New York Red Bulls II made a splash announcement yesterday with the hiring of former Metrostars and US Men’s national team superstar Michael Bradley as the team’s new head coach. The MLS Next Pro side, which is currently pushing for top of the league, will be a proving ground for the aspiring coach who looks to take his years of on-field experience and translate it to the bench.
“This is a dream opportunity as a young coach,” said Bradley in a press release. “I’m looking forward to working every day with this talented group of players. I’ll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers.”
Bradley’s own career is one that is deeply rooted in the New Jersey area. Born in Princeton, the American’s journey took him through the Project 40 pipeline and into the NY/NJ Metrostars in 2004. Project 40, now dubbed Generation Adidas, is an effort to develop and improve the US Men’s national team player pool. Along with Bradley, players like Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore and Sacha Kljestan would don kits for the NY/NJ area over the years.
The journey didn’t last long with the Metrostars as Bradley quickly moved to Europe and eventually playing for the well established German club Borussia Monchengladbach and then Italian powerhouse AS Roma. It was back in MLS that Bradley filled his trophy case as a member of the star-studded Toronto FC which included Altidore, Giovinco, Omar Gonzalez and others. He lifted the treble for Toronto in 2017, winning the Supporters Shield, Canadian Cup and MLS Cup.
Now, he looks to translate the on-field success to teaching and that journey begins with a New York Red Bulls II club that has a long history of success. Players like Tyler Adams, Aaron Long, John Tolkin, Brian White and others all successfully emerged from the system. Bradley, now the fourth head coach in the team’s history, hopes to continue that success.
“He had an incredible playing career and is one of the greatest American soccer players ever,” said Sporting Director Julian de Guzman. “We see him as a promising coaching talent and look forward to supporting his development as he transitions to a career behind the touchline.”
photo by Matt Kremkau