Is Bob Bradley Coming Back to the MLS?

A standard MLS ball. I couldn’t find a single picture of Bradley that I could use. (Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

You remember Bob Bradley right? The former coach of the U.S. men’s national team? He got the U.S. past the group stage of the 2010 World Cup, remember?

You should. He’s one of the three most famous coaches in American soccer over the past decade (others being Bruce Arena and Jurgen Klinsmann, notice the national team theme). Bradley’s most recent venture attempted to bring the Egyptian team back to the World Cup, but it ended quickly and mercilessly.

Now Bradley roams the earth, looking for his next team to rebuild. And reports have surfaced that the Vancouver Whitecaps have offered a one million dollar contract for Bradley to settle in Southwestern Canada.

It was noted that Vancouver passed on recently unemployed head coach Frank Yallop, who previously produced some highly respectable season as the coach of the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy. Many people assume that the pass on Yallop happened because Vancouver really wants Bradley as their manager.

It’s somewhat of a risky move. Yallop has already signed as the next head coach of the Chicago Fire. What happens to the Whitecaps if Bradley doesn’t want to coach in the MLS?

If Bradley does agree to coach in Vancouver, it brings instant intrigue to an already interesting Western Conference. The West is full of talented teams: Portland, Real Salt Lake, Seattle, the LA Galaxy, and a young Colorado. Where would Bradley’s team fit into that race? Bradley is known as a builder-of-sorts — he takes a team with little to work with and creates something competitive. He did it with the Chicago Fire in 1998, Chivas USA in 2005, and most recently in Egypt.

Another interesting storyline, if Vancouver get their man, would be the matchups between Bradley and Bruce Arena. Both are former U.S. head coaches, but Bradley also got his start in the MLS as an assistant under Arena in the early days of the D.C. United.

Bradley would make a great addition to the league. Even fans of other Western Conference teams have to admit that. Hopefully, the deal can be completed, and the MLS gets one of its most successful coaches back.