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SOLSTICE EDITION
A short newswrap for the shortest day of the year. No surprise what that includes. The first question on most people’s mind when they heard Nowak was joining Bradley at USSF was, ‘what does it say about Bradley getting the gig full-time’? You now have arguably two of the best MLS coaches leading the Olympic Team, a post very few people gave much thought to before Klinsmanngate shifted into high gear. On paper, it would still be quite easy to install a national team manager, allowing the MLS coaches to compete for the smaller prize. However, I find it hard to believe two names like Bradley and Nowak would be happy with that. Then again, they would be moving from the b-teams of the club world to the b-teams of the international game, otherwise known as the Olympics. As Andrea Canales states in the usual x, y breakdown of the hire, the plum finale here is that Bradley retains the national team post and passes the Olympics off to Nowak.

It reminds me of the time a friend of mine was slamming his head against a door at a New Year’s Eve party. A second friend was counting the collisions out loud as if a play by play announcer. Two girls were trying to stop it, while the majority of bystanders stood around silently and in some cases cheerfully watching. “When is this going to stop, and in what shape will he be in when he does? This is hilarious, grotesque, stupid, fantastic!” The duplicity of human nature causes us to either help the victim or make sure to get a good view of the action. It’s a constant battle between the devil over your left shoulder and the angel on your right. Who knows how this coaching fiasco will end, but one thing is for sure, I’m exhausted from it. Even on this shortest day, night can’t come soon enough.

bedtime reading: ussoccer.com released the winners for their yearly awards.