Tag: Bob Bradley

Bob Bradley reportedly tabbed to help save Norway’s Stabaek from relegation

Bradley is reportedly heading back to his old stomping grounds

Bob Bradley will be back on the touchline shortly.

Reports from Taylor Twellman and The Athletic on Saturday both said that the former U.S. men’s national team head coach will take over at Norwegian top-flight side Stabaek, with the second report noting that the contract would run through the end of the 2023 season.

Stabaek currently sit 15th in the 16-team Eliteserien, two points from safety with 11 games left to play. De Blaa had only just returned to the first division after being relegated in 2021. More importantly, the club is mired in a six-game losing streak, and has not won since May 29.

Stabaek posted an announcement to social media on Saturday saying only that “a press conference will be held at [club headquarters] regarding the coaching situation tomorrow.”

While the news may seem to have come from nowhere, Bradley has history with Stabaek. He spent two seasons coaching the club from the Oslo suburbs in what was his first European-based management role. Bradley guided the club to third place in 2015, a position the club has been been well short of ever since.

Bradley had only been on the market for a little more than two months after he was dismissed by Toronto FC amid a season that has gone off the rails in just about every way imaginable. Stabaek will surely be hoping Bradley can bring back the good old days.

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Toronto FC fires head coach and sporting director Bob Bradley

The former USMNT boss lasted just a season and a half in Canada

Toronto FC has announced that head coach and sporting director Bob Bradley has been relieved of his duties.

Assistant coach and technical director Mike Sorber has also been fired, with the club’s U-17 head coach Terry Dunfield appointed as interim head coach.

Despite the league’s highest payroll, TFC sits in 14th place out of 15 Eastern Conference teams with a record of 3W-10D-7L.

“Bob has been a consummate professional with Toronto FC and we thank him for his passion and tireless work during his time here. We are all disappointed that we were not able to achieve the results we expected,” Toronto FC President Bill Manning said in a club release.

Bradley was appointed to his position ahead of the 2022 season following several years in charge of Los Angeles FC. The former USMNT head coach’s first season fell short of expectations, with the midseason additions of Italian stars Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne failing to spark a run to the postseason.

The 2023 campaign has been another disappointment on the field, and has also been filled with several indications of dissent in the TFC locker room.

Last month, Bernardeschi was benched after openly questioning Bradley’s tactics following a loss to Austin FC.

“We need to [have] a little bit more tactics,” Bernardeschi charged, “We need an idea of how we play because this is the real problem for me. It’s impossible to play like this when we play without [an] idea.”

Amid the Bernardeschi situation, The Athletic released an exposé on the turmoil within TFC’s locker room that revealed, among many other things, that Bernardeschi and Insigne were openly trying to get Bradley fired.

Midway through the season with TFC seven points out of the ninth and final playoff spot in the East, the superstar duo have gotten their wish.

Bradley drops Bernardeschi as Toronto FC’s soap opera rolls on

Bradley wasn’t too pleased to see his star player publicly flame him last weekend

Bob Bradley has dropped star attacker Federico Bernardeschi for Toronto FC’s game against D.C. United, calling the move a “coach’s decision.”

That decision came after Bernardeschi openly questioned Bradley’s tactics and approach after TFC’s loss to Austin FC last weekend.

“We need to [have] a little bit more tactics. We need an idea of how we play because this is the real problem for me. It’s impossible to play like this when we play without [an] idea,” the Italian said after a result that left TFC at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.

Unsurprisingly, Bradley didn’t take too kindly to one of his best players publicly flaming him.

“Coach’s decision: Fede will not be in the squad for this game,” Bradley told reporters on Friday, though he added that the decision was not a “disciplinary move.”

“There has been a lot going on this week, a lot of internal discussions. So in terms of preparing for this match, the decision was made that way,” the coach added. “When you think about preparing the group for this game, I felt this was the best way to handle it.

“There’s been just different things that we have worked through this week and that’s where it left us as we were getting closer to this match, so that we felt we could be best prepared as possible.”

Bradley denied that Bernardeschi’s long-term future at the club was in doubt.

“I think that the plan is, for sure, that Fede is back in it [next week] and we put this week behind us and we all move forward,” he said.

Bradley’s decision came on the same day The Athletic released an exposé into the ongoing soap opera that is TFC’s season, which revealed, among other things, that Bernardeschi and fellow Italian star Lorenzo Insigne led a conference call with TFC players this week that discussed their desire to see Bradley fired.

