After his media responsibilities, Michael Bradley knew what he was going to do. He would leave his office, and head to first team training. There, he would watch head coach Sandro Schwarz put the team through their paces.
Of course, Bradley knew the drills and the methodology. This is the famed Red Bull system, a global soccer conglomerate with aligned playing principles, recruitment methods, and training strategies. The whole thing is designed so that players, coaches and staff can rise through the ranks.
And Bradley is the next one, partaking in his daily duties. On June 12, New York Red Bulls II, the immensely successful MLS Next Pro side affiliated with the MLS club, announced the former USMNT captain as their head coach. It is his first head coaching role in professional soccer, a position that many expected him to walk into someday. And for a true student of the game, a stout midfielder and on-pitch leader, the Red Bull system, and MLS Next Pro at large, is the perfect setup for a young coach to cut his teeth.
"The biggest thing for me is the opportunity with Red Bull," Bradley told GOAL. "The opportunity inside an organization like Red Bull, a club like Red Bull New York, the history and the track record they have of not just developing really good young players, but also developing and supporting really good young coaches."