Former United States Men's National Team manager Bob Bradley officially became manager of the Egyptian National Team on Saturday, joining the Pharaohs on a two-year contract believed to be worth just under $500,000 annually.
The New Jersey native, best remembered for his stern glares and an affinity for tracksuits rivaled only by Al Davis, managed the U.S. team from 2006-2011 and was a figure of divided opinion amongst supporters.
Despite leading the U.S. to some historic results, most notably the win over Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup and the "1-1 win" over England in the 2010 World Cup, the team was also plagued by costly mental errors and poor starts in big matches.
Bradley was fired from his U.S. role this summer after his American squad surrendered a two-goal lead against Mexico in the Gold Cup final.
The Princeton grad will take over one of Africa's traditional soccer powers, with the Pharaohs winning a record seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Despite its success on a continental level, Egypt has struggled globally, only qualifying for two World Cups and having yet to secure a victory on the world's biggest stage.
Bradley will be judged almost solely on whether or not he gets Egypt into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which would make him a hero amongst Pharaoh supporters.
It will be very interesting to see whether Bradley will utilize different tactical strategies after almost exclusively playing a counterattacking style in a 4-4-2 formation with the U.S. That style of play was successful in keeping the Americans competitive against bigger teams, but it also caused the squad to struggle in