Photo by ISI Photos
Michael Bradley did it again.
The U.S. national team midfielder and Heerenveen star scored in his fourth straight game, netting a brace to help Heerenveen record a 3-0 victory against DeGraafschap on Saturday.
Bradley delivered a sliding finish from close range in the 20th minute and capped the scoring with an 80th-minute header to help Heerenveen move into a tie for second place in the Dutch Eredivisie.
For those counting at home, that brings Bradley’s total to 11 league goals and 15 in all competitions, a record for an American-BORN player playing in a European first division.
I will post video of the goal as soon as possible (readers are more than welcome to find clips and post them).
What do you think of Bradley’s incredible hot streak? Are you anxious to see Bradley against Mexico in two weeks? Are you already thinking of the teams he could transfer to? Share your thoughts on Bradley below.
papa bear –
yes wordpress gives you a few pre-installed widgets, but most of mine actually come from other sources like yahoo, technorati, etc..
the fact that its typepad doesn’t really make a difference i dont think – im sure it comes with several widgets anyway, but you can insert othre widgets from the internet in text widgets to get on your site
I want to know how and Why Landon Donovan has a privilaged place inhe NAT Team starting 11. Isn’t it about time he actually had to earn his spot?? With all the other players FIGHTING for spots in ATTACK and MIDFIELD why has the LIL -ussy Still being given a spot. If he is good enough to be on our NAT Team 1st 11 then he should be playing/starting in the best leagues in the world. BB Maintains that stance with all the other players why not LD??
michael bradley at centerback? Jesus god, gag me.
also, i work at a restaurant in LA and tonight landon donovan came in and had dinner with Frank Yallop…. maybe a sign of things to come? Landon to San jose? hehe who knows.
Lloyd, Wegerle was NOT a US citizen when he had his big year in England so WRONG. “Stewart’s big season for Willem II began BEFORE he made his U.S. national team debut so WRONG.
You can have whatever criteria you want Lloyd, but you’re wrong. Michael Bradley is the first AMERICAN to score 15 in a European season. Deal with it.”
Stewart was an American citizen from birth as well as a US Int’l, so you deal with it.
And since Ives corrected the post, I think I was right…..
ayyy check out Michael Bradley with the shaved head. haha
Matt – Lloyd said Stewart was a US international. Is this not true? He made no comment about when he made his int’l debut. Why is that relevant anyway?
Not that this should count toward the argument but it looks like Bradley is going to have more than 15 at this pace so even if he’s no the first American to score 15 in a season, he could be the first to score 20.
On another note, what do you guys think Bradley’s transfer fee is going to be? I’d imagine he’s working his way up to being worth between $10-15 million at least. I mean he’s 20, it’s not like his days playing at this level are numbered.
Lloyd, Wegerle was NOT a US citizen when he had his big year in England so WRONG. Stewart’s big season for Willem II began BEFORE he made his U.S. national team debut so WRONG.
You can have whatever criteria you want Lloyd, but you’re wrong. Michael Bradley is the first AMERICAN to score 15 in a European season. Deal with it.
I think some of Wegerle’s totals came before he was a US citizen, so there would be an argument for not counting those.
Stewart’s a US citizen from birth. Of course his totals all count.
“For those counting at home, that brings Bradley’s total to 11 league goals and 15 in all competitions, a record for an American playing in a European first division.”
Unless you count Stewart and Wegerle, which I do since they were USNats….
unbelievable.he is becoming a worldclass midfielder like I thought he would.
shaj-those widgets are wordpress only aren’t they? (this site is on typepad/moveabletype)
Guys asking Bradley’s position: think Ballack/Gerrard. He plays the exact same role as those 2 do for their clubs (and in Ballack’s case, for country as well)
Thank god he will be used as a 3rd CB/D-mid for the Nats though! /sarcasm
adus not “prospering” yet i suppose, but his goal to minute ratio is probably something to look into – has came in late and scored the late winner on multiple occasions.
