TORONTO – Michael Bradley isn’t usually one to mince words.
The veteran midfielder has a well-earned reputation for speaking bluntly, and laying the truth bare. There have been times, to be sure, when he’s understandably given a calculated or political answer out of self-preservation.
This past Tuesday was not one of those times, though, as he spoke with brutal honesty about the U.S. national team’s 4-0 loss away to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying.
“On a night like this, there’s no point trying to look at it any other way,” Bradley told reporters after the game. “You have to be big enough and strong enough to just be able and say we weren’t good enough.”
He later added: “You guys are going to want all sorts of analysis and answers, but the reality is just we weren’t good enough.”
It was both a humbling and humiliating loss suffered by the Americans. But whatever emotional baggage Bradley was carrying around following that setback in Costa Rica—and the loss against Mexico a few days earlier in Ohio—has been dumped to the curb. Now back in town with fellow U.S. teammate Jozy Altidore, Bradley is all business ahead of Toronto FC’s Eastern Conference final series against the Montreal Impact.
“One hundred per cent focus and concentration and energy [is on] Montreal, and making sure that we’re ready to step on the field on Tuesday night and go for it,” Bradley said after Friday’s TFC practice.
The Impact host the first leg of the two-match series on Nov. 22 at Olympic Stadium, with the return match slated for Nov. 30 at BMO Field. The winner will become the first Canadian team to reach the MLS Cup final in Major League Soccer history, and with close to 100,000 fans expected to attend both contests, the pressure and the stakes are huge.
As captain and as the team’s defensive linchpin in midfield, Bradley has come to symbolize the fighting and combative spirit of TFC this season with his intensity in protecting the back four, and his tireless chasing and closing down of opposing players while in possession.
He’s also human, and as someone who loves playing for his country, what happened in Costa Rica left a sour taste in his mouth and stung his pride. That loss hurt. Bradley isn’t dwelling on it, though, because he understands he can’t afford to with these next two games against Montreal looming.
“The way we lost on Tuesday is not something that you just get over—certainly not right away. But part of the job, part of the responsibility is to be able to turn the page quickly and switch focus right away,” Bradley stated.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney gave Bradley and Altidore most of Friday’s training session off after being away on international duty, wanting to gently ease the pair of designated players back into the team’s training routine ahead of the game in Montreal next week.
A former U.S. international himself during his playing career, Vanney knows first-hand what it’s like to return to his pro club after losing big games with his national team. He’s confident that the lively and infectious buzz surrounding TFC will wear off on Bradley and Altidore.
“It’s such a positive environment here with where things are at and where things are going, [which is] kind of the opposite from where they came from. It’s probably refreshing to come back and see some of their compatriots, their teammates, and friendly faces, and to be playing for something significant right after such a difficult couple of games,” Vanney offered.
“I know they’re disappointed, but I think they were quick to recognize over the next 24 hours or so that they’ve got to switch their concentration… I’m 100 per cent certain they’ll be ready to go.”
The return of Bradley and Altidore means TFC’s preparations will ramp up after a lengthy layoff.
The Reds beat New York City FC on Nov. 6 to clinch their spot in the Eastern Conference final. But MLS has been on hiatus since then due to the international break. By the time next Tuesday rolls around, it will have been 16 days since both Toronto and Montreal last played.
“I’m not a big fan of breaks, especially with the momentum we had. But we have to be professional about it. … The break is not going to be an excuse at all,” defender Drew Moor stated.
“This is a big game—if you can’t get up for this one then I don’t know what you’re getting up for.”
Bradley isn’t a big fan of their break either, although he recognizes not much can be done about it.
“It’s not ideal in terms of the MLS playoffs. You play all year, you have the [first round] games on the midweek, and then you go right into the conference semifinals, and then just as the whole thing starts to really pick up and you really start to feel like there’s momentum, there’s a break. Nobody can do anything about that with the FIFA calendar and qualifiers—your hands are tied, and it is what it is,” TFC’s captain said.
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