TORONTO – Michael Bradley is one cool, calm customer.
Even when he gets angry, he remains measured in his tone, not letting his emotions get the better of him.
Case in point: When referee David Gantar disallowed a 90th minute goal by Gilberto that would have given Toronto FC a crucial 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Sept. 13, Bradley didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, the TFC midfielder matter-of-factly said his piece as a horde of reporters stuck their microphones in his face in the locker-room after the game.
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“It’s not the first time we’ve had this guy this year. And what can you say? He’s just not good enough,” Bradley said of Gantar after the Chicago game.
He later added: "Consistently they put referees out there who are in over their heads. It’s a shame, because they ruin games."
No yelling. No swearing. No histrionics. No slamming of fits. Just an honest airing of his frustrations.
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has since acknowledged that Gantar made the wrong call, but that didn’t stop him from fining Bradley an undisclosed amount earlier this week for his comments.
And what was Bradley’s reaction to Garber on the one admitting that Gantar blew the call while at the same time slapping Bradley with a fine? Calm acceptance.
"I expected to be fined, and I deserve to be fined. There are rules in place in terms of what players and coaches can say, what they can’t say, the way they can talk about games, the way they can’t talk about games. [The fine] was expected. I think it was the right decision on their part," Bradley admitted.
Bradley doesn’t regret speaking out, though.
"I think it’s important for everyone to understand that I said what I said after the game in Chicago because it’s what I felt. It wasn’t an emotional reaction. It was all very calculated and I had plenty of time to think through what I wanted to say, and how I wanted it to come across," Bradley explained.
This is the third time this season Bradley has commented on the standard of officiating in MLS—the first instance came after a July 26 home loss to Sporting Kansas City.
He wasn’t sanctioned by MLS for those comments, and he maintains this week’s fine won’t make him think twice about speaking out again if he feels the situation calls for it.
"As a leader at times there’s a need to say things and I felt that was an important time to stand up for the team. Having said that, you can’t do that every week [or else] you come across as a whiner, you come across as a complainer and it doesn’t set a good tone," Bradley said.
With TFC in a tight playoff race—three points out of fifth place Columbus with six matches remaining in the season—Bradley maintains his focus is squarely on what’s ahead, most notably Saturday’s crucial home game against the Portland Timbers.
"I said my piece, I said it because it’s what I felt at that time. You have to move on and there’s no time to dwell on missed calls for games that already are over. We’re at a point in the season where every play can make a difference so all of our energy has to be on what’s coming," Bradley stated.
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