ps ives you should look into putting some widgets on the blog…maybe like twitter, tagcloud, and a share this button, etc…to make your website more technology-friendly and accessible
Eredivisie Top Scorers (thru Sat)
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax Amsterdam) 20
Blaise N’Kufo (Twente Enschede) 17
Robin Nelisse (FC Utrecht) 13
Roy Makaay (Feyenoord Rotterdam) 12
Danny Koevermans (PSV Eindhoven) 12
Afonso Alves (Heerenveen) 11
MICHAEL BRADLEY (Heerenveen) 11
Geert Den Ouden (Excelsior) 11
Marcus Berg (FC Groningen) 10
Luis Suarez (Ajax Amsterdam) 10
Gerald Sibon (Heerenveen) 9
Kenneth Perez (Ajax Amsterdam) 9
Now, I know what you’re all thinking: move Bradley forward into more of an attacking midfield role instead of playing more defensively. But, I think it seems like his strength is finishing not creating and he’s obviously not going to true forward because that wastes his defensive ability. We seem to have depth at defensive mid with Edu and Clark so how about this suggestion (knowing full well there’s almost no chance of this happening):
Move Bradley back into central defense and solidify a spot a lot of us have all been questioning.
I have no doubt Bradley can be a strong (if not a little undersized) central defender. He’ll get to move forward on set pieces and attack when it presents itself almost like a John Terry or Rio Ferdinand.
This also solves some problems the US National Team has been having. The defensive rotation is thin and I think at times they lack a sense of urgency because they know their starting spot isn’t in danger. And to be frank, Spector, Bornstein and Pierce haven’t exactly wowed us.
Conversely the midfield is going to get very congested very soon. There are going to be a lot of very good but not great players all in the mix for a limited number of starting spots. You’ve got Donovan, Dempsey, Beasley, Adu, Edu, Feilhaber, Szetela, Convey, Szetela, Clark, Kljestan, Mapp and I’m probably even forgetting a few!
What do you guys think of this idea?
kpugs
I completely agree with you about Bradley in the Premiership. I wasnt denegrating any past US players when I said Bradley could potentially be the US’s first world class player. What I meant was look at what he’s doing in one of the better leagues in the world as a 20 year old. If he continues to progress at this pace for the next 5 years or so, think about what he could be. If Bradley wasnt an American, if he was Brazilian or English, or whatever, the rest of the world would be talking about him right now.
I can’t think of a single premiership coach that would let Bradley play this box-to-box style that sees him scoring goals as well as getting back behind the ball. That type of player doesn’t really exist anymore. His own FATHER wouldn’t let him play that style on the MetroStars. It’s all about the coach who signs him, not the club he goes to.
And calling him possibly the first world class player ever is kind of taking a dump on past U.S. greats. In my mind Tab Ramos would still be considered the greatest American player of all time were it not for that injury. Then there’s Keller, Friedel, Reyna, etc.
I’m not sure if I’m just dating myself by stating that the U.S. team has existed before 2007 or not.
I’m also not sure where some of you guys get your news, I fail to see how Adu is prospering. Not that I expect him to be an immediate impact player, but playing a match here and there as a substitute, while good for someone that young, is not prospering.
I dont think the Premiership is best suited for Bradley’s game. I’m not saying he wouldnt do good in the EPL, but I think he would really blossom in a league like the Bundesliga or Serie A to the point where he could potentially be the first World Class player the United States has ever produced.
With Adu prospering in Portugal, Dempsey putting the entire team on his back in England and Bradley scoring goals just for fun the future of the “Yanks” looks bright!
Man, I guess it’s really easy to score in Holland… Bradley better get the hell out of there and into a more challenging league.
Verbeek has already said they will try to sell Mike by the summer. His contract is up after next season and they’d prefer to get a fee for him while they can rather than keeping him for 1 more year just to let him walk.
I don’t know if anyone else has read this but Verbeek, Heerenveen coach, has been told his contract will not be renewed. This is very interesting, because he’s a big supporter of Mike. If he goes, I can see Mike making a change too. Also maybe Ives would know, but I don’t think Mike originally signed more than a 3-5 year deal. So if Heerenveen wants to keep him they probably will need to rework his contract.
he’s a maniac, MA-NIAC on the pitch….
