Michael Bradley spent a decade as a midfielder with Toronto FC and captained the 2017 team to an MLS Cup title.
After a long and productive playing career, Bradley went into coaching and returns to Toronto leading the youthful New York Red Bulls into a Saturday afternoon contest with his longtime team.
Bradley played one season in New York when the Red Bulls were known as the Metro Stars in 2005 before spending the next decade abroad. He returned to the MLS for the 2014 season and contributed 16 goals and 36 assists in 258 games for Toronto, which won the Supporters’ Shield in 2017 before beating the Seattle Sounders for its lone title.
“I gave everything I had in my time in Toronto,” Bradley, 38, said Thursday. “From the second I got there until the second I left and I think what we did and what we were able to accomplish was pretty unique and pretty special and ultimately speaks for itself.”
Bradley was named New York’s coach in December after spending six months with MLS Next Pro side New York Red Bulls II.
Bradley opened his coaching career by leading the Red Bulls (2-1-0, six points) to wins over Orlando City and New England. On Sunday, they fell 3-0 to Montreal, despite holding possession for nearly 63% of the contest and seeing five of their 11 shot attempts go on target.
Julian Hall, who scored all three of New York’s goals in the first two games, played midfield to get Eric Choupo-Moting back in the lineup at center.
Toronto (1-2-0, three points) played its first three matches on the road and is starting a nine-game homestand.
After losses to Dallas and Vancouver, Daniel Salloi scored the lone goal in the 86th minute of Sunday’s 1-0 win at FC Cincinnati, and Toronto’s defense improved after it allowed six goals on eight shots on target in the first two games.
“It’s a performance to be proud of but certainly we know that we have things that we have to continue to work on and get better at,” Toronto coach Robin Fraser said.
–Field Level Media
