Well, if things don't work out with the USSF, I bet Capello can have his pick of jobs in the Galaxy front office.

Do you sleep, Goff?

Can we use a DP slot on a coach? Nah, probably just a waste of money.

Gulati is a snake. There just seems to be smomething shady about this.

Cheatin' Bob drops four in a row and they're looking to drop him already? We're starting to act like the rest of the football world. God help us.

Capello as a technical director for US Soccer? What goes into that job, anyway? Would he over see the entire US National Team program?

Klinsmann's in at LAG, from what I hear. Capello = Colorado?? Makes me laugh.

My heart is in my throat. Please, Capello for the head coach. Please! PLEASE!!!

To be fair, the thing I most appreciate about Bradley is the fresh blood. There have been some revelations in the talent pool, even given the blatant nepotism. But his coaching has not been stellar. He certainly has been passable, winning the Gold Cup. But he went back to Donovan as forward in this last game. Donovan is SOOOOOOO much better on the flank. How many times do you have to see that before you figure it out???? Many of Bradley's subs have been questionable, at best. His handling of the last match at Copa America was not the note I wanted to see us leave on a bright international stage.

Capello is positively world class. There should be no question here and no hesitation. If he even hints like he'd take the job Sunil should take a knee and beg. Course, he should have taken the same approach with Klinnsman, and we saw how that worked out.

So, I say again, PLEASE!!!!

Technical director is something I could get behind--perhaps with an eye towards taking the coaching reigns if Bradley proves he isn't up to the task. Generally, I think Bradley has done a good job expanding the player pool and getting the U.S. some serious competition in friendlies--something the risk averse Arena never really seemed willing to do. Bradley has his eye on the prize--2010 as well as the incremental steps needed to do well there, winning the Gold Cup in order to compete in the Confederations Cup tune up.

I have no problem dropping matches to Sweden and Brazil (or even getting trounced in Copa America) if it means brining new players along and getting top level experience.

All that said, Capello is very intriguing...

Hey Matt,
Nepotism?!? Are you insane? Michael Bradley is starting in the Dutch league and has played extremely well for the US. He has every right to be on that field and wearing that shirt. As for Donovan playing forward, I agree with you, but if you noticed we didn't exactly have many options at forward on Wednesday. Also, Bob Bradley is the one who moved Donovan to the flank, under Arena he almost always played the withdrawn forward or central midfield spot.

Bradley's brining this team along with an eye towards 2010 and expanding the player pool. If his substitutions are "questionable," it's because he's trying to get a look at players for the long term, not just get wins. This was the problem with the Arena era--we were too concerned about getting easy wins and inflating our meaningless FIFA ranking, and not concerned about building a team. When we got to Germany for the World Cup we weren't prepared to play the best in the world. I don't think that will happen this time around.

DJC - You are spot on - Michael Bradley deserves to be on the team - he is playing great soccer.

bob Bradley is doing great expanding the pool of players BUT what's next? I think bringing in Capello could be the next step - Technical director working closely with the coaching staff. Makes sense to me.

This could go along way toward shoring up the back line for the Revs. Err, at least further than some U-20s from The Gambia.

http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2007/08/24/revolution_take_look_at_petkovic/

Is there a deadline for when a player has to be on the roster in order to be eligible for the playoffs?

Maybe as a technical director? We need someone with real vision behind the fledgling US academy system, Klinsi wanted that kind of control with the US job (allegedly) but in all honesty it makes more sense to keep the two separate. Then you can just sack the coach and keep the technical director in place. I doubt this is for US coach, does Capello even speak English?

Guys, Bob Bradley will be the coach of this team for a very long time. It's all about qualifying for the World Cup, so unless he falters in the early matches, he's the coach for the long term. From all indications, Capello would be the technical director to oversee the entire player development system, integrating the various levels of U.S. soccer so everyone is on the same page and the quality of play steadily improves from the youth club level to MLS and the national team.

I don't doubt that Bradley knows the American player the best and is the most liked. Nor do I doubt that he can qualify us easily for a World Cup.

It's the in-game decision making in those pesky 3 World Cup fixtures that I'd like to have Capello for. Maybe he can help with breaking down the other teams ahead of time, since we clearly weren't prepared for either the Czechs or Ghana, both of whom played us off the field.

And maybe Capello can finally change the style of player we produce and cultivate at an early age--not just the "hustlers" anymore.

I will take credit for this one. Yesterday I said that we should fire Bradley and hire Capello. I am freakin genius!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Capello would have to actually watch MLS games? *chuckles*

Here is proof that I mentioned this yesterday:

"Why the hell are people asking for Bradley to be fired? For one, Who would you replace him with? Also, he's done a decent job. Does anyone expect the USMNT do win every game, regardless of opponent? Give the guy more than 9 months FFS.

Posted by: AlecW81 | August 23, 2007 05:33 PM"

Two Words: Fabio Cappello

Posted by: DC United Fan | August 23, 2007 07:21 PM

That update says a lot...

DC United Fan:

Repeat after me: Bradley is not going anywhere. Capello might become a technical director or advisor, or maybe just a confidant for Gulati. Who knows...

So you are saying that Bradley is to be fired and then hired by Real Madrid... Capello is to be the new Rapids coach...

