Michael Bradley (soccer)

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Michael Bradley
Personal information
Full name	Michael Bradley
Date of birth	July 31, 1987 (1987-07-31) (age 20)
Place of birth	Princeton, NJ, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	sc Heerenveen
Number	6
Youth clubs
	Chicago Sockers
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2004–05 2005–	MetroStars SC Heerenveen	30 0(1) 54 (15)
National team2
2006–	United States	18 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 January 2008. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 6 June 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Michael Bradley (born July 31, 1987) is an American soccer player who currently plays as a midfielder for SC Heerenveen of the Dutch Eredivisie. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the U.S. national team, and in an attacking midfield role for Heerenveen.

Contents 1 Youth 2 Professional 3 National team 3.1 International goals 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Youth

Bradley was born in Princeton, New Jersey, son to Bob Bradley, then a noted American college soccer coach. Michael spent his teenage years in Palatine, Illinois, while his father coached the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, and grew up playing for Sockers FC, who went to the 2002 National Championship and finished 3rd. He later attended the Bradenton Academy in Florida — the USA's dedicated facility for the training of its Under-17 national team — for four semesters, from the fall of 2002 through the spring of 2004.

Although his father coached the Chicago Fire from 1998 to 2002, Michael was a fan of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars during his youth, and has cited Giovanni Savarese in particular as an influence on his soccer instincts.

[edit] Professional

Before leaving Bradenton, Bradley signed a Project-40 contract with MLS, turning professional at the age of 16, and entered the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected 36th overall by the MetroStars, who at the time were coached by his father. Bradley did not see any playing time in his rookie season, missing out with a foot injury, but went on to gain a starting spot in 2005, playing 30 out of 32 matches for the Metros. He headed in his first professional goal in a dramatic victory over Chivas USA, clinching a playoff spot for his team in their last game of the 2005 season. Ironically, his father had been dismissed as MetroStars coach less than two weeks before, and would go on to coach Chivas USA during 2006.

In January 2006, Bradley became the youngest MLS player to ever be sold when he was transferred to sc Heerenveen for an amount which remains undisclosed. His first start for the Frisian club came on April 16, 2006, in a match against AZ Alkmaar. He found success early, earning four starts and helping the club to a coveted UEFA Cup spot in his first half-season. Upon the retirement of Paul Bosvelt after the 2006-07 season, Bradley took the veteran's starting place in midfield. Bradley has scored 16 Eredivisie goals and 20 in all competitions as of March 22, 2008.

In January 2008, Bradley broke the record for the most goals scored in a single season by an American-born footballer playing in a European first division, which was previously held by Brian McBride with his 13 goals for Fulham in the English Premier League. On January 26th of that year, Bradley extended his record to 15 goals with two against De Graafschap, and scored another on February 2nd and yet another on the 9th to make it 17, including 13 league goals. Throughout his scoring run, Michael has played an important creative role in Heerenveen's midfield, helping his team carve out the best goal differential in its division and compete for the Eredivisie league title.

Bradley has been linked to a move to the Premier League. Clubs who have scouted him include Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa and Sunderland.^[1]

[edit] National team

In May 2006, Bradley was brought into the World Cup 2006 training camp in Cary, North Carolina to train with the United States. While not a member of the World Cup squad or an alternate, Bradley was on the roster for the three send-off friendlies played before the tournament. He earned his first cap in the May 26 match against Venezuela as a substitute and his second cap for the United States in the following game against Latvia, again as a substitute.

He earned his first start for the United States on March 28, 2007, during a friendly against Guatemala. He was a starter at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, helping the U.S. to the title, and at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he scored the game-winning goal in the 107th minute against Uruguay in the round of 16, sending the US side to the round of eight.^[2] He scored his first senior international goal on October 17, 2007, with a game-winner in the 87th minute against Switzerland.

[edit] International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	17 October 2007	St. Jakob-Park, Switzerland	Switzerland	1-0	1-0	Friendly

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Michael Bradley FIFA competition record
• MetroStars profile
• Michael Bradley articles on Yanks Abroad
• Soccer By Ives article about 14, 15th goals
• Blackburn Rovers Show Interest In Heerenveen Player
• Heerenveen Manager Resists Premiership Interest For Bradley

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