For better or worse, manager-father, player-son teams are in it together. Complaints of nepotism abound in soccer, and are often submitted by team troublemakers. Nigel Clough is well acquainted with the difficulties of being the son of a team manager; his father Brian Clough, while managing Nigel at Nottingham Forest, refused to address his son by name, calling Nigel “our number 9”. Managers who manage their sons may, far from being too lenient with their offspring, be too critical. The chore of balancing too much leniency with too much deprecation can be a taxing task.
Bob Bradley and his son are hoping to avoid this kind of problem when they compete in the South African based World Cup Finals this summer.
Michael Bradley was born in Princeton, New Jersey when Bob was the coach of the Princeton University soccer team. When Michael was young, his father received a position coaching the MLS Chicago Fire, and Michael was raised in Palatine, gaining a love for the game that rivalled that of his father. After Bob gained a position with the Chicago Fire, Michael grew up in Palatine, and began to enjoy the sport immensely.
After an impressive career in Junior leagues, Michael signed up with the MLS Superdraft in 2004 and was selected 36th overall by the New York Metrostars, who just so happened to be coached by his father. During his first season as a professional in New York, Michael didn’t see any playing time, his year ruined by a problematic foot injury, but in his second full year at the club, both Bradley’s had an impact, Bob leading the team to the play offs, while Michael played in thirty of the thirty two games that season and headed his first goal for Metrostars in a vital win over Chivas USA, which put Metrostars into the play offs.
Bradley soon gained attention of foreign teams, leading him to leave the Metrostars in 2006 to play for Holland’s SC Heerenveen team. Taking over the anchoring role in the team, Bradley made a quick impact at the Dutch side, playing an important role in leading the club to a place in the UEFA Cup and the following season, he added goals to his already impressive performances from midfield, scoring 20 goals in all competitions in season 2007-08.
After Bradley’s success with Holland, bigger clubs started paying attention, including Birmingham City, whose relegation from the Premier League preventing them from getting him in their soccer merchandise. The midfielder was eventually chosen by Borussia Moenchengladbach, and has done well for the German team, playing in no less than 58 games and scoring seven goals for the team.
Because young Bradley has done so well, no one was really surprised when he was promoted to the ranks of the US National Team. Bob, the elder Bradley, began coaching the US team, and the pair worked together to bring Michael to his current role as the meat of the US midfield sandwich, helping offensive players like Landon Donovan to score big for the team.
Both Bradley men have much to be proud of this summer, when the two will bring the US to compete in South Africa with dreams of winning it all.
