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SBI Live Q&A

Good afternoon folks. As we count down the time before today's big Champions League matches between Manchester United and AC Milan (2:30pm, FSC), and Real Madrid and Lyon (2:30pm, FSE), I thought it was a good time for a live Q&A.

We haven't done a live Q&A on SBI before, and this isn't taking the place of the regular monthly Q&A, but I do want to start doing the occasional live Q&A so we can discuss some timely subjects more quickly. In the future, I'll give readers more advance notice, but there will be times when I decided to do an impromptu Q&A just to see what's going on out there and to hear what readers are thinking and wondering.

Now, let's get started with our first live Q&A:

Comments

  1. Because of the importance of the position he plays and the amount of consistent playing time he gets, there is plenty of reasons for criticism. He is replacing (arguably) the greatest player the USA has ever produced in Claudio Reyna and as of right now, Claudio could come out of retirement today and play the position better.

    Baby Bradley does not have that team control that Reyna earned from his team mates. He does not pick up the team when they need a kick in the pants or settle the team down when they need it. This was one of Reyna’s greatest attributes for club and country.

    Yes, he’s young, but he’s had 3.5 years of training in central midfield for the USMNT. As I stated earlier, the position is so important to the success of the USA, his age is not an excuse for poor play. Either he can play the position or he can’t. On the job training at this level hurts the national team development. Learn how to play the position at the club level and bring that experience to the national team.

    I could go on, but I won’t…

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  2. And that’s something you can’t ignore. Someone else mentioned it but he’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. He’s what you get when you grab someone young (he was 17 when he had his first MLS game I think) and continually play him through his inexperience.

    Papa has been there to take the hits when his son plays poorly and continually plays him through it.

    There have been plenty of games where he’s played longer than we needed or he’s played in a longer stretch of games than others which wasn’t warranted at the time. So it goes back to the question: Is Papa playing favorites?

    I know if it were my old man and we were both younger, he’d continually play me to get me into a better team by showing me off. He’d want to build my confidence.

    I think Little Bradley shows what can be done with patience and guts: patience to allow him to develop even when he’s not doing well and guts to continue going with him knowing that in the long run you will benefit.

    It’s how we need to start thinking of our youth. 22 is not young if you’re a player just starting out. 17, 18, 19 is.

    Reply
  3. How on earth do you not pick Sergio Goycochea as the goal keeper to save a penalty with your life on the line. I don’t care if he’s 183 years old. He’d make the save. His talent was so transcendent that even video game versions of him could save every penalty that went his way.

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  4. Sean, I agree with you. The kid is a young guy, and plays well in big games. Obviously with age he’ll mature in many aspects, and will learn to be more careful with possession. However, he is an excellent holding CM, and I think you’re quite right to say that he is hastily slagged off by many US fans

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  5. Ives –

    I think its great that MLS is tapping the Columbian pipeline to improve the league talent base… what factors do you think are driving increased activity with the Columbian market (yes , MLS has had Columbian players but the league has more signings recently)?

    Reply
  6. I don’t understand all the criticism that Michael Bradley gets. Do you think that if his last name was different he’d get more respect from US National Team fans? Personally, I feel he’s one of the best young players this country has ever produced.

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  7. great idea ives, and I’m enjoying following it. FYI I don’t know if everyone is having this problem, but I can’t scroll through the q&a. I can only review the one to two most recent q&a’s that show up on my screen.

    Reply
  8. Sorry for any mispelled names.

    fwiw I have them ranked

    1. Gale

    2. Sabatian

    3. Emmerson

    Would you put any one else ahead of these three?

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  9. Ives you bet a commentator that Landon will be returning to Europe next summer. Which team is favored?

    Also Bayern seems intent to sell Ribery, with all their claims not to. Who is most likely?

    Reply
  10. Who do you see standing at the end of the Premier League season? Arsenal, Man U. or Chelsea?

    I’m betting Chelsea.

    Reply

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