Now the dress rehearsal really is over for the Bob Bradley administration, as the U.S. national team Thursday begins its title defense of the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Guatemala, a team it tied 0-0 three months ago.
As Steve Goff of the Washington Post points out, Bradley still has a lot to prove despite recently being named permanent head coach of the national team. Bradley knows and accepts that he was never U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati’s first choice coach. “I never really worried about it, to be honest,” he said recently. “I just tried to focus on the work at hand by creating a good environment and challenging the players. I knew there would be a subsequent conversation about the future, but it was out of my control.” He will expect nothing less than a Gold Cup victory repeat from his squad — which he’s shown by calling up all of his top players.
It’s certainly going to be a busy first summer in charge. The Gold Cup lasts almost three weeks and ends just days before the opening of the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela. It remains to be seen how many top players Bradley calls up for the Copa, as he’s repeatedly stated that the Gold Cup is his priority. Landon Donovan and other MLS players have suggested that they might want a rest from the Copa America, since both international tournaments take place in the middle of the MLS season and will last a total of six weeks.