He appears to be tied in goals with Alves at Heerenveen who also has 11. But Alves had 7 in one game in October. Alves was the top scorer in the league last year with an amazing 34 goals earning him league player of the year and a Brazilian call up. Bradley has to be considered one of the top player in the Dutch league and that is no small feat. I will be very curious to see what kind of valuation the club puts on him during the transfer window this summer. I don’t see them selling him now while they still have a chance at winning the league and they at worst should be in a playoff for a Champions League spot.
This is what I’d like to see the US play against Mexico (4-3-3):
———–Dempsey/Altidore————
Convey/Davis—————–White/Dolo
—————Donovan/Adu————-
—————Bradley—————–
——Clark/Edu/Feilhaber/Szetela——
Corrales/Pearce————Dolo/Spector
———Boca—JDM/Parkh/Gooch——–
———–Howard/Hahne/Guzan———-
Win or lose, we would actually learn something from the game.
The top three are forwards with the left and right wings playing wide. (Question–Can Dempsey be a #9? Are Convey and White threats on goal?)
Donovan/Adu would play close to the forwards, right behind the high forward but can also float around the attacking third.
Bradley would play 2-way (link mid), participate in the attack by coming up behind the a-mid.
The rest we’ve seen before.
Another question — who’s dangerous off the set pieces? I know Adu can bend it and Davis can deliver it for a header, but if those guys aren’t playing we lose an element of our attack.
The only thing that worries me is that Paul Bosvelt, the man whom Michael replaced, was a pretty good player himself, but was a bit player for the same Man City club that wasn’t very good and featured Claudio Reyna. I hope the Dutch league’s bad defenses (I take a look at highlights for each week) doesn’t raise the expectations too much. I think he’s still got more to learn.
Brooklyn Zoo,
Through means were you able to watch the last 3 H’veen games? I would like to watch young Bradley play a full league game and see more than just the highlights.
He is in good form right now, but I think some of you are getting a bit carried away. While he has shown promise with the USMNT, he still has some issues to work through, namely his penchant for blowing his top. While I am not saying they are equals, Bradley sometimes reminds me Wayne Rooney — tons of talent but little self-control.
I’m not attending his USMNT coronation along with some of you, but I am glad to see he is in great form and scoring goals in a good European league. How many of you are going to stay with him the next time he hits the doldrums or takes a terrible foul? Ronaldinho’s recent troubles are evidence that NO ONE is immune to the fickle mob also known as soccer fans.
Also, alves has not been playing for H’veen in their last 3 games, and they’ve score 12 goals. Alves is on his way out– although he leads H’veen with 11 goals (bradley is now tied), keep in mind that he scored 7 of those in one match!
Honestly, I don’t think they lose much. Sibon is old (and huge!), but Sulamanji is a young, impressive player who I think also has a bright future. I can’t believe im actaully saying this but it’s aparent now that bradley is the ‘star’ of this team… wow
Ives,
This is off topic but interesting. Apparentley there is still a chance that the PNE deal for TT could be resurected.
http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/PNE-in-bid-to-resurrect.3712489.jp
Ok, I’ve watched the last 3 H’veen games, and I’m going to set it straight. Bradley is playing as a 2-way midfielder. In todays game, he played very close to the forwards. This was their attack- Sulamanji and Sibon playing up top, generally on the wings (Sulamanji is also very young and talented), supported by bradley coming up the middle and roda attacking from the back on the right side.
People seem to have been thinking that this goal scoring is supplemental to his progress as a defensive midfielder. That’s not the case, if you watch the games, and see the advanced position hes playing in, it’s apparent that he’s looking to score and has become a crucial part of the H’veen attack.
this is how bradley plays for herenveen in a 4-3-3 (which the usa shd use):
—alves——other striker——-
——–bradley———
then the 3 mids and 4 defenders
usa should be:
—–landon——altidore———
———-bradley——
beasley—————-dempsey
——–feilhaber/clark——–
defense
howard.
once adu gets better slot bradley back to take the place of feilhaber/clark, and adu becomes the CAM.
