Michael Bradley to F̶u̶l̶h̶a̶m̶ Toronto?

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

Alexi Lalas has confirmed. S%!t :angry-banghead:

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

Well hopefully you will get someone you like on DC United as a result

Also being reported the Jermaine Defoe has completed a move to Toronto

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

Seltzer @ No Short Corners is saying talks are serious but nothing is final.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

Grant Wahl reminded me (not personally, course) that Tim Leiweke is running the show up in Toronto now. Obviously, Tim likes to make a big splash, and Defoe and Bradley certainly qualify.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around MB's motivation, though. I guess I have to go back to the same theories when Dempsey made his move: money and/or desire to be a big fish in a smaller pond and/or family reasons. Though, at 26, MB's movie is truly perplexing.

Could it possibly be some sort of loyalty/patriotism/desire to lift U.S. soccer by improving the domestic league? OK, that's just silly.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

at first glance, yes. however, maybe it's not so far off the mark.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

So shocked by this development that it's hard to have one concrete opinion. Instead of looking at the big picture items i.e MLS popularity, USMNT implications how about focusing on whether or not this will hinder/help him from being the best possible player he can be (which I have no doubt he is striving for). IF he does comes back and stays in MLS for the rest of his career I would put him in the same category as Landon and say he didn't maximize his potential. However, it's his life and the prospect of raising his young family in North America and being compensated well is something that might be too good to pass up.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

Money doesn't talk, it screams.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

ESPN is reporting the deal is as good as done, with Bradley set to earn in the neighborhood of $6.5 million a year. I'd say that qualifies as screaming money.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

It is not a loan.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

I just learned this today, but allocation order doesn't matter when it comes to DP signings.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

This is my theory because it's' the only way I can wrap my head around this. Klinsmann and US Soccer are behind it in someway. Klinsmann or several people within US Soccer have decided that we are never going to compete with the top soccer nations when half of our players are in Europe and half are in North America. The national team has so little time together and often it's one MNT when we they are playing across the Atlantic and one MNT when we are playing somewhere in the Americas. If they are all playing in the same place, you can have an international friendly schedule that accommodates more of the core players and only require long flights of the players when there is adequate time. Perhaps, like a majority of the German national team players, Klinsman wants them all playing in the same league so they gain whatever additional familiarity with each other that brings. Also, you wont have situations like Brek Shea where a promising player that Klinsmann obviously likes isnt even making the bench. Maybe Klinsmann has gotten a taste for the lack of respect American players get in Europe and he thinks it gets in the way of them developing to their potential. Finally, if your goal is a certain playing style from the senior team down through the youth ranks, then ideally dont you want all your players playing and developing in the same league and youth system where that style is implemented? Maybe Klinsmann was able to convince Bradley, Dempsey, now possibly Jones and Onyewu that it was important to the national team to have most of our players in the same league. Then US Soccer and MLS have worked/are working together to find the bucks to make it financially beneficial for them

Yes, Brazilian and Argentinian players are scattered around the world, but dont a lot of people think those nations are underperforming on the International stage?

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

This makes sense other than it is 6 months before the World Cup. Why would he switch to MLS right before the World Cup when he easily could have stayed put in Roma or gone to some other team in Europe where he is still playing at the highest level. While $6.5million/yr for six years, the deal I've seen reported, is too good for even him to pass up, I have to think such a deal still would be there after the World Cup. If he plays well, perhaps an even better deal would be possible.

 

Re: Michael Bradley to Fulham?

I agree wholeheartedly Heather. I would take a 600 percent wage increase to move into worse working conditions. It would not even cause me to blink.