Only One Football

Nearly a fortnight has passed since the United States beat Mexico in the opening hexagonal CONCACAF qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, and the one thing that stands out above all else from that intense match is that Michael Bradley is on his way to becoming America’s Roy Keane.  While Freddy Adu wastes away in Monaco, Jozy Altidore’s Spanish journey finds him failing to get minutes in La Liga Segunda and Giuseppi Rossi pretends he’s not an American in an Azzurri shirt, Bradley’s February dominance for club and country make him the most outstanding Yankee outfield player plying his trade on any side of the Atlantic Ocean.

While comparing Bradley to his soccer idol may seem unfair, consider that when you look at where they are at in their respective careers, Bradley has an edge on the Corkman so far.  Both played as teens in their little-respected home country leagues, Keano with Cobh Ramblers and Bradley with the New York MetroStars.  At age 21, Roy Keane was operating in the midfield at Nottingham Forest in the last season of Brian Clough’s storied career, with relegation awaiting despite the midfielder’s best efforts.  Bradley’s Borussia Monchengladbach appears as relegation bound as Forest was in 92-93, though Bradley has established himself as a quality player in the Bundesliga.  This after banging in an American-in-Europe record 16 goals last year for Heerenveen in the Dutch top flight, though one could argue whether that is a greater accomplishment than Keane’s 22 goals in three English top flight seasons for Forest.  Whether or not Monchengladbach survives the drop, it is a sure thing that Bradley’s play has earned him the attention of bigger clubs in Germany, England and elsewhere with Manchester United said to have its scouts watching.

The Mexico match demonstrated what Bradley offers.  He’s a tireless worker, has a good football brain, puts in his tackles and is not afraid to take a crack from midfield to keep the goalkeeper honest when the opportunity is right.  Not long ago critics said his inclusion in the USA starting XI stunk of nepotism from his father/USA manager Bob Bradley.  That night Michael shut down those criticisms forever and when asked by an ESPN reporter at game’s end if he was feeling an extra bit of pride after Michael’s brace, Coach Bob said it was only about the team right now.  And he looked like he truly meant it.  That focus and sense of purpose seems to have been passed down a generation and it would not be far fetched to imagine a scenario where the USA’s manager and captain were father and son.

While the armband appears a certainty in Bradley’s international future, his club career is full of possibilities after this season.  Perhaps an opportunity to follow his idol’s path from relegated side to Manchester United seems unlikely with central midfielders like Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Darron Gibson and Darren Fletcher already on the books at Old Trafford, but a move to one of England’s midtable sides would allow Bradley to amass more playing time anyway.  He was closely linked to Middlesborough in the Summer though they are likely to be playing in the Coca-Cola Championship next season.  Everton and Keane’s Sunderland were said to be kicking the tires on Bradley after his torrid Heerenveen campaign.  Clint Dempsey’s success this season at Fulham can only make Bradley more attractive, as though an English speaking two-way midfielder with a tireless work rate and his best years ahead of him were not already enough.

While Michael Bradley is a long way from becoming a legend like Roy Keane or even a world class player like his USA teammate Tim Howard, he’s not off to a bad start.  While Adu and Altidore get more press and FIFA video game box covers, Bradley has firmly established himself as the best of the young Americans.   If he can lead the USA to the top position in the CONCACAF qualifiers, contribute to a respectable American showing in the 2010 World Cup and advance his club career, Bradley has every chance to end up being the USA’s most successful ever non-goalkeeping male footballer.  Not bad at all for a kid who just last year people thought was only getting picked because his daddy was the coach.