He is raising the bar for the yanks abroad. He and his father are setting the standard high for what American soccer can be. I am a big fan of the Bradley’s. Nice Job Michael!
this is great news for the national team. i really like the way this team is shaping up for 2010. with bradley emerging the question remains who is gonna play with him in the center of the field. with feilharber, edu, clark, and hopefully szetela all in the mix this is really good stuff.
He played as a forward in this game
Bradley actually almost had three in this game! I hope he goes sooner rather than later. It’s hard to imagine his stock will be any higher come this summer. Strike while the iron is hot! Everton would be awesome!
Eugene:
I’m liking the 4-3-3 idea more every day. The question is, does Poppa Bradley? It seems the obvious solution to the “problem”.
andy b:
Ain’t it great?
This is great news!!!! Anyone know where he ranks as far as league scoring?
Any chance for league MVP or am i getting ahead of myself?
Wow is it nice to have to read comments like Tony’s– will the Nats have TOO MANY options at some point in the foreseeable future? I never dreamed…
Bradley’s goal-scoring proliferation is most impressive because he has NOT looked like an offensive threat in his early development. He HAS looked like a defensive destroyer with a knack for impressive big tackles at key times. As far as I’m concerned, the goal-scoring might even just be a nice little bonus feature…
Bradley is a two-way mid. His Dutch coach at Heerenveen expects to both attack and defend. If he was just a d-mid, he would not be participating in the attack so much and would be spending most of his time outside of the attacking third.
During the U-20 World Cup, Rongen used him as the link midfielder in a 4-3-3, which also got him involved in both the attack and defense, and consequently he also scored in the U-20 World Cup. (Szetela was intended to be the d-mid behind Bradley, but Szetela also ended up participating in the attack, I guess that’s total football!)
The dilemma with the senior team is that BB has been playing a 4-4-2 Y formation where Bradley has been paired with either Edu, Clark or Feilhaber as a pair of d-mids. So far he hasn’t really been participating in the attack as directly for the senior national team because his primary role, as I understand it, has been to defend, possess and control the midfield.
So now that it’s become obvious to everyone that MB can score, he needs to be used more offensively for the senior national team. He can still be used behind Adu as a link midfielder — so its no problem fitting them both on the field. The question is more where to play Donovan — attacking mid, right wing or forward. Of the three, he probably works best as an attacking mid, splitting time with Adu.
So it appears we need to change our formation for the senior national team to a 4-3-3, 3-5-2 or perhaps a 3-4-3 would work.
(As a side note, it’ll be interesting to see if Rongen plays Bryan Arguez as a two-way link midfielder in a 4-3-3 in the next U-20 WC.)
Here are the goals:
http://watchsocceronline.blogspot.com/
I’d rather see him go to a more tactically sophisticated league than the EPL. I’d love to see him play at a good size Italian or Spanish club.
I’m more curious about what this does to the national team picture. He’s reached automatic first team status by now. If Adu and Altidore develop as expected (hoped) how do we get Demspey, Donovan, Beasley, Adu and Bradley on the field at the same time, and where (if anywhere) do Edu and Feilhaber or Clark fit in? It’s an interesting problem to have – especially since a year ago most people probably wondered where or if BRADLEY was going to be the odd man out or if Poppa Bradley had the gonads to bench his son.
He’ll always be “the coach’s son” to me.
An argument I never thought held water. Now if Arena had a kid on some pro-am team I could have imagined him showing up on the roster… again, and again, and again, with no worries about losing his spot.
Seriously, this is really impressive. Maybe we can get Bradley to give our forwards a clinic on finishing.
Well, he’ll be off to Fulhamerica soon, I’m sure.
Wow. He has gone past ridiculous to just plain stupid. I’m in awe.
Bradley is proving to be an absolute world class prospect/player, he is going to be a mainstay for the US for many years to come and I think he will prove to be a great player no matter where he goes
I thought he was a D-mid. How do you score so many from that position. They must have given him more offensive responsibilities. This is good to see for US soccer.
I’m rooting for Everton. I’ve seen a couple rumors online and would love to have him join Howard on a “top 4” club.
Holy Crap.
Go Michael go! Can’t wait to see him against Mexico. What position is he playing for them? D-mid?