And yet, wins. I'm still not sure what's so hard for you to understand. I'm not making it my life's work. I'm not losing sleep. I'm not doing much of anything, really, about it. Just said it would be nice. You mean like using ineligible players? Oh wait...that was you guys.
^ :grin: Why the long face? Meh, don't sweat it, brother... it was a respectable record unmatched by any other coach. He's getting pigeon-holed. It's odd that he resigned but was... given an "extension"?
The problem is strikers...The U.S. can produce world class mid-fielders, goalies, and even defenders (maybe), but we can't seem to compete with international strikers for one reason or another.? ?
Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Stuart Holden, Steve Cherundolo. (and I'm not even American yet I can appreciate some of the world class players they've developed in the past decade and a half).
Agreed with Dempsey, Donovan, Howard, and maybe Holden and I dunno about Cherundolo. I think Michael Bradley and Onyewu could be also, but they still have to prove themselves. Dempsey, Donovan, and Howard are truly world-class players.
Not having Charlie Davies at the world cup really really sucked for the US. He's not world class by any stretch but he's leaps and bounds better than Findley or Gomez.
Having Robbie Findley anywhere near the team, let alone in the starting lineup sucked. Bradley made so many damn mistakes with the lineup, I have no clue how he was renewed.
I think he deserves another chance, he did great job improving the team from 2006 to 2010, but he has to do something with that squad.
The US got unlucky with injuries to Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu in South Africa. That said, my fear for years has been that Bradley is "maxed-out". He doesn't have the skill or know-how to get us past a round of 16 like a Klinsmann would. Not that I was incredibly enthusiastic about the prospect of a German icon coaching the US, but he would have been a step up from Bradley. I can see his thinking in loving Robbie Findley, but it didn't pan out. He's trying to find young players that can step up in 2014 when the old guard - Donovan, Howard, Dempsey - are beginning the downward arch. However, I was much more impressed with Edson Buddle in the lead up to South Africa and felt like he should have gotten the nod over Findley.
It's hard enough for a world-class coach to maintain success through 2 World Cup cycles. I don't think Bradley is on that level. He's done all he can with this team. 2nd round won't be acceptable again...and I'm not sure it really was this time around. I'm surprised US Soccer did this so relatively quickly. There was time to do a proper search. Hopefully it's been explained to Bradley that he's on a short leash. Any lack of signs of improvement should have him on his a** well before 2014. I want to see them take the Gold Cup again in 2011, qualifying for the 2013 Confed Cup. I'd also like to see a true attempt at the Copa America, should we ever get invited back. No more of this "C" team crap we keep sending down there to get slaughtered. In the meantime, hopefully we'll see a bit of the future with some of the games later this fall. I believe they just finished a deal to play Columbia in October a week after we play Poland.
^ Man, you're worse than LeBron James with that signature. Anyway, here's the rest of that story that DrLudicrous linked above which was shorter before and now has records and upcoming match info : 2009 was his best year.
Copa America is next year and we either weren't invited or declined. But we're in kind of a tough spot for it, we either send our "A" team to Gold Cup next year to qualify for Confederations Cup, or to Copa America. Sending our best players to both is too much.
