Unfortunately, much of this loss is on his shoulders. Before the tournament I would have told you that he was hand down our best player. But his poor play in the first match coupled with two colossal mistakes in the last one have changed my mind. Top class players put that away from six yards out with one guy on the line to beat. Top class players absolutely DO NOT give the ball away that cheaply with thirty seconds left in the game. Put your foot through it, get a foul, do anything besides give it away and we win that match. It's true that our back line was ball-watching during Ronaldo's cross, but if Bradley doesn't make just one of those mistakes, we win. Simple as that.

Doesn't help that with 3 defenders in the box, not one of them picked up Varela coming through.

No. No no no. No. Just no.

He is one of our best players. He traveled more distance than anyone on the team yesterday by like 2k meters. Only Zusi was even close.

He was dead, and probably should have been subbed, but that is on Jurgen, not Bradley.

Without him, we wouldn't have had a lead to throw away.

He is our best player. As Bradley goes, so goes the USMNT.

He was good against Ghana as well. People hold this lofty expectation of him like every game is going to be the first half of that friendly against Mexico, but that is the exception not the rule. His passing % isn't going to be that lofty 98% he had in Serie A because his role is different. Playing in a more advanced, creative role, he isn't going to have perfect clocklike passing numbers because he has to take chances to generate opportunities.

So much unfounded Bradley hate. Its everywhere and its bringing on a hangover.

Bradley has had a bad tourney for the most part. His passing has been bad. His decisions have been bad. Going in he was someone I thought we could rely on. He has had a C- WC at best.

That being said I wouldn't be suprised if he has a great game on Thursday.

Bradley played really well yesterday, except for the mistake at the end. He is still our best player and proved it yesterday.

I thought Bradley played very well yesterday until the giveaway at the end.

Kampfers,

I agree with you that Bradley played well yesterday. But my point is that you cannot deny the fact that his two huge mistakes cost us the match. A player that is supposed to be your best should not make those mistakes. Both were absolutely unacceptable.

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Kampfers,

I agree with you that Bradley played well yesterday. But my point is that you cannot deny the fact that his two huge mistakes cost us the match. A player that is supposed to be your best should not make those mistakes. Both were absolutely unacceptable.

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Sure. And what's your solution? Bench him? Any rational observer would laugh at the notion of putting our best player on the bench because he had a mediocre game and then made a big mistake or two in an otherwise solid performance

Gordo,

I'm not suggesting benching him. I'm simply saying that his mistakes cost us the match. That is all.

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A player that is supposed to be your best should not make those mistakes

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Oh, sorry.

Zidane, you weren't France's best player in Germany '06.

John Terry, you weren't Chelsea's best player in Moscow.

Wayne Rooney, you aren't a world class player, since you've never gotten it done at the Cup.

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Gordo,

I'm not suggesting benching him. I'm simply saying that his mistakes cost us the match. That is all.

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Alright, I'll email him and make sure he's aware of that.

I guess I don't care for this discussion as there are 1) three pages of it yesterday and 2) no solution in terms of improving the team going forward from it.

The solution is he needs to play better. And LOL at the comment above that he played well against Ghana.

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Wayne Rooney, you aren't a world class player, since you've never gotten it done at the Cup.

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Shrek is a good player. He is not a great player.

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The solution is he needs to play better. And LOL at the comment above that he played well against Ghana.

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He was very sound positionally and defensively against Ghana. He also ran all over the pitch. It was probably the worst offensive game over seen of him in a long time... But he wasn't useless

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Unfortunately, much of this loss is on his shoulders.

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cannot take OP serious when he doesnt even get the outcome the game correct

This thread

It certainly felt like a loss.

Zidane's headbutt is comparing apples and oranges in this discussion.

JT missing a penalty is also a completely different situation.

Y'all are kidding yourselves if you seriously don't blame Bradley at all for this.

I'd pick Cameron out before Bradley, his botched clearance and bad marking on the tying goal are worse than the giveaway and missed shot. Reality is no one person is to blame in a tie game.

