Jurgen Klinsmann feels that United States midfielder Michael Bradley is a perfect fit for the attacking midfield position.
The US international has been playing as a defensive midfielder or as a central midfielder for much of his career. This switch to an attacking position at a time when many feel that Bradley is at the peak of his powers could fail to get the best out of him.
Klinsmann, though, sees the ideal qualities of an attacking midfielder within Bradley. Since making his debut for the US team in 2006, Bradley has featured in 91 international matches.
Yet, he has never been regarded as a renowned goal scorer. Players like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have been seen as the main goal scorers for this US team. The 27-year-old played in 27 league matches for Toronto FC last season. He managed only two goals from these matches. Yet, it appears that Klinsmann is choosing Bradley is the attacking midfielder not for his goal scoring ability, but for his ability to make a decisive pass. After the retirement of Landon Donovan, it is expected that Klinsmann may promote Dempsey into more of a striker role. This will free up space in the midfield that is expected to be occupied by Bradley.
“The role that he ideally plays for me as a coach is an advanced role on the field, where he gets close the opponents’ 18-yard-box, gets into the 18 yards — maybe scores the goals, maybe plays the decisive ball — and has these building moments and connects the dots higher up the field.I think we had a extremely good World Cup. In a group of death that everybody said ‘You had no chance’ we made it out of that group, leaving Portugal with the best player in the world behind, and Ghana,” said Klinsmann.
Jurgen Klinsmann feels that United States midfielder Michael Bradley is a perfect fit for the attacking midfield position.
The US international has been playing as a defensive midfielder or as a central midfielder for much of his career. This switch to an attacking position at a time when many feel that Bradley is at the peak of his powers could fail to get the best out of him.
Klinsmann, though, sees the ideal qualities of an attacking midfielder within Bradley. Since making his debut for the US team in 2006, Bradley has featured in 91 international matches.
Yet, he has never been regarded as a renowned goal scorer. Players like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have been seen as the main goal scorers for this US team. The 27-year-old played in 27 league matches for Toronto FC last season. He managed only two goals from these matches. Yet, it appears that Klinsmann is choosing Bradley is the attacking midfielder not for his goal scoring ability, but for his ability to make a decisive pass. After the retirement of Landon Donovan, it is expected that Klinsmann may promote Dempsey into more of a striker role. This will free up space in the midfield that is expected to be occupied by Bradley.
“The role that he ideally plays for me as a coach is an advanced role on the field, where he gets close the opponents’ 18-yard-box, gets into the 18 yards — maybe scores the goals, maybe plays the decisive ball — and has these building moments and connects the dots higher up the field.I think we had a extremely good World Cup. In a group of death that everybody said ‘You had no chance’ we made it out of that group, leaving Portugal with the best player in the world behind, and Ghana,” said Klinsmann.