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Michael Bradley intrigued by Serie A loan return in January

Photo by Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports

In 2014, Michael Bradley said goodbye to Serie A in favor of a move to MLS.

Italian soccer may be in his future once again, though, as he is open to joining a club on loan during the upcoming January transfer window.

โ€œI would return for a couple of months if there was the (right) opportunity,โ€ Bradley told Gazetta World.ย โ€œBut Iโ€™m fine as well in Toronto. I donโ€™t need to leave, but life is a journey in stages. When I left Rome in 2014, six months before the World Cup, I needed to play and (head coach Rudi) Garcia thought better of the other midfielders.

โ€œToronto showed me their project and asked me to be their team leader. In these two years, I have grown as a player and as a man.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team captain previously played for Chievo Verona before signing with AS Roma in the summer of 2012. He moved to Toronto FC on a Designated Player deal after making 41 appearances over the course of two years with Roma.

โ€œI never made decisions related to money,” said Bradley. “I love football and my family follows me everywhere I go. What made me choose Toronto was their consideration for me, not the money.โ€

Between he and teammate Sebastian Giovinco, Bradley said that he is the more likely of the two to return to Italy because he misses the country more.

What do you think about Bradley’s comments? See him returning to Serie A on loan this winter? What clubs could you see him at?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “Bradley said that he is the more likely of the two [He and Seba] to return to Italy because he misses the country more.”

    Um, I have no agenda against Bradley, but am I the only one that thought that was poor form and he should have just bit his tongue on that last bit of reasoning? Even though it’s maybe just because MB hasn’t been back to Italy in longer, it sounds weird to confess that you miss a country more than a Gli Azzurri player abroad.

    Reply
    • I can’t find any transcripts of Bradley saying: “Between he and teammate Sebastian Giovinco, Bradley said that he is the more likely of the two to return to Italy because he misses the country more.”

      Anyone? Perhaps even the journalist of this piece able to provide it for our viewing? AMPhibian brings up a good point, but perhaps the better question is: Did SBI just make up something Bradley didn’t say?

      Reply
      • Click on the Gazetta World link in this article and scroll down. The actual quote was, โ€œI often speak Italian with Giovinco,โ€ he said. โ€œI miss Italy more than him, he has no desire to return. He is a protagonist and an idol for us.

      • While I appreciate the effort, I do not see it on the front page and the search function within that site yields no results for “Michael Bradley”.

        Revolutionary idea, perhaps when SBI copy’s and pastes content from another website it could provide a direct link so we can view the original content rather than the second hand draft.

  2. This is brilliant from MB90. An Italian team will take him based on his Serie A track record. The daily training in and of itself will help him get his groove back. If his loan team moves up the table while he’s there or if he is impressive individually, it will only open doors for future loan deals. After all, Michael clearly has some minutes for FC Le Havre in his future.

    Reply
    • Nah, if he stayed at Chievo, MB would’ve been knocked for “not challenging himself at a ‘bigger’ club.” MB’s just another brick* in US Soccer’s wall of development as the process evolves.
      *a fine brick, might I add!

      Reply
  3. He’s been in poor form for the USMNT. Sounds like he is putting a feeler out to see if any team bites. He knows he has to step up his game again if he wants to remain with the emergence of Nadbe. He can’t do that playing in the MLS.

    Reply
    • They are different players. MB is box to box while Nagbe is an advanced midfielder. MB just played a more advanced role, but that was because JK didn’t think we had anyone to ply that role in the USMNT (although, I think that Lee Nguyen could have played that position).

      That being said, he is not playing well enough to necessitate a loan.

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      • pretty much agree.

        MB’s game is fine, his deployment is horrible on the USMNT. This has been dissected so many times, for years now, with evidence clearly in front of anyone with eyes, yet just read the comments from the gallery here…good grief

        he’s not an advanced midfielder, never has been!! he has been consistently played out of position by Klinsmann because JK developed no other playmaker options as the WC approached. MB has been courageous to take it on imo, and all this time later, is still miscast

      • beachbum:

        leading up to the WC, Dempsey was that player for us, was he not? we played a variation of a 4-5-1 with Dempsey sitting behind Jozy. when Jozy went down, Dempsey & MB moved up. i remember during that time everyone complaining we didn’t play a 4-4-2. but of course, to do that, it meant moving MB further up. i certainly don’t think MB is a true #6, which means even if it was him and Benny, we’d still be having a lot of defensive problems. i think now, a Bradley/Nagbe double pivot/empty bucket would be worth playing around with.

      • I agree he’s not ideally an advanced midfielder, but he does have to take ownership of his touch seemingly abandoning him, his poor decisions, holding the ball too long, missing routine passes/turnovers. Truth be told- I don’t think he is so much a box to box midfielder either. He isn’t young… his engine ain’t what it used to be. Perhaps it’s just burnout and a good rest would restore him. But hey- no player can go on forever covering the ground he has in the past, and to be honest, at times it’s been for nought… inefficient/misguided effort. Is he willing to play as a more disciplined, defense minded withdrawn role as a mid sitting in front of the defense, linking the back to midfield…. a more able Beckman? I think he certainly has the tools and seems to be a better player when sitting back, with a broader vision of the field, dropping in long balls to runners, making the occasional, opportunistic offensive runs. I guess the greater question is, does he have the will and discipline. Hope so as him there with Nagbe sitting higher is an intriguing possibility and when he is “on”, we are a much better side.

      • Beachbum, a national team coach does not develop players, he identifies players for certain positions. A club coach develops players. A national team does not have enough time with the players. All he can do give advice and opinions. However, he is entirely dependent on the player’s ability to get playing time at their club in the position that the national team envisions him playing. Finally, that is not always HIS best position, but the position that makes the team better (e.g. player A best position at club might be CB, but he may help the club most at DM).

      • beachbum you are speaking in absolutes, but this sport doesn’t privilege one-position players. Good players can and will eventually play around the field, wherever they are needed. There are no rules to where they HAVE to play and I think, from a player’s point of view, you don’t think in this way, you just try to get on the field and perform your job, be influential. I’ve seen Bradley play terribly at defensive midfielder, and amazingly well at the point of the 4-4-2 diamond (vs Mexico in the build up to the WC). And vice versa, for example he was really exceptional vs Italy in 2012 I think, as a deep lying center mid. Which is to say he is a player with ups and downs. I would argue his level of play doesn’t have to do with his position but rather how the opponent is playing him, and probably how he is feeling.

        He has the ability to play both positions very well, we’ve all seen it. I personally wouldn’t play him predominately as defensive midfield because he is a player who naturally thinks of crashing the goal, wants to go there. At dm, he can’t, he’ll lose that ethic and play too conservatively for my liking. But I’m not the coach.

        Anyway, this game is not played on paper, you are wrong to say he only has one proper position.

    • Be appreciative to people who played hard for your country. They are not machines. They are human too. There are ups and downs in their performances.

      Reply
  4. Maybe, he miss the challenges that Serie A present? It would prove to be very beneficial to USMNT’s run in WC qualifying competition. Wait and see.

    Reply

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