Michael Bradley

At least on, I like to call it the glass ceiling reference from Trinidad and Tobago back in the process of trying to qualify for 2018.

The old dogs, whether you're talking about a [image whooshes] Gucci Nyewu or a Clint Dempsey or a Michael Bradley or a Jermaine Jones or a Tim Howard, with this generation of players, I'm intrigued to see kind of how this competition opens up.

Yeah.

And maybe more importantly, how Mauricio Pochettino and his, and his coaching staff continue this evolution of maybe the most important word he's used, culture, with regards to the US Men's National Team.

Uh, Mamedi, I, I just think he's, he's, he's wise and intelligent.

He's got that old kind of dog mentality for a young kid.

And under the tutelage, by the way, of not only Julian De Guzman, but Michael Bradley.

Mm-hmm.

Rodri is the clone.

I tried to watch him, because I hear that that's what Michael Bradley's doing with Red Bulls.

He's playing all these young kids.

Yeah.

New York is red.

Michael Bradley decides to start zero of the team's three designated players and makes playing your kids really what it's all about during a crucial six-pointer.

What were your thoughts, Mike, when the lineups dropped? Um...

Look, I went into the match not knowing that Justin Shea was as hurt as he was supposed to be.

In the first half, the teams go into the locker room Scored, tied at zero.

And then in the second half, things started to change for the Red Bulls attack, Mike.

yeah no and i'm just gonna say that uh even though the way you described us that red bull held back i i slightly counted that by saying uh red bull tried to be aggressive and it failed a lot because either they were getting called offside they were getting called for fouls and the momentum would swing back to nycfc because then they would get the free kicks then they would be able to yeah you know there were three yellow cards in the first half that's the type of aggression that was in this game And Bradley at the end of the game said we were aggressive in both halves, but we were badly aggressive in the first half.

That's a step too late or things like that.

As we already mentioned, we're only missing Damian Downs.

Tom, is this already an advantage because it's four starters down for Michael Bradley?

I'm just sitting here and trying to stop from busting out a laughter here for one reason, and that is I'm looking at the recent Red Bulls performance, and I'm going to run down some scores here for you.

Sure.

City has produced five goals from those turnovers.

Red Bull only four.

But, I mean, again, Tom, when we're talking about missed players and we're talking about guys who aren't going to be there, how much do you think this changes what Michael Bradley, the manager for Red Bull, may do going into this game?

I mean, I almost, if you're Michael Bradley, and by the way, you mentioned Michael Bradley, I also have to point out that this is also a Mike Sorber reunion for St. Louis City, as Sorber was hired away from the St. Louis Academy to help Michael Bradley this year in his first head coaching job.

He was very professional, but it felt weird is a good word because first of all, I came in, I was actually, I was late to the press conference and it was only 10 minutes after the final whistle.

I think now I think some of that had to do with the fact that there were also hosting, um, Michael Bradley immediately afterwards.

Um, I've never been late to a press, a Pascal press conference.

Usually they don't start till 25 minutes after the final whistle.

they didn't want to do it at first, because I remember MLS before, they weren't really playing young talent.

They would sign your Josie Altidore, Michael Bradley as DPs, and that was the kind of thing.

But it wasn't until maybe, I want to say, five years ago, I want to say 2001 age group, that they were like, okay, we recognize that if we play these players, we could sell them for a profit, bro.

A lot of young players from MLS now, I mean, Alphonso Davies.