The report also stated that Bernardeschi and Insigne don’t get along, that Bernardeschi asked for and was denied a raise, that the locker room distrusts captain Michael Bradley, and this chestnut:

Bernardeschi has been admonished for using a vape pen in the practice facility, including the training room and on the team plane, despite being told multiple times it was not allowed.

All the while, Insigne and Bernardeschi have underperformed on the field in 2023, with Insigne only playing half the team’s games due to injury and Bernardeschi tallying three goals and two assists in 14 matches.

This could get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

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Federico Bernardeschi doesn’t seem to be a big Bob Bradley fan

“We need an idea of how we play because this is the real problem for me”

Federico Bernardeschi has had enough.

The Toronto FC star vented his frustration with his club’s situation and coaching staff after a 1-0 loss to Austin FC on Saturday, which left TFC rooted to the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.

Despite the presence of the high-paid Italian duo of Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne, TFC has gone scoreless in four straight MLS matches. Insigne has also struggled to stay fit, having played in just half of his team’s games so far.

Bernardeschi sounded off after the game at Q2 Stadium, revealing his frustration with his club’s lack of a clear direction.

“Sincerely, this team, this city, the fans, everybody don’t deserve this, and I think maybe we need to change something,” Bernardeschi told reporters. “We need to [have] a little bit more tactics. We need an idea of how we play because this is the real problem for me. It’s impossible to play like this when we play without [an] idea. This is the big problem for me.”

When asked to elaborate, Bernardeschi quite explicitly put the blame on head coach Bob Bradley and his staff.

“We don’t have a construction in the game. When the player has the ball, we don’t know how to pass the ball,” the 29-year-old said. “This is the real problem, because we don’t train about that.

“We lose every game. We tie, we lose, we tie, we lose. Sometimes we win. But I can’t believe this sincerely. This is no good for the young players. They need to get better, no? And grow up with an idea of football, and the players with personality, they need to help, help us to understand and follow the idea of football. But we need the idea of football. This is the real situation.”

Bernardeschi and Insigne were added at midseason last year with TFC in a dire league position. Though the club was unable to make the postseason in 2022, expectations were high heading into the pair’s first full MLS campaign.

Instead, it’s been more of the same. Bradley may not have much time left to prove to club management, and his players, that he’s the right man to turn things around.

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Vancouver Whitecaps win Canadian Championship, Vanni Sartini loses shirt

If you win a trophy, you get to pop your shirt off

The Vancouver Whitecaps are the champions of Canada, lifting the Voyageurs Cup after defeating Toronto FC on penalties at BC Place late on Tuesday.

Brian White put the Whitecaps ahead in the 19th minute, nodding in a Ryan Gauld cross after Vancouver had two chances to recycle a corner kick. TFC—featuring Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi—had a set piece answer of their own, equalizing in the 75th minute. Bernardeschi’s outside-foot service on a short corner picked out Lukas MacNaughton for a point-blank header to level the scores.

Neither side found a late winner, setting the stage for penalty kicks. Vancouver converted all of their first four opportunities, while Jonathan Osorio struck the post in the third round for TFC. Tristan Blackmon went down the middle as Alex Bono leapt left on the Whitecaps’ fifth, setting off wild celebrations at BC Place.

None were wilder than Vanni Sartini, though. The Whitecaps head coach appeared to very quickly go left as Blackmon’s penalty hit the back of the net, in what turned out to be a sort of barrel roll on the BC Place turf.

Sartini got in several fist-pumps from his knees before hopping up to to acknowledge Toronto’s Bob Bradley before taking off towards the rest of the Vancouver bench, popping his shirt off and windmilling it, and then adding in a couple of jumps and a particularly strong fist-pump for good measure.

Sartini then found himself shirtless for a bit longer than planned, as his “Home Is Vancouver” shirt was inside-out, and Whitecaps staffers kept coming over for hugs while he tried to get things sorted out. The shirtlessness lasted for a solid 30 seconds before Sartini could get back into all of his clothing.

The victory means Vancouver are the sixth team to qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, joining Haiti’s Violette AC (who won the Caribbean Club Championship) and four Liga MX representatives (Atlas, Tigres, Léon, and Pachuca).

Celebrate Sartini’s celebrations

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Mark-Anthony Kaye to Toronto FC in huge MLS trade with Colorado Rapids

TFC is going to trade or sign every player on earth at this rate

Toronto FC keep wheeling and dealing, and the latest chapter is making a deal with the Colorado Rapids to bring Canada midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye to BMO Field.

