I really do like Bob Bradley. Honest.

I don't want my previous posts to seem in any way as a knock on Bob Bradley. To the contrary I think right now he and Frank Yallop are the coaching class of MLS (LA is lucky to have both these guys in town).

Many people are going to look at Bradley's dismissal from NY Red Bulls as a negative. They shouldn't. The New York job has been poisoned to anyone who's taken it. Bradley was never able to do with that club what he really wanted because he had people above him (Alexi Lalas for one) mucking up the works. Bruce Arena is the only person that has the clout and control to finally straighten that club out.

Such a situation isn't all that much better with the Nats job, but it is, still, a little better. The player pool Bob will have to choose from is a much juicier one and doesn't have a salary cap limitation. And just because Bradley is a former Arena assistant doesn't mean he's an Arena clone. Bradley likes to play it faster and more aggressive than Arena did. Maybe that's because it was just MLS and when you get the national level you can't get that crazy. But I don't think so.

I also don't think that Bradley will fall into just picking that same old players that Arena did. Though his time is limited, Bradley will still want to leave with a certain, albeit small, legacy. And maybe since his time is brief he'll be a little riskier with what he does. Try some off the path things. I definitely think we'll see a much younger roster than before and not just because our old guys are just to old to play anymore.

I'm interested to see what he'll do. Not necessarily excited, but definitely interested. I don't think the Denmark game will give us any insight to Bob Bradley's game or provide any indication of how great a coach he'll be. It's the first game with a new coach. Every one's at least given a pass for that.

No matter how well Bradley does, however, in the end I really feel he won't get the head coach's job for good. Gulati is going to get his big signing and try to save as much of this disastrous beginning to his term as he can. Bob Bradley, no matter how he turns out, and done a very noble deed in taking on the job under such dim conditions.