Gareth Maher
The United States showed in the Confederations Cup that they are a team on the rise and their coach Bob Bradley is leading the way.
International football has a tendency to spring up some surprising results every few years and the US certainly felt that it was their time to step into the spotlight when they travelled to South Africa for this year’s staging of the Confederations Cup.
Bob Bradley’s team didn’t set their expectations particularly high, especially since they found themselves drawn in a group that had Brazil, Italy, and Egypt in it. But there is a quiet confidence in the US squad that has been building for some time and they did well to reach the final where they eventually lost 3-2 to Brazil.
Since Bradley took over in 2006 – initially on an interim basis – there have been many changes in US Soccer that have led to their first major victory in a FIFA ranking tournament. The 51 year-old manager has led the way and he continues to be the main inspiration behind the scenes.
Having started his coaching career with Ohio University, Bradley built up a strong reputation very quickly after he linked up with Bruce Arena, where he acted as his assistant at University of Virginia and DC United in the MLS. He then decided to go out on his own in 1998 when he was offered the top job at Chicago Fire. The impact that he had at Toyota Park was phenomenal as he led the newly-established team to glory in both the MLS Cup and US Open Cup before scooping the MLS Coach of the Year award (he won it again in 2006).
At this stage Bradley was in demand and he opted to switch teams when he took over the MetroStars in his native New Jersey. After leading them to the US Open Cup final in 2003, things went sour very quickly as the money men behind the team were eager for instant success and they felt that a change of head coach was needed. Despite losing his job, he didn’t have to wait long before finding work again as Chivas USA appointed him as their manager in 2005.
While he was gathering experience in the MLS, Bradley was also making strides in international football with the US U-23 team. So when his former advisor, Arena, stepped down from his post as manager of the US senior team, Bradley was seen as the natural replacement.
He has been proving ever since just why he is so highly-rated. The clever tactican might not have the outgoing personality that so many other coaches are quick to showcase, but what he does have is an ability to read a game and get players to play their best for him.
In 2007, he led the US to victory in the Gold Cup after they beat fierce rivals Mexico in the final. It was a win that signalled the beginning of a new era for American soccer.
Not only has he overseen a complete overhaul of the squad roster, but he has changed the way that the team play, approach games, and the expectations of the supporters. After a disappointing showing at the 2006 World Cup, US fans had to be convinced all over again. Bradley is working at that and his team are on course to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in South Africa.
During the Confederations Cup, they worked incredibly hard and managed to upset the odds by reaching the final. That feat appeared to be beyond them after losing to both Brazil and Italy in the group stages. However, they are a team with a very high work ethic and a talented core of players like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore, so they were never going to give up without a fight.
Luck definitely had a part to play in their run to the final, but the US worked hard in every game and put themselves in a position to be lucky by making last-ditch tackles, vital interceptions, with Tim Howard also pulling off an array of fine saves.
The most important factor though was the intelligence shown by Bradley in how he set his team up. For example, in the semi-final against Spain, he informed his players that Xavi was the man that needed to be stopped. So with each of their midfielders closing down the space that Spain enjoyed in previous matches, they restricted the influence of the Barcelona playmaker and eventually dumped the European Championship winners out of the tournament.
They may have stumbled at the final hurdle in the Confederations Cup, but there is more to come from this US team and with Bradley pulling the strings in the background they will surely be back in the spotlight sooner rather than later.
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