Hey all, I’m back! Well, I’m just subbing in for your regularly scheduled Freedom Kicker, and I’ve brought some verbosity to the proceedings. Let’s get into it!
Bob Bradley out as manager at Premier League side Swansea: Brought into a terrible situation and never given a chance to pick his own players, it isn’t too surprising that Bob Bradley wasn’t able to right the ship. Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien will be on their third manager in four months come this weekend, but by the very timing of the hire you won’t be able to compare reigns. Bradley is a better manager than he showed here, but I don’t blame him for taking a crack when given the chance, even in a terrible situation.
Maybe he’ll end up as coach of Norway’s national team next? Or maybe he wants to come back to the US and take any of a myriad of jobs that will be open next year in MLS, including a new local rival for the LA Galaxy?
What does it really mean to be a soccer coach? The Union's Jim Curtin works to find an answer: Jonathan Tannenwald interviews Jim Curtain about his time in the new US Soccer Pro License coaching program. This licensure is a step above the US Soccer A License, previously the highest, is modeled after the Uefa Pro License, and is taught by two Dutch soccer education experts. What stuck out to me (and as I mentioned on the upcoming episode of Filibuster) is that one of their intensive times of study was during the Copa America, when they met for four or five days and broke game Copa matches.. Right after the Copa America, Ben Olsen blew up his team, changed formations, and gave the keys to Luciano Acosta.
Now, at that point in the season Olsen obviously knew that changes were necessary, but perhaps this new licensure course helped him crystalize and implement what he wanted to do. At the very least, it didn’t hurt.
Phil Rawlins To Become Orlando City Life-President, Steps Down From Day-to-Day Operations: The entire opening day management staff for Orlando City SC is now gone, with club founder and president Phil Rawlins “stepping aside” from day-to-day operations. Club CEO Alex Leitao, brought in by the team’s Brazilian ownership, will take on additional responsibilities. Rawlins joins Adrian Heath, Paul McDonough (GM), and Brent Lashbrook (COO) as the opening day executives now gone, with McDonough (Atlanta United) and Heath (Minnesota United) already snapped up by new teams.
Also, Life-President is a really silly emeritus title.
FC Dallas signs free agent midfielder Javier Morales: The RSL icon is now going to Dallas to allow them to play their same style while Mauro Diaz recovers.
That’s all I have on this holiday week. What’s up?