So much fail in this thread... Bradley played above average for 90 minutes. Not great, but most certainly not terrible. After saying that, he did have a few costly mistakes that really hurt our chances at getting a win yesterday. I can't say we lost because of him, because if he scored the goal who knows how hard Portugal would have pressed. Who knows if a tired MB would have been subbed if we were up 3-1. All I know is that he missed an open goal with one defender to beat, gave up a couple balls, had several GREAT balls to create chances, but still gave up the ball with 30 seconds left.

It doesn't help that he did the EXACT same thing verse Ghana. He gave it up with 30 seconds vs Portugal instead of taking it OB or fouling him or ANYTHING. He gave up the ball with a minute or so left verse Ghana rather than taking it to the corner...

For him being such a veteran, he has made a few mistakes that were costly. He still is an exceptional player IMO and I'm hoping he gets things together against Germany.

nice summation hunter

In important games and matches, there is a point where the players make plays or the don't. Bradley clearly didn't when it really mattered along with the defenseman who let the player slip in behind him and Ronaldo was terrible for all but the final sequence but when it mattered he delivered.

He was not good against Ghana. He was better yesterday minus the obvious let down at the end. Yes, he is one of our best players and so far has disappointed overall. To beat Germany we need him to be better.

It's not fair so much is on his shoulders but it is what it is. He can be and needs to be better.

Bradley flat out sucked against Ghana. Anybody who says otherwise must be a Bradley family member. He was good until the end yesterday, but you can't make those sorts if mistakes.

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Bradley played above average for 90 minutes. Not great, but most certainly not terrible. After saying that, he did have a few costly mistakes that really hurt our chances at getting a win yesterday.

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The bold part says his play was well below average. And LOL at anyone who thinks he played well against Ghana. He gave more balls to Ghana than he did to American players. Hell, at one point yesterday I wondered if he knew we were not in red last night.

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Unfortunately, much of this loss is on his shoulders.

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cannot take OP serious when he doesnt even get the outcome the game correct

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If you don't win, you lose... simple as that.

[This message has been edited by ol_army12 (edited 6/23/2014 9:49a).]

[This message has been edited by ol_army12 (edited 6/23/2014 9:49a).]

Bradley's second "mistake" was the ball that was cleared by a defender off the line? That wasn't a great finish but it's nowhere near a mistake.

Bradley had an awful first touch in space that took the ball away from him. Physical mistake, understandable in the 95th minute.

Almost any other team in the tournament, their attacking midfielder is shielding the ball, a defender behind him tries to dispossess. What happens? Fall down! Roll around. Better than 50/50 that any other team gets a foul and kills the game in that spot on the field, IMO.

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If you don't win, you lose... simple as that.

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So Portugal lost to the US as well? And Germany lost to Ghana? Or did Ghana lose to Germany?

Portugal is celebrating and we are pissed. (Even though a month ago I would have been delighted with a tie in this game)

Defensive lot in here.

He's probably our best player over a body of many games.

He's not been at his best these past two games, at least in my opinion. His passing hasn't been as crisp as it can be and he's made a brain fart or two that have hurt. 90 above average minutes with a bad 5 minutes can cost you in this tournament.

Again, he's probably our best player over a body of many games.

Those aren't mutually exclusive, and we don't have to be nipping at each other over it.

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Portugal is celebrating and we are pissed.

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No they are not. Did you see the expression of the players and coaches after the goal? It was a must win game for them. A tie did Portugal almost no good. Unless they expect to beat Ghana by 3 or more.

The missed goal was a huge mistake by Bradley. And at the end, he could and should have done literally anything else than what he did. He could have caught the ball and laid down in the fetal position and we would have won the game. Anything but what he did. He is the goat of the game.

Err, no. To pretty much everything you said.

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Portugal is celebrating and we are pissed.

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Portugal isn't celebrating. They are hanging on by a thread and know they are 99.9% out.

Does anyone else think that Michael Bradley looks a little like the World Cup Trophy?