Michael Bradley has been arguably the United States’ best player over their last two friendlies. Even in the match against Brazil where the USMNT did not control possession and spent a bit of time in their own half, Bradley did a lot of dictating the play when the United States did get the ball. With Maurice Edu holding in a 4-3-3, he had some freedom to get forward against Scotland and Brazil, and he was fantastic in both games.
Michael Bradley Is A Very Good Player, But An Average Defensive Midfielder
This game against Canada isn’t going quite as well for Bradley, and it’s hardly his fault. Edu has been dropped and Bradley is sitting deep in a double pivot in the United States’ 4-2-3-1. They’re struggling to create chances as a team, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that Bradley’s just sitting in midfield.
Michael Bradley is neither a defensive midfielder or a No. 10. He’s a box-to-box player who is at his best as an energy guy with freedom to get forward in a 4-3-3. He’s not terribly effective as a holding midfield player, and the United States aren’t effective when they play him in that role.
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