There is no doubt that Michael Bradley is at the top of his game for both club and country. He heaviliy influences every match he plays, and he was cr
There is no doubt that Michael Bradley is at the top of his game for both club and country. He heaviliy influences every match he plays, and he was crucial in the last friendlies the U.S. played against Netherlands and Germany, putting one of his best performances so far against the Dutch. Even though he did not do as well in the World Cup last year, but he will soon have another chance to shine.
The U.S. is the defending champion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but with a new-look team, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has some decisions to make, one of them will be who he will chose as the captain of this team.
Clint Dempsey has been the captain of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the last 2 years, however with his recent referee issue, things might be changing sooner rather than later.
During a recent U.S. Open Cup game, Seattle Sounders’ forward, Dempsey, lost the plot and ripped the referee’s notebook in a fit of rage. Even though coach Klinsmann will not punish Dempsey directly, there is a possibility that he will pick a someone else to lead his team at this point. Unfortunately for Dempsey, Michael Bradley has been having consistent positive performances, putting himself in a better situation to get the armband.
Bradley has showed leadership and has put great performances in the last matches against Mexico, Netherlands and Germany. He was one of the key players when Dempsey was away and he lived up to the expectations and even beyond that.
The USMNT has played 7 friendlies this year already, and while Michael Bradley has participated in all 7 of them, Clint Dempsey has only played in 2 of them.
Neither of them will be bad choices for the captain spot, but ultimately it will be up to Klinsmann who he will trust for this position. At this point, Bradley might be in a better situation to receive the armband and lead the U.S. to a consecutive win in the Gold Cup.
