To Keep Faith or Progress for the Future

Hello football, soccer, futbol fans:

This is my attempt to write about my thoughts on the greatest sport in the world, football.

After digesting the defeat this past weekend for the U.S. my thoughts just like many U.S. Soccer Federation Officials turned to the coach, Bob Bradley. Should Bradley stay or should he go?

I say go.

Every since Bob Bradley took the helm in December 2006 many U.S. fans including myself thought this appointment would be temporary, but Bob Bradley did the job "well" until the very end, June 26th 2010.

First, let me give Bob Bradley his justice and lets look at his background in the game. Bob played for Princeton University, and at the age of 22 became the manager for Ohio University's soccer program before he became the assistant for the man he replaced as U.S. coach, Bruce Arena, at UVA.

After the college game Bob Bradley went on to again assist Bruce at D.C. but then broke away to coach the Chicago Fire where he won the MLS Cup and US Open Cup in 98'. That was the only true success Bradley had in the MLS even with seasons as the MetroStars and Chivas USA coach. With the U.S. squad that he has rebuilt he won the 2007 Gold Cup and took U.S. to the final of the Confederations Cup, the first FIFA tournament final for a U.S. squad.

So, why did it all go wrong and where. To me it all started with the team selection of the U.S. squad in all four games, but lets take a look at the one that mattered the most The Round of 16 versus Ghana.

Team-Lineup (4-4-2): Howard, Bocanegra, DeMerit, Bornstein, Cherundolo, Clark, Bradley, Dempsey, Donovan, Findley, and Altidore

Lets start where I feel Bradley made the biggest mistake that cost the U.S. the win, the formation which lead to the selection of Clark. Yes, Clark is a defensive midfielder but during the tournament Edu was the better of the two. Tactically, Bradley got it wrong with that selection. Clark in the 5th minute got caught in two minds and lost the ball in the midfield which lead to the goal (he was not the only one to blame, but I will get back to that). So the U.S. again had to come back from behind. Then in the 7th minute Clark picked up a Yellow Card because he lets his emotions get the best of him like he did in 07' against FC Dallas.

So Bradley had to sub Clark in the 31st minute (down to 2 now which could of been used at a later time in ET when we needed someone fast, Buddle) because Bradley (the son) and Clark could not hold the ball and where getting into each others way, so along comes Edu, who should of started the game. Once Edu got on the field the play between the back four and the front two linked better because of Bradley and Edu; which also progressed into the better Second Half performance.

But Clark is not the only one to blame the defense was just awful. DeMerit was pushed up field way to far the whole entire game, and when the ball was taken away from Clark, that should of been DeMerit's man but he was to late to react, same with the second goal in ET (I will not even start about the half-hearted defending the captain Bocanegra but into defending off Gyan in the 3rd minute of ET).

This was the same old same old U.S. going behind to fight back but it was up to the midfielders again to produce the fire power not the forwards.... The selection of Findley and Altidore really baffles me because during the first games they looked slow and could only strike the ball right at the keeper. Bradley should of gone with Buddle, even if he does not have that much international experience that man was on a hot streak and he was the only forward on the squad scoring goals. Then in the midfield I would of put Torres, yes he did not produce in the game against Slovenia, but this would of allowed Buddle to play up top with Dempsey and Landon on the wings with Torres behind Buddle and Bradley and Edu cleaning up the middle of the park.

So Bradley tactical selection and formation really did him in during these four games, and none was more apparent than this one against Ghana. Bradley's 4-4-2 really did backfire where a 4-5-1 really could of offered a more compacted midfield and would allowed the U.S. to counter-attack or let Landon move into that forward role and have Torres push wide to the right hand side of midfield.

I feel Bradley gave the U.S. squad a new mentality of a never say die attitude, just like Manchester United's gaffer Sir Ferguson gives his teams, but tactical Bradley fails and he did so on the World's greatest stage.

I say thank you to Bradley for what he has done for U.S. soccer, but I feel if we as a nation want to progress further in this sport we need a coach with international experience as a player and as a coach, so someone from across the pond. Maybe we can get Klinsmann this time around.

This was my first post ever so thanks for staying with me, hope you enjoyed it.