Many thanks for our captain. In his prime he was one of the best leaders on and off the field. Here's to a happy retirement, Michael.
Michael Bradley appreciation thread
Many thanks for our captain. In his prime he was one of the best leaders on and off the field. Here's to a happy retirement, Michael.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Let's all take a moment and savour the greatest performance by any TFC player in any game ever
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MLS/status/940385820850184192
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
That was pretty epic, it will be hard to find someone with as much character as MB in his prime. Big boots to fill.Originally Posted by ensco
Best performance of a 6 I have ever seen in North America and top 5 performance of any 6 globally
He is a legend of the club and icon. Words aren’t enough to show the appreciation I have for what Bradley did for TFC
Wearing a RPB scarf on his first day as Red, Jan. 12, 2014. Oh Captain, My Captain, thanks for everything.
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
We will never find another who cared as much as Bradley did, who sought greatness like Bradley did. Thank you for the memories and the Star above our crest.
Seba against NYRB goal
Jozy scoring against CBus on a broken foot
MB against Seattle
Our best 3 moments ever.... and I'd argue MBs was the best on the day performance by a TFC player ever.
That 2017 the leadership he showed was probably one of the best shows of leadership by any pro athlete on any of the Toronto sports teams I’ve have ever witnessed. That’s what he will be forever remembered for to me . If anyone wants to see what leadership looks like just study that 2017 season Bradley had . No Bradley no MLS Cup or even Champions League run too. His performance will be hard to match in terms of heart and leadership for years to come in any sport !
Cheyrou vs Montreal is up there. Taking nothing away from MB though.
If I remember correctly he wasn’t even in the same breath as Defoe when he came in, in 2014. At least in my peer group at the time it was a throw in ‘oh we got Bradley too what a nice surprise, hopefully he sticks around and doesn’t join some US team asap’
Don’t think Many people could predict what legacy he would forge here during that press conference or that he’d be the biggest icon out of the 3 that came in.
I said this before in other channels, but he brought what Oso talked about after the croatia game in the WC - to that TFC locker room in 2014/15 to the cup run in 2017. Tried and true professionalism and daily unrelenting discipline to get the job done and achieve what was set out <2017 treble>. Before him, I don’t think many of the lads in the league let alone the club knew what that level of “being a good pro” looked like. When Defoe bailed and left us hanging, MB4 grabbed to torch and kept pride and passion on the field, even before Seba and Jozy came in. Restructured contracts and took pay cuts to help with the cap, etc etc.
Legend status/stadium section naming, statue, plaques and even jersey retirements should be all on the table of discussion with this guy. The end sucked on a bad note, and we had our moments of salt with the guy over last couple years, but he is and will always be the OG ‘oh captain, my captain’ - as someone who lived the community and club.
Nobody can question the work ethic and professionalism he brought, how much he genuinely loved the city and fans, and him in his prime as the best dMid in league. Just a shame how it’s ended
They need to put up a statue of Bradley outside BMO Field!
TORONTO FC, 2017 MLS CHAMPIONS!!! (Still the greatest in league history!)
The MB story in its entirety is a strange thing. I expect the Athletic or someone will do a big feature piece and take it on.
Three things that stand out.
One, the guy was the most polarizing player in USMNT history. He was (and is) kind of despised… First because he got speed-rushed into the starting lineup under Bob in 2007. Then when the 2017 team spit the bit in T&T and missed WC 2018, with him as captain. In between, he was beloved. But the whole thing was kind of strange, a very rocky road.
Two, his was one of the worst contracts in MLS history. $46M (including a $10M transfer) for 6 years for a DM? I mean, wow, that was and remains insane. He was never worth even half that. Guys like Alonso and Valeri were making 1-2M in that period. I always wondered if that was part of Leiweke's departure.
Three, he had consistency problems, but he had a level that was simply special. He could be, in his prime, on the day, one of the 10 best midfielders in the world. But it was maddening, he often wasn’t that. I don’t know why.
Finally, and most importantly for us… we would have achieved nothing without him.
I hope he has a rewarding post playing career, and I think we all expect to see him back here in some capacity… after he takes a few years doing something useful somewhere else!
Last edited by ensco; 10-17-2023 at 08:02 PM.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
This is kind of a forgotten MB big moment worth remembering (although in truth Jozy makes the goal, by going full UFC on the Montreal defender in the build up, and getting away with it)
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
When he first came here, he looked like a man playing against kids. Choosing the City of Toronto logo as the captain's armband showed us early that he gave a shit.
2017 was epic.
He and Altidore dealt stoically with much hate after the USMNT 2018 WC failure.
