It’s hard to imagine what has prepared Bob Bradley for the job he now has.
Coaching the U.S. Men’s National Team through a World Cup cycle with a disappointing result was difficult, but no one was actually shooting anyone.
Getting fired by US Soccer early in the second World Cup cycle wasn’t a career-ender. Coaches get fired all the time. In fact, it is uncommon for national coaches to remain in place more than four years.
But there he is, coaching another national team a long, long way from his native New Jersey.
Egypt is now his home, and coaching the Egyptian national team is his job.
He arrived in Egypt in the fall of 2011, in was there to witness the turbulence of the Arab Spring. It wasn’t an easy time to be an American in Cairo[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’].
But it was the relationships he developed, especially with the payers, and his sensitivity to the situation in the country, that has set the foundation for the success of Bradley’s team.
Only twice, in 1990 and in 1934 (both in Italy), has Egypt advanced to play in a World Cup final. But Bradley has his team believing they could do it again.
They have come close before, winning Africa Cup of Nations championships in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Each time they failed to reach the World Cup
Egypt was the only team in its regional qualifying to go through undefeated. Most of the home games have been in empty stadiums, as EFA has not allowed spectators for fear of violence.
Only one team now stands in the way of booking tickets to Brazil for World Cup 2014. That team is Ghana.
Egypt will play Ghana in a home-and-home series. Winner goes to Brazil, loser goes back home. There are 10 teams playing five home-and-home series for one of the five regional berths. Any of the top five teams would have been a difficult opponent.
Bradley is very familiar with Ghana. Twice the African nation has knocked the U.S. out of the World Cup. Ghana was the best African team in the last World Cup. It was in South Africa that it eliminated Bradley and the U.S. team in the second round.
“We are the strongest team in the group,” said Bradley on the day the draw for the final matches was pulled. “We are not afraid of confronting Ghana.”
The first leg of the home-and-home playoff series will be in mid-October in Ghana. The rematch in Egypt will take place a month later. The best news has come from the Egyptian Football Association when it announced that the home game will be played in Cairo, and will be played in front of spectators.
The last time the Egyptian team has played in Cairo was two years ago. A 3-0 win over Niger.
Those closed-door home games had been held in the Red Sea resort of El Gouma, far from the major cities in Egypt where most of the unrest and violence has occurred.
The run towards World Cup qualification has been a source of inspiration for Egyptians.
“Matches against Ghana will be very tough,” acknowledged Bradley, “as the team consists of several players from the biggest European leagues.
“There is no need to worry as we could have been paired with any of the five teams and they are all powerful.”
The other four matchups are top-ranked Ivory Coast vs. Senegal, African champion Nigeria paired with Ethiopia, African Cup runnerup Burkina Faso paired with Algeria, and Tunisia, which only qualified after Cape Verde forfeited three points for fielding an ineligible player, paired with Cameroon.
Coaching the U.S. Men’s National Team through a World Cup cycle with a disappointing result was difficult, but no one was actually shooting anyone.
Getting fired by US Soccer early in the second World Cup cycle wasn’t a career-ender. Coaches get fired all the time. In fact, it is uncommon for national coaches to remain in place more than four years.
But there he is, coaching another national team a long, long way from his native New Jersey.
Egypt is now his home, and coaching the Egyptian national team is his job.
He arrived in Egypt in the fall of 2011, in was there to witness the turbulence of the Arab Spring. It wasn’t an easy time to be an American in Cairo[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’].
But it was the relationships he developed, especially with the payers, and his sensitivity to the situation in the country, that has set the foundation for the success of Bradley’s team.
Only twice, in 1990 and in 1934 (both in Italy), has Egypt advanced to play in a World Cup final. But Bradley has his team believing they could do it again.
They have come close before, winning Africa Cup of Nations championships in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Each time they failed to reach the World Cup
Egypt was the only team in its regional qualifying to go through undefeated. Most of the home games have been in empty stadiums, as EFA has not allowed spectators for fear of violence.
Only one team now stands in the way of booking tickets to Brazil for World Cup 2014. That team is Ghana.
Egypt will play Ghana in a home-and-home series. Winner goes to Brazil, loser goes back home. There are 10 teams playing five home-and-home series for one of the five regional berths. Any of the top five teams would have been a difficult opponent.
Bradley is very familiar with Ghana. Twice the African nation has knocked the U.S. out of the World Cup. Ghana was the best African team in the last World Cup. It was in South Africa that it eliminated Bradley and the U.S. team in the second round.
“We are the strongest team in the group,” said Bradley on the day the draw for the final matches was pulled. “We are not afraid of confronting Ghana.”
The first leg of the home-and-home playoff series will be in mid-October in Ghana. The rematch in Egypt will take place a month later. The best news has come from the Egyptian Football Association when it announced that the home game will be played in Cairo, and will be played in front of spectators.
The last time the Egyptian team has played in Cairo was two years ago. A 3-0 win over Niger.
Those closed-door home games had been held in the Red Sea resort of El Gouma, far from the major cities in Egypt where most of the unrest and violence has occurred.
The run towards World Cup qualification has been a source of inspiration for Egyptians.
“Matches against Ghana will be very tough,” acknowledged Bradley, “as the team consists of several players from the biggest European leagues.
“There is no need to worry as we could have been paired with any of the five teams and they are all powerful.”
The other four matchups are top-ranked Ivory Coast vs. Senegal, African champion Nigeria paired with Ethiopia, African Cup runnerup Burkina Faso paired with Algeria, and Tunisia, which only qualified after Cape Verde forfeited three points for fielding an ineligible player, paired with Cameroon.
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