The list of what’s going to Colorado, who only acquired Kaye in late July 2021 in another blockbuster trade, is long:

  • midfielder Ralph Priso
  • an international roster spot for 2023
  • Toronto’s natural 1st round draft pick in 2023
  • at least $775,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM), with $350,000 in 2022 GAM and $425,000 in 2023 GAM

Depending on Kaye’s status in 2023, the Rapids could be due another $275,000 in 2023 or 2024 GAM. Both clubs have maintained a share of future fees if either Kaye or Priso end up going abroad in a transfer.

“We are very excited to add Mark to our team,” said TFC head coach Bob Bradley, who is reuniting with Kaye after a successful spell for both at LAFC, in a team press release. “Over the past five seasons Mark has established himself as one of the better two-way midfielders in the league. He’s an intelligent player who likes to be around the ball, a good passer, ball-winner, competitor and teammate.”

It’s the latest eye-catching move from TFC, who were already set to have a big start to the summer window once Italy attacker Lorenzo Insigne became eligible to play. In under two weeks, Toronto has signed off on a trade worth over seven figures in MLS assets, signed Serie A veteran Domenico Criscito, traded former MLS Best XI playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo to Inter Miami.

That’s not it, either. The Reds are being strongly linked to a move for ex-Juventus winger Federico Bernardeschi, who is currently a free agent. Pro Soccer Wire has also reported that the club is trying to move Mexican international Carlos Salcedo to either another MLS club or to Liga MX.

Why so many moves for TFC?

It’s clear to see why: Toronto are in 12th place in the East and 24th overall in MLS, and underlying data says that they should be doing even worse. With ambitious ownership and a long-standing tendency to swing for the fences, simply letting 2022 drift away isn’t on the menu.

Kaye figures to walk right into the TFC lineup, which Bradley will likely move full-time into a 4-3-3 after toggling through several formations earlier this year. Kaye and fellow Canada midfielder Jonathan Osorio seem the favorites to set up either side of Michael Bradley, playing as dual No. 8s and supporting Insigne, Spanish forward Jesús Jiménez, and (if they complete the deal) Bernardeschi on the right.

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Carlos Vela y Chicharito encabezarán el All-Star Game ante Liga MX

La MLS ya dio su convocatoria de futbolistas que participarán en el All-Star Game ante la Liga MX el próximo 25 de agosto.

La MLS ya dio su convocatoria de futbolistas que participarán en el All-Star Game ante la Liga MX el próximo 25 de agosto.

Javier Chicharito Hernández del L.A. Galaxy y Carlos Vela del LAFC encabezan la convocatoria de 28 futbolistas que serán dirigidos por Bob Bradley.

El llamado de los mexicanos y de los demás convocados salió de la elección de los aficionados, otro tanto por decisión del técnico y dos jugadores que fueron elegidos por el comisionado de la MLS Don Garber.

Dentro de los convocados aparecen viejos conocidos de la Liga MX como Lucas Zelarayán, Raúl Ruidíaz y el portero Pedro Gallese.

La MLS está lista para representar al futbol de Estados Unidos ante el representativo de la Liga MX en el Banc of California Stadium, la casa de Carlos Vela y el LAFC.

Portada © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports 

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Carlos Vela terminó muy molesto en debut en la MLS

El debut de Carlos Vela en la MLS no fue lo que se esperaba, a los 20 minutos de juego, el técnico Bob Bradley sacó al mexicano

Todos los aficionados esperábamos ver el regreso de Carlos Vela, la estrella del LAFC en el comienzo de la temporada 2021 de la MLS.

Sin embargo el debut del goleador mexicano no fue lo que se esperaba y apenas transcurridos 20 minutos de juego, el técnico Bob Bradley mal interpretó una molestia del mexicano en la pierna derecha y decidió sustituirlo ante el asombro del bombardero que no dudó en reclamarle a su técnico el cambio.

“Es mi culpa, no entendí bien la señal”, dijo Bradley, DT de LAFC.

Resulta que el mexicano sí podía continuar pero el técnico entendió que era necesario sustituirlo por lesión y no dudó en sacrificar a sus estrella un partido pues toda una campaña les espera por delante y el aporte del de Cancún será fundamental para las aspiraciones del LAFC.

Finalmente el LAFC debutó con victoria de 2-0 ante el debutante Austin y eso le dio la razón al técnico Bradley en el desafortunado incidente con Carlos Vela.

Foto portada vía © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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