Michael Bradley - Serie A update

How was Michael Bradley’s weekend? Pretty good, according to Paolo Bandini in the Guardian. Bradley is being given a platform where he can contribute, which is a new concept for Americans in Italy. Beyond the clichés about any player taking time to adjust to Serie A, Bradley is already showing he can play in maybe the most challenging league technically and tactically in the world.

From the Guardian-

• A fine weekend for Michael Bradley, providing the assist for Sergio Pellissier's equaliser and setting things in motion for Davide Moscardelli's stoppage-time winner against Genoa – sending a perfectly judged long pass down the right flank that allowed Gennaro Sardo to cross for the forward to head home. It's been a mixed start for the American midfielder, but a few more passes like that will go a long way towards winning over the doubters in Verona.

"This can't happen in a top club -- to refuse to go in to help his teammates. What I said to Carlos is between me, him and the team. But if we want to improve as a team Carlos can't play with us. With me, he is finished."

-- Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini on striker Carlos Tevez, who refused to come on as a substitute during Man City's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday. The 27-year-old Argentine, who has voiced his desire to leave the club over the past year, ignored Mancini’s instructions to warm up early in the second half.

Bradley's Egyptian challenge reaches far beyond the pitch

The appointment of Bob Bradley as the national team coach for Egypt is significant on a number of different fronts, both on and off the field, and for our nation and abroad.

Where I have addressed the signficance of Bradley's on-field influence in a number of different posts, Seth Vertelney of goal.com discusses what it means to a nation in flux off the field, as well as on it.

The term “globalization” is one that's become so widespread, that its true meaning can get buried amongst an avalanche of trend pieces and people trying to sound smarter than they actually are.

For those who've may have lost touch with the significance of the term, I'd like to offer an alternative definition:

glob•al•i•za•tion [gloh-buh-luh-zey-shuhn]

noun

1. The act of globalizing, or extending to other or all parts of the world. Ex: the globalization of manufacturing.

2. Worldwide integration and development. Ex: Globalization has resulted in the loss of some individual cultural identities.

3. An American coaching a Middle Eastern country's national soccer team.

Former U.S. coach Bob Bradley's hiring by Egypt is a huge step forward for American soccer, but leaving it at that fails to recognize its cultural and global significance.

In purely soccer terms, Bradley's appointment is a validation of the growth of the American game. Only twice before has a U.S.-born coach been in charge of a foreign national team, and never before at this high-profile of a job. (Steve Sampson with Costa Rica from 2002 to 2004 and Bill Moravek with the British Virgin Islands in 2000 are the others)

Egypt has won three consecutive African Cup of Nations championships, but won’t have a chance to win a fourth straight after shockingly failing to even qualify for next year’s competition. Outside of its home continent, the nation has failed to make much of an impact, appearing in just two World Cups in its history, and none since 1990.

Make no mistake, though. Despite Egypt not qualifying for AFCON 2012, this is a high-profile position with a traditional soccer power ranked as high as ninth in the world by FIFA as recently as 2010.

Beyond the soccer pitch, the implications of Bradley’s appointment are hard to ignore.

Bradley enters a country and a region in a transition. It’s been less than a year since the world was introduced to the “Arab Spring”, a series of uprisings and revolutions across the Arab world. So far, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have experienced wholesale regime changes, while protests and violence continue in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen. Nearly every other Middle Eastern country has experienced some form of protest or attempted uprising.

Bradley's hiring can be viewed as a manifestation of the new democratic attitude starting to develop within the region. His selection to lead Egypt’s soccer team was not due to any outside loyalties he may have had (former coach Hassan Shehata was an avowed supporter of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak), but simply because he was the best candidate. Egypt’s ruling military is currently attempting to organize a democratic election that will determine the next leader of the country in much the same fashion.

Although the United States’ relationship with Egypt is relatively strong, this is still an American coaching a national side in the most virulent anti-American region in the world. That’s progress on a level reaching far beyond the soccer pitch.

Culturally, compared to his experience coaching the United States, Bradley might as well be coaching the intergalactic all-star team from the planet Volta.

Shehata, the last coach of Egypt's national soccer team, once said he only wanted players on his team that were Muslim. When his name was linked with the Israel national team job, he said he would rather die of hunger than coach the Israeli team.

Bradley, an American, likely doesn't care what religion his players are, and presumably would take a position with Israel instead of succumbing to starvation.

