TORONTO – US midfielder Michael Bradley has already moved on from Sunday’s drab 0-0 draw against Canada.
“We got out of it what we could, now we move onto the important games,” the 24-year-old said after the match. “Two World Cup qualifiers and I think we’re ready to go.”
OPTA Chalkboard: Bradley has quiet performance vs. Canada
Bradley completed his third full game in just nine days after a long season in Italy with Chievo and admitted that tiredness was an issue for the US team against Canada, as coach Jurgen Klinsmann acknowledged in the postgame press conference.
WATCH: US tired, but ready to move ahead
“There’s no question that the third game in a week, you start to feel it a little bit,” he said, “but it’s normal, we’re not using it as an excuse.”
Bradley had a quieter game against Canada than he did against Scotland and Brazil, although he was one of the few positives in the US side that lacked the fluidity of passing and cutting edge it found against the Scots last weekend.
The 2010 World Cup veteran focused on the positives the US can draw from the game and heaped praise on the hosts’ performance.
“Canada, with their approach, were committed to being disciplined and hard to place against, so the onus is on us to make the game and try to connect and move,” explained Bradley. “I thought at times it was good and at times it could be better. Still, no goals against is always a good thing and we’ll move ourselves forward this week.”
Bradley was quick to dispel any thoughts that the US lacked a little motivation, with the game against Canada coming in between playing Brazil at midweek and Friday’s upcoming World Cup qualifier game against Antigua and Barbuda.
“Anytime you get a chance to pull on the jersey and represent your country, it’s a huge honor,” he said. “All in all, with three friendly games under our belt, we’ve made a lot of good strides.”
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America. Contact him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