MB, never petulant, always class.
i guess it's how you define value.
they paid a lot but they also got a hell of a lot out of him. was comically good those first 5 years and often rose in the biggest games.
they were a delgado miss away from winning every single trophy available in that period. strongly doubt they even sniff an MLS Cup final or CCL semi if you subbed in any MLS DMs from that period for him.
Last edited by leedsandTFC; 10-17-2023 at 09:49 PM.
^I don’t remember it that way. He could have great games, but it wasn’t special, often.
Was he ever an MLS Best XI player? I don’t think he was. I know Justin Morrow got that once.
Not like it matters. He came through big time in the Cup Final, it's all you can ask for.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Don't forget about the series saving tackle against Columbus in the East final in 2017. He tracked back 60 yards to make the play. The play starts at about the 1:40 mark
https://youtu.be/tJFg3td4dPY?si=K4KFWyc3dcnWbea1
Without Bradley coming here in 2014, the treble does not happen. He was the catalyst for the turn around in the club. I agree it is time to move on, but I wish him all the best in whatever life brings his way. All I can say is Thank You! But somehow that doesn't quite feel like enough.
Banner Factory doing a quick poll to secure MB's spot on Legends Row at BMO:
https://twitter.com/BannerFactoryTO/...06580882739666
best of luck on retirement. appreciate representing toronto. seen how vital he was in the 2019 Finals.
Unfortunately recency bias will always make me think of negative stuff when hearing the name Bradley
as unfortunate as that sounds.
Thank you and goodbye to the best player in TFC history
He will be remembered, always, for 2017.
I wish him all the best happiness after the misery of this year.
My favourite memory of Michael Bradley right there. Burned into my memory forever. Legend.
I also was at a Brazilian Steakhouse in 2017 during TFC’s spring training and I got pulled into their initiation night which was standing on a chair and being told to sing a song. I belted out Lost That Loving Feeling. Bradley was absolutely class after. Great guy. Bleeds TFC.
Thanks for the good times Michael!
For him, and for us, I really hope the team can produce a decent performance Saturday evening. Would be nice to end this on a mini high note.
It's hard for me to put into words what he meant for this club and for me personally as a fan. He transformed this club into something to be proud of, which for those of us who remember the "early days", was seen as a fantasy frankly.
I think almost as important to me was that he took pride in the club, and his position on it, and he became a part of this city that became his home.
Anytime I had the pleasure of interacting with him he was professional, he was the role model for others in the locker room, and he carried himself with a class and dignity befitting someone who would wear the armband.
I remember that first press conference - I like many of you were at Real Sports that day and I remember saying to someone that Bradley will "secretly" be the bigger signing from that day - I was happy to be proven right in my assessment, of the player and the person.
He helped give my daughter and I memories that will last a lifetime.
For that, and for many other reasons - all I can say is THANK YOU.
A few years ago when they came out with those numbers that had season seat holder's pictures on them I was able to put my whole family on the number 4 and got a Bradley jersey. Time to frame it I guess now. I have almost no jerseys at all with names/numbers on them because players need to earn me wearing their name on my back. He was one of the only players to do that for me at TFC. Will always be a legend. Even though he slowed down with age as we all do his heart was always undeniably there for the team and the fans. I wish him well.
The most important player the club has ever had, not the best but most important. You look back at the great Utd team under Fergie, and I'm not comparing us to them, before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, but if you at that great side, Roy Keane was their most important player, again not their best. Like Bradley he led from the front, he galvanized and organized that team and like Bradley his consistency was there. You need a leader, someone who dictates the pace of the game and we had a great one in Bradley. Bradley always showed up in the big games and led us from the front. You can have great technical players, but if you don't have that determined character that can lead them, they are rudderless, case in point current Utd team. Good luck to him, I was at a Utd game back in March, they still sing songs about Roy Keane, 18 years after he left the club, I hope we show Bradley that same respect for years to come, he deserves it.
I'll always remember his debut game away to Seattle and being in awe at the ground he was covering. He had the most ridiculous work rate, it felt like there were 3 of him on the pitch, and with the passing and IQ to complete the package. I'd never seen a central or defensive midfielder have such an impact in this league. He owned the midfield while he still had his foot speed and agility.
All the best to him in retirement.
That first game against Seattle was a staggering performance. A real eye-opener. What a player he was in his prime.
Michael Bradley - What an absolute Legend. I don't know that we will ever have another leader of his caliber. Listening to his interview, his candidness, his persona, I truly see him as such an amazing role model for young kids trying to become players. I wish him all the best in the future and will continue to cheer for him wherever he goes.
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