You’re a good man, Bob Bradley

By Eric Beard

Today, along with his wife Lindsay, Bob Bradley joined the thousands of mourners in Cairo’s Sphinx Square to express his sympathy to the victims and families affected by the clash between rival fans of Al-Ahly and Al-Masry in the Egyptian city of Port Said. (the two are pictured above, via @Radwancfc) Egypt has just experienced a national tragedy, an unspeakable day that will be remembered by Egyptians for decades to come. Dozens and dozens of young men have been left dead. Beyond that, over one-thousand have been left injured from the riot that occurred. 1000. A number like that sounds like sheer hyperbole, but now we are left with a very real, yet ineffable sadness for fans, Egyptians, and any human being with an ounce of emotional capacity. 

Bradley, the former coach of the United States Men’s National team, is now based in Cairo serving as Egypt’s manager. Despite being American, Bradley has been accepted by the Egyptian people, and the feeling is mutual. From day one, Bob Bradley wanted to connect with Egyptians. He turned down living in a bourgeois gated-community because wanted to immerse himself in Egyptian culture and understand how the Egyptian people think. This evening, Bradley conducted a heartfelt interview with the Egyptian media. He mentioned that he’s not thinking about his job or what comes next; rather, his thoughts lie with those grieving for the lives that were lost. 

Bradley proclaimed that the Egyptian people “must be strong. They must always feel hope for the future and realize to accomplish great things for Egypt, as a country and again as a football team, the strength comes from the unity of all the people.”

Bradley’s actions today are hardly a surprise to all US Soccer fans that grew to love (and hate) him. When coaching the United States, many fans doubted his tactics. Many doubted his player selection. But they never doubted his character. As an American and as a professional, he always held himself in a dignified manner. The pressure may have gotten to him at inopportune moments, but (sensible) fans always maintained respect for him as a man. It’s difficult to imagine many managers still within the borders of a country in such a state of chaos, never mind joining the crowd in a protest against Wednesday’s violence.

Qualifying for the 2014 World Cup is, at the moment, what is expected of Bob Bradley as Egypt manager. But who knows what comes next? Regardless of the future success or failure in his career, Egyptians should feel lucky to have Bob, a good man, by their side.