Thanks Stephen ;)

The mark of an unsophisticated soccer fan is the extent to which they dump on defensive midfielders.

Bob Bradley's unrelenting loyalty to Jonathan Bornstein is a lot more disturbing to me than how much he plays his son.

Didn't we see enough of Bornstein this summer? If you schedule a friendly in Europe to make it easier to play the guys we have playing over there, why not give Heath Pearce a shot? At least put him on the roster.

Goff,
What's the take on Capello as technical director from the youth faction that makes up so much of the USSF. Are they on board, or is this Sunil poaching on their territory as he tries to sure up his power base? That's what did in Klinsy's taking the reins.

technical director sounds fine. US nats games are boring enough as it is without Capello in charge.

So you all would rather have Bradley managing over Capello... gotcha... Bradley is not taking us anywhere...

Fire Sunil Now!

I understand Goff, all I am saying though, is that he should be the coach, and not Bradley. Bradley cannot win against better opponents on foregin soil, which means the US will get knocked out of the first round in South Africa 2010, adding only more disappointment.

As in, only morons think that Michael Bradley is on the national team because of nepotism. He's probably playing in Europe because of nepotism, too.

I'd love to see how the youth soccer warlords in this country are taking the prospect of working with Capello. Dread? Eagerness?

"Bradley cannot win against better opponents on foregin soil"

DCUF, that's disingenuous. He has lost 4 games -- 3 were with our C team where he was experimenting, and the other was a friendly in Europe. You can't just base a coach's performance on wins and losses when he is building the team or has a longer-term goal to achieve.

"Bradley cannot win against better opponents on foregin soil"

DCUF, that's disingenuous. He has lost 4 games -- 3 were with our C team where he was experimenting, and the other was a friendly in Europe. You can't just base a coach's performance on wins and losses when he is building the team or has a longer-term goal to achieve.

Posted by: RK | August 24, 2007 11:27 AM

I completely disagree with you. As Herm Edwards says, "You play to win the game!!!" Bradley has proved nothing. Was the wrong selection from the get-go. In order for the US to ever advance in the international scene, we need to hire an experienced, season manager, which Bradley is not. Even if we had our "A" team at Copa America, the US would have been bounced out of the first round.

Maybe DCUF should be the new national team coach. It looks like he has all the answers...

DC United Fan...

Nice sound bite, but remind me... what exactly has Herm Edwards ever won?

Can Capello play center back?

Our A team would not have gone 3 and out at Copa America. We easily outplayed Paraguay and should've scored 5 goals (with our C team; we just lacked finishing). And with our best we could've beaten Columbia -- or at least managed a draw. Don't forget that versus Argentina it was 0-0 until about the 60th minute.

Agree with Pat above. Why do you bring Bornstein all the way to Europe? Stumper. Bornstein is the new Agoos.

Re Bradley (Michael variety): definitely deserves minutes so he can develop, but why pair him with Mastreoni and swing Benny to the outside? I think you pair Benny with either one of those in the middle. Another stumper. At the least we need to quit fielding teams with 6 MFs.

There is no way Bradley is being fired. I, for one, was kidding in my earlier post. I would love to see Capello organize our youth system and leave the coaching to Bob, Peter & Thomas.

A bit OT, but I said in a post in an earlier thread that the USA had been bounced from the U17 world championships after two straight first-round losses in Korea. Well, it seems that they haven't been mathematically eliminated yet (http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/2007/u17men/games/aug23).

Ask Herm if you play the exhibition to win the game...

Mastodon Juan, I gotta argue that I'm not an unsophisticated fan. I'm assuming your barb was aimed in my direction. I've played and coached for years, and I fully understand the value of a quality defensive mid. I'd take a Gilberto or a Paul Scholes on my team any day. What I take exception with is the traditional US mindset that your defensive mid should play mainly defense while fouling the bejeezus out of the opposition. to my mind, you should be getting lots of production in your offensive third from your defensive mid ... heck even your outside defensive backs.

So I'm not totally hating on Bradley (junior), I just prefer Benny in that role. With Dempsey in front of him. That's the lineup that excited me the most. Bradley (junior) makes too many two footed challenges and doesn't see the field as well as Benny. When you see Benny playing wide with Bradley central, or even riding the pine in favor of Bradley, that's nepotism. To my mind it's pretty plain.

Having said that, I will admit I saw the name "Capello" and got the bit in my teeth a bit. I'd love to see him coaching our boys. But of course Goffs is right, probably not gonna happen. And I don't totally hate on Bradley (senior), I just think we could do better.

Bob Bradley is still experimenting with this team, and deserves more time. Clearly the wing isn't Benny Feilhaber's natural position, but it doesn't hurt anything to try him in that role in a friendly.

Matt,

Rico Clark gives you some offense, but he wasn't available. Maybe Sacha Kljestan would work, or maybe they wanted him to stay home too. After that, we don't have too much besides one-dimensional ballwinners at defensive mid (Maurice Edu is another possibility, but he's hurt).

I should add, I'm thinking this guy would go along with Fielhaber in a central mid role, which is what Bob Bradley seems to prefer when he has everyone healthy.

Well, it sounds like a backhanded way of acknowledging he didn't just say "so how 'bout that United?"

What is so world class about Capello? The guy really handled the Beckham situation with a lot of class, huh?