t win the Gold Cup but we know Bradley was good enough to get us to the final and lead the team to a 2-0 lead in the first half, and that’s something. We don’t know for certain that another coach could have necessarily made the choices that would have earned the USA a win. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to be the one to make the decision in this case, it’s a very close call in my opinion.
Have you seen the U-17s?