The United States and Mexico have a nice little rivalry, but it’s like a rec-league derby compared to Egypt and Algeria, two North African countries with decades of bad blood between them.

Two years ago, the two countries met in a playoff for a berth in the 2010 World Cup. Algeria’s team bus was attacked by Egyptian fans in Cairo, injuring four Algerian players. Violence in both Egypt and Algeria continued throughout the two-leg tied, which was won by Algeria and ended with riots at the Algerian embassy in Cairo.

Many of the same Egypt supporters involved in these clashes were at the forefront of the Egyptian revolution last winter. These highly politicized ultras are deeply distrustful of the Egyptian Football Association, which many viewed and continue to view as an organization sympathetic to Mubarak. They will initially give Bradley the benefit of the doubt, but every word, every action, every move he makes will be under the microscope.

These supporters groups are still heavily involved in the Egyptian reformation process, as demonstrations and protests continue against the current ruling military for their failure to adopt changes and organize elections in a timely fashion.

The same groups form the backbone of the country’s soccer supporters. If Bradley doesn’t stay in their good graces, he’ll face a backlash that will render meaningless any kind of negative reaction he got from the American Outlaws for, say, starting Jonathan Bornstein.

On the pitch, Bradley will face a huge task: Rebuild a traditional soccer power’s program and qualify for its first World Cup in 24 years.

Off the pitch, he faces an even bigger challenge: Adapt to an African nation still in turmoil from a recent revolution, and bridge the gap between the West and the Middle East, all while treading a dangerously thin line between politics and sport.

In the end, how he deals with the latter set of issues may be more important than how he manages the former.

FERGUSON PREACHES CAUTION

Never one do be complacent, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson isn't getting carried away with United's flying start to the season as he admits there are plenty more hurdles to overcome.

The Reds have won all five Barclays Premier League games for the first time under the boss with Stoke next to stand in the champions' way on Saturday. Yet the manager still believes his team will improve in the New Year, once the league has really started to take shape.

"It's only five games of course and we're delighted at that," explained the boss. "It's not normal for us to do it. We did change the dynamics of the team in terms of the early-season some years ago - we tried to address that when Chelsea made those flying starts."

"In the first two years, we didn't catch them - they were off and running before we'd got out of the blocks ourselves and we couldn't afford that. The third year, we addressed that and our start to the season was much better. In the competitive league we're in now, I think we do better in the second half and I think we'll do better in the second half again this season. At the moment, it's only five games - there are a lot of hurdles to navigate."

"I always look at the league then and see whether we have a chance or an uphill fight. We've had all the big teams at home so far and if you think in the second half of the season we're going to have to go to all those grounds. So hopefully our second half is good."

'The Rooney Rule' & the EPL

Jason Davis wrote an article about the lack of ethnic diversity among management in the English Premier League, and how it related to 'the Rooney Rule' in the National Football League (NFL) here in the US.

England's Premier League finds itself working through a difficult equation when it comes to race and coaching at the professional level. On one side are the vast numbers of minorities playing the sport at all levels, including 25% or more at the professional level. On the other, the number two. That's how many black managers are currently employed out of 92 professional clubs.

For North American pro sports fans, this is a familiar discussion. How does a sport, especially one with a long history of denying opportunities based on skin color, right that historical inequality?

Though no one should be arguing that North American professional sports is devoid of racial bias, meaningful steps have been taken to create opportunity. There's a long list of firsts for African American and Hispanic players in Major League Baseball, the oldest pro team sport in the United States. What was - decades of institutionalized racism that barred participation - is no more. That list of firsts includes players, coaches, managers, league executives, and team owners.

English professional soccer's efforts to remedy the lack of opportunity for minority players along with the environment that waited for them should they make the professional level began relatively late. Into the 1980's, minorities trying to play in the English League were still facing a day-to-day racism that was overt, menacing, and dangerous. The English game has changed over the last twenty years on the field and in the stands. Where it hasn't is on the sidelines.

Around 25% of English professional players representing multiple countries and heritages would identify as black. The numbers are significantly smaller for Asian and Hispanic players. Yet just two out of 92 professional clubs have black managers. That doesn't include the black players and coaches working in England that never reach the professional level. The number only gets bigger on one side of the equation. England has already admitted they have a problem, and they're now working on a solution.

