Would you believe when I was two years old my father had me kicking a tennis ball, left foot, right off the brick step on our fire place? Well its true, I was brought into soccer at an extremely young age and took a liking to it immediately. My dad was the coach of my older brother's team and eventually coached the team I played on. Both teams saw a great deal of success at the highest levels of youth soccer and I do mean the highest levels. For example, when I was 14 my club team won the state championship 9-0, we finished third in the region and second at the Indoor Nationals. We only lost 3 games in a 4 year span playing against the best competition in the country. We trained hard, were focused, disciplined, full of skill and most important we had a blast doing it. Now not only was I playing or practicing 4-5 times a week, I was also traveling to watch all my brothers games as well, sometimes even his practices. Soccer was my life, I absorbed every last ounce of the sport and loved every minute of it. It was undoubtedly the best time of my life and memories I will carry on forever and hope to someday experience with my children.
Being a coaches son is always a tough position for both the Coach and the player. I can't really speak from the coaches point of view but I do know when playing at the levels we did, even though it was still a very young age you have to keep the best interests of the team in mind. Parents were shelling out big money for uniforms, shoes, travel, etc. and they wanna win. They aren't putting all this effort in to see their kids get waxed every game. At that level a coach has a has a lot of responsible many different cards to shuffle, including being a father to his son. From a players perspective, I truly enjoyed playing for my father and think it helped develop a very unique and strong father/son relationship. For several years I played center-mid and was the captain of the team and I think my play was on par with that honor. I remember the sheer joy of success and utter devastation of defeat. Not only did I want to win everything at all costs for myself and my teammates, who at the time were my best friends, but also for my father who I never wanted to let down or disappoint in any aspect of life, especially on the soccer field.
While I was at work today and listening to a extremely critical match between the United States and Slovenia on the radio, all these fond memories and feelings surfaced for one reason, Michael Bradley. Michael is 22 yrs old and currently is the starting defensive/holding midfielder for the USMNT. He plays his club ball in the German Bundesliga for Borussia Monchengladbach and is definitely a player on the rise on the international stage. Michael too knows what its like to be a Coach's son, as his father Bob is the head coach of the USMNT. Out of no coincidence, I have always thought very highly of Michael's game and those of you who know me or watch the games with me, always hear me say how underrated he is and important to our squad. He plays extremely hard, is deliberate with the ball, understands the game and shows the type of passion on the pitch that I love to see in a futbol player. He has become my favorite player and many analysts will tell when he is not on the pitch, they are a different team both offensively and defensively.
Being a coaches son is always a tough position for both the Coach and the player. I can't really speak from the coaches point of view but I do know when playing at the levels we did, even though it was still a very young age you have to keep the best interests of the team in mind. Parents were shelling out big money for uniforms, shoes, travel, etc. and they wanna win. They aren't putting all this effort in to see their kids get waxed every game. At that level a coach has a has a lot of responsible many different cards to shuffle, including being a father to his son. From a players perspective, I truly enjoyed playing for my father and think it helped develop a very unique and strong father/son relationship. For several years I played center-mid and was the captain of the team and I think my play was on par with that honor. I remember the sheer joy of success and utter devastation of defeat. Not only did I want to win everything at all costs for myself and my teammates, who at the time were my best friends, but also for my father who I never wanted to let down or disappoint in any aspect of life, especially on the soccer field.
While I was at work today and listening to a extremely critical match between the United States and Slovenia on the radio, all these fond memories and feelings surfaced for one reason, Michael Bradley. Michael is 22 yrs old and currently is the starting defensive/holding midfielder for the USMNT. He plays his club ball in the German Bundesliga for Borussia Monchengladbach and is definitely a player on the rise on the international stage. Michael too knows what its like to be a Coach's son, as his father Bob is the head coach of the USMNT. Out of no coincidence, I have always thought very highly of Michael's game and those of you who know me or watch the games with me, always hear me say how underrated he is and important to our squad. He plays extremely hard, is deliberate with the ball, understands the game and shows the type of passion on the pitch that I love to see in a futbol player. He has become my favorite player and many analysts will tell when he is not on the pitch, they are a different team both offensively and defensively.
Lost in all the talk about the absolutely atrocious refereeing and the go ahead goal that was stolen from them like Armando Galarraga's perfect game, is the biggest goal of the tournament for the United States, Michael Bradley's equalizer. This goal kept the Americans hopes and dreams alive of advancing out of the group stages. The US came into this world cup with higher expectations than ever before and had they lost to Slovenia, those expectations would of been completely shattered. Nothing against Landon Donovan's first goal which was a rocket of a strike, this goal meant everything to a Nation that felt their soccer dreams slowly slipping away in the last ten minutes of this contest. Michael Bradley made a deep run from his holding position, pushing forward at just right time running onto a bouncing ball and finishing with a clinical strike over the goalies head. Now I don't know about anyone else, but I can't stop watching the video replay of his goal. It gives me chill's every time I watch it. Maybe its because when I was a youngster that's the type of goal I dreamed of scoring or because a team I have been following since the beginning of WC qualifying just saved their entire tournament. The sheer jubilation written all across Michael's face and celebration with his teammates says it all. As for me, I was definitely cheering and extremely pumped up, but I couldn't help to think as they showed the coach of how proud he had to be of his son at that very moment. Or the feelings that must be running through son Michael's mind not only for himself, his teammates, but also for his father, the coach of this team. Boy would I like to be a fly on the wall for the conversation they are going to have after the game. Good for you kid, your just saved a nations soccer hopes and gave your dad the best fathers day gift imaginable, you earned it.
I couldn't agree with you more, he is a master on the field and inspiring to watch! He's all business and no drama, no academy awards for Bradley! No one can say, he doesn't deserve to be there! As for the father-son, coach- player, relationship, we all know what immense pressure for them both that has to be. But what great memories!!!! I think some may be suprised on Saturday. I got a good feeling, and if not, then the USA team can still hold their heads up high, with a job well done!!!!!!
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