When Michael Bradley was at the best stage in his career in the early parts of this decade, he was known for being a box-to-box midfielder with instincts to crash the penalty area to finish off plays.
He reminded us of just that over the weekend.
Toronto FC delivered one of the bigger surprises of the weekend, beating the Philadelphia Union on the road, 2-0. While the result was in and of itself unexpected given Toronto’s 2018 woes and recent Concacaf Champions League failure, it was Bradley’s two-goal performance that made it even more intriguing.
Bradley had not scored in MLS play in more than two years, a byproduct of Toronto FC using him largely as a defensive midfielder during that time. On Saturday at Talen Energy Stadium, however, the veteran had Marky Delgado sitting in behind him and was allowed to roam further up the field at times.
The tactic worked wonders. Bradley was able to help clog the middle of the field against a Union team playing in a narrow diamond, while also moving into advanced positions at times to help out a Toronto FC attack that was still without Jozy Altidore.
Bradley was not out there bombarding forward with the same regularity that he did when he was younger, but he picked and chose his moments to great effect. It is what allowed him to have the whole goal to shoot at twice and to score for the first time at the club level since Nov. 22, 2016.
This is where Bradley needs to be deployed at this stage in his career, further up the field as an 8. He no longer has the athleticism to be a 6 and is a defensive liability there, but he still has instincts to crash the box and finish. #TFCLive #MLS
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) March 2, 2019
Michael Bradley’s second of the day, a goal that happens in part because he’s been allowed to move into more advanced positions.#TFCLive #MLS pic.twitter.com/HZKr1jmrFI
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) March 2, 2019
Both plays were reminiscent of the days, back in the early part of this decade, when Bradley played the best soccer of his career. The days when he was manning the middle for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the German Bundesliga. The days when he was scoring an epic World Cup equalizer with the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Slovenia.
One major problem, however, is that Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney may not see using Bradley in more advanced positions as a long-term tactical wrinkle.
“Sometimes he gets stuck too deep and is unable to get forward but with Marky covering for him he can choose his times to push ahead,” said Vanney after Saturday’s win. “We don’t necessarily expect that out of him, but he’s fully capable of those situations and going for it.”
Toronto FC should absolutely expect and ask that from of its captain this year, though, especially if the club wants to try to get back to being a playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
As Vanney noted, Bradley has operated almost exclusively as a No. 6 over the past few years, a defensive midfielder tasked with blanketing the back line and distributing the ball quickly to magical attacker Sebastian Giovinco (who is now gone). Bradley has been so rooted to that withdrawn spot on the field that he has been robbed of some of his best abilities, finishing the past three seasons with 13, 11, and 12 shot attempts after having registered 52 and 57 with Toronto FC in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
It has been clear for some time, however, that Bradley no longer has the athleticism to be used in such a defensive role and is a liability there unless he has extra cover next to or behind him. After all, as has been noted here before, he does not have much speed anymore, does not have much range, and does not regularly get stuck in on tackles.
What Bradley can still do very well, especially if Delgado continues to sit in behind, is move the ball forward and recognize moments to crash the box and get on the end of things. It is true that it might not be ideal for Bradley to be used as a true No. 8 given his decreased motor, but playing something like, let’s call it a 6.5 role, that allows him to roam up the field on occasion could be of great benefit to Toronto FC.
It was on Saturday.
All of this ignores the fact that it was Harris Medunjanin that was “marking” Bradley on both goals.
Medunjanin has always been a huge liability defensively, and for him to ball watch on both goals is entirely within his character, if not to be expected. Union are in for a tough stretch if Curtin doesn’t change things up.
I’ve always thought Bradley has been played too defensively, but the competition he was up against on Saturday skews things regarding all of this current hype.
It has to be fatiguing to constantly want to criticize ONE player as much as some of you do. I’ll give USSoccer fans one thing, you sure know how to fall in love with diminishing and hating it’s own players, no matter how much good they’ve done for the program! If Bradley can no longer cut it at the top level, don’t worry, people who get paid to make these decisions will make the proper moves when they see fit!
+1
“Both plays were reminiscent of the days, back in the early part of this decade, when Bradley played the best soccer of his career. The days when he was manning the middle for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the German Bundesliga. The days when he was scoring an epic World Cup equalizer with the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Slovenia.”
This article is nonsense, honestly, if there is any insinuation MB should be playing more in the attack for the MNT, and I would argue that it’s not in the interests of TFC to play him there either. This is one match, and while no one doubts MB was (in his prime) a solid box-to-box mid, he hasn’t been at that level for ages,. Writers from THIS SITE hammered Klinsmann for using MB up the field and not a holding DCM role, arguing that his best instincts and strengths are utilized snuffing out attacks and closing off passing lanes while passing the ball out wide in possession to more lively players. And as for his place in TFC’s attack
“One major problem, however, is that Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney may not see using Bradley in more advanced positions as a long-term tactical wrinkle.”
It’s not a major problem – it’s the frank assessment of a manager that sees him everyday in training. MB doesn’t have the legs to play box-to-box anymore. Period. He will absolutely have a solid game doing so here or there, but if TFC is going to contend in the conference and for the league title, MB needs to be in the position best suited for his CURRENT skill set, not the skill set of six years ago, and back as a holding mid.
As for any assertion that Bradley should be moved forward for the Nats, which (to be fair) the article isn’t explicitly saying, Bradley is well behind both Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie in terms of box-to-box ability, and good arguments can be made that he is behind other players in the pool in that role as well. However, I think MB does have something to contribute in that holding spot in front of the back line, but even to say he has a lock on that position is perhaps presumptuous.
I was not saying to use him as a No. 10, like Klinsmann did, because that also does not play to his strengths and requires him to be far more creative than he actually is.
As I wrote in the piece, moving Bradley further up the field, like we saw on Saturday, so that he can get into advanced positions would benefit Toronto FC. For me, he isn’t good enough to be a lone No. 6 anymore because he doesn’t have the athleticism or range or bite, Bradley should, instead, be used in a capacity that has him sit in but that allows him to roam forward at times when the plays call for it. He is still very capable of crashing the box and scoring, which have always been amongst his biggest strengths.
Just my $0.02.
I expect this kind of reactionary piece from other SBI writers, but not Franco. So MB can still occasionally squeeze out a strong game? I don’t think anyone is surprised by that. But to expect him to do this week in, week out, is just delusional.
“Both plays were reminiscent of the days, back in the early part of this decade, when Bradley played the best soccer of his career.” That is the truest statement in the story. I was a big MB fan in those days, but since 2013, these types of games have become increasingly rare. To clam that it’s because Vaney insists on playing him at the 6 that we don’t see this type of performance more often is silly…
Last year, Bradley played almost as CB as he did as a N0. 6. Hardly the stuff that would get him goals. And he probably played too many games so by August, he could not be as good as he is.
So the Philosopher Jogger still has some legs in him, at least for a game. Well done.
hahaha i like it.
Admittedly hating – a goal is a goal and it doesnt matter but….
On his first goal – had an open net and almost put it into the keeper’s legs.
Way too close to the keeper – bury that into the left side with no doubts, man.
Second goal, nice finish. But lucky keeper rebound.
Keeper deserves an assist for that silver platter.
His level dropped so much when he sold out to Toronto.
Wish he stayed and fought for his spot at Roma.
and now we are back to Bradley should pay more up the field.
2053: Michael Bradley should play more on the left. His walking cane tactically fits better when he is crawling in from the left towards goal.