The USSF announced yesterday Bob Bradley’s contract had been extended a further 4 years, concluding with the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, thus ending the US Men’s National Team’s coach’s flirtation’s with England’s Premiership. American soccer’s gain, however, is most certainly British sports journalism’s loss, as the Guardian’s Simon Burton and Tom Lutz demonstrate the sort treatment Bradley (shown above, during the early 1970’s) might’ve received on a regular basis.
The Special Relationship is a fulfilling one for Great Britain. We get a cool friend whose taste in music, films, cars, food, fashion and misjudged military aggression we slavishly follow, while making snippy remarks behind their back about their inferior intellect. In return they once talked to us at the UN “ although they kept on calling us Brian rather than Britain “ and sometimes employ our actors to play baddies or misanthropes in finely crafted TV dramas. They even defer to us in all matters association football. Or at least they did until today.
For USA! USA!! USA!!! coach Bob Bradley has decided managing a team that could only draw with England at the World Cup is more glamorous than taking charge of Aston Villa, the eighth- or ninth- or 10th- or maybe 20th if Andy Carroll is playing against them-best team in the Best League In The World. Yup, he’s signed a new deal with the US Soccerball Federation, putting him out of the running to replace neurotic genius Martin O’Neill at Villa Park. The fact that Villa want someone with Premier League experience in charge may also be a factor but that’s by the by.