Across the Atlantic, the National Football League faced this very issue. The coaching ranks were not representative of the black players in the NFL, much less African-American participation at all levels of the game. With numerous black coaches, it made no sense that so few ever ended up as NFL head coaches. The numbers simply didn't add up, and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney responded by championing what's become known as the Rooney rule. Simply put, NFL teams have to show the league that they've interviewed at least one minority candidate for open coaching positions.

Since the rule's adoption, this has created opportunities for black coaches. It worked, because even though it did not mandate teams hire minority candidates, it allowed those candidates the opportunity to dispel erroneous notions about their ability to do the job based on historical prejudice. Rooney's own Steelers won the Super Bowl with an African-American coach who never played in the NFL.

While England debates the merit of a similar rule for the Premier League down through the Football League, American soccer is left out of the conversation for two reasons: There's not the historical precedent of denying opportunities to minority candidates, and the League has already acted, enacting a modified version of the Rooney rule.

In long run, quitting will never be the easy way out/MIKE JACOBS COLUMN

"Before you win, you need to learn how not to lose."

I can't find a source that credits the person who initiated that quote, but it is something that I have adapted over the years.

It often applies to young teams that need to draw from adverse situations as learning experiences, as we currently are at the University of Evansville with 14 of our 25 players as freshmen, including 7 of 11 starters in last week's 2-1 overtime victory over nationally ranked Memphis.

It also applies to children who are considering quitting, be it a youth sports team or anything that seems too tough.

We as parents and youth sports coaches need to prevent our young children from quitting when things get too difficult. As important as it is that our children have a positive experience and walk away from their activities with smiles on their faces, there are life lessons that are much greater than sport that you can draw from these experiences.

As Winston Churchill once said, "This is the lesson. Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small — never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense."

The website "All Pro Dad" had a great blog post earlier this month which focused on items that should be considered before letting your child quit. Key points included:

"Quitter" is a tough label to shake: Be it among friends, with a teacher in a classroom or a coach or teammates, quitting is a pretty big deal. You build up trust with equity over time, and quitting is a massive withdrawal on your relationships.

Tenacity is a strong word for life: Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Abraham Lincoln lost several elections before being voted President of the United States. Thomas Edison "failed" 10,000 times on his way to inventing the light bulb. What if any of them had quit when things got tough?

This is a big life-lesson opportunity: I always talk with our players about lessons that transcend sport, looking to find things that happen on the ball field and applying it to items they will need later in life as business leaders, husbands or fathers. If your child doesn't learn resolve or mental toughness now, how will they become equipped to follow through as adults?

Kids usually quit for the wrong reason: Sit down and talk with your child to find out why the want to quit. You might find out that there is a larger problem at hand that you didn't initially identify. "It's not fun anymore" may be code for "kids make fun of me."

Challenging experiences invariably build character; the easy way out typically builds something else: The players who are most successful in pressurized situations are the ones who have experience in knowing how to act when put in those situations. There is no question that you can have instincts that take over in those situations, but the only real way to teach your children how to respond is to have them take the pressure sometimes.

The more often children quit before completing a task, the less likely they are to finish the next one. Quitting, like perseverance, can quickly become a habit. Be an accountable parent, coach or teacher and challenge your children not to give up too easily. Those who find success are the ones who accept challenges when things get tough, and grow from them. Most coaches select captains that they feel can thrive in adverse situations, and can help those around them when things get tough.

In a time where so many children grow up with a sense of entitlement, we need to continue to teach that most true victories come with a lot of hard work and pitfalls. Victory is not always identified on the scoreboard, but on the journey to get there.

Courtesy of the Evansville Courier Press, September 25, 2011

Bradley to Egypt is historic feat

Jonah Freedman of MLSsoccer.com had written this post prior to Bob Bradley's deal with Egypt, but he writes about the historical significance of Bradley's deal, and what it means for US Soccer.

Although the deal isn't officially done yet as of Thursday evening, all indications point to Bob Bradley set to sign a contract that will make him the new manager of the Egyptian national team. An official announcement may not come until Saturday, but one there is one definite statement we can make right now:

This would be the biggest thing that has ever happened to a coach born and bred in the American game.

It’s bigger than any trophy position at a major European club, it’s bigger than an established national team job and it’s far, far bigger than his last gig in charge of the US national team.

And that’s ironic, considering there were so many fans who were hoping that Bradley would become the first American manager in the English Premier League or in the Mexican Primera División.

This is bigger. This new challenge would be the grandest possible endorsement of Bradley’s accomplishments. It is the last frontier in every way, a more herculean task than any position Bradley could have found anywhere in the world, at the club or international level.

First, the obvious: The former MLS Coach of the Year would become only the third American ever to coach a national team outside the US, and the first to lead one outside of CONCACAF. These are uncharted waters, and speak to the level of respect Bradley garnered during his five years in charge of the USMNT.

But Egypt is no Costa Rica to build from the ground up — it is an established power that is highly decorated within arguably the toughest federation in the world to coach. Africa is notorious for importing foreign coaches who fail disastrously because of their lack of understanding of how things work in countries where priorities, politics and a sense of urgency are completely alien.

Africa is a place where accomplished European coaches — the likes of Henri Michel, Carlos Queiroz, Carlos Alberto Perreira, Sven-Göran Eriksson, even Bora Milutinovic — have brought in their pedigree and supposed disciplined approach, yet fell short of translating it. That’s the precedent Bradley would have to battle.

“He’s so way out of his comfort zone, it’s frightening,” noted African soccer journalist Mark Gleeson told MLSsoccer.com by phone on Thursday. “This is a place where he’ll tell them to go left, and the entire troop goes right. Things happen in African football that are unfathomable.”

On the pitch itself, Bradley’s challenge will be just as immense: Rebuild the most successful program in African history. After a near decade of dominance under the predecessor, Hassan Shehata, the Pharaohs have begun to stagnate. The generation of impact players that guided Egypt to three straight African Cup of Nations titles has become long in the tooth.

Perhaps where Shehata failed was in lacking the foresight to see beyond his Golden Generation that included established stars and fan favorites. As a result, the Pharaohs disastrously failed to qualify for the 2012 Cup of Nations and will miss the tournament for the first time in 30 years.

Here Bradley would get a unique opportunity to put his own stamp on the team: Utilize the existing strength of the system and integrate youth into it. Eliminated in ACN qualifying, Egypt have begun fielding their Under-23 side that will attempt to qualify for next summer’s Olympics in London, starting in December.

How the former US manager would get to know his new players in a foreign country — where he doesn’t speak the language and must learn the nuances of a vastly different system — and how he deploys them will be one of the biggest tests of his 35 years of coaching acumen.

Fortunately, this is where Bradley’s reputation comes into play. Nearly all Egyptian fans were impressed with the US’ performance in dispatching Egypt from the 2009 Confederations Cup — really, Bradley’s best three-game stretch of his entire tenure — and they respect what he could bring to their team.

“Bradley [did] an excellent job of giving structure and routine to the American national team,” one Cairo resident observed on Wednesday to a friend of mine currently living in the Egyptian capital. “They are like soldiers in the military. They are strong. The Egyptian team does not have structure or routine, they are chaotic. They have skill, more skill than the American team, but they need a routine to build their strength."

One of Bradley’s former charges from that ’09 Confed Cup team thinks there’s plenty to work with.

“There’s some guys with a lot of size, there’s some guys with good athleticism and, I think in watching them play over the years, when they play together, they’re a good team,” Vancouver Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit told MLSsoccer.com last weekend. “Hopefully Bob can make them better.”

But the biggest challenge of all is winning over the Egyptian public. Like many countries experiencing political upheaval, soccer is the best and most popular diversion in Egypt. Bradley would have to do enough to convince fans that their team is worth following despite him being a distrusted American, despite the team's current ebb, and despite what many perceived as the players' support of deposed former president Hosni Mubarak.

For a country that has been through hell and back during their revolution over the past 10 months, soccer can be the best salve to heal wounds that are still very raw. Hundreds literally died for their cause. Egypt could use something else to cheer for. No pressure there.

Will Bradley be the savior? Can he win over an Arab nation? Can he become the first foreign coach to lead Egypt to glory in the modern era — and the first coach, period, to lead the Pharaohs back to the World Cup for the first time since 1990? Only time will tell.

But what is clear is that, all of a sudden, whether Bradley succeeds will have a huge bearing on other opportunities for American coaches abroad. He is carrying the responsibility for all of American soccer, as well as MLS.

“The irony of American soccer is that, going back to the NASL days, the US was an importer of the world’s finest talent,” Gleeson noted. “MLS had those marquee players when it started as well. Now, in effect, you’re exporting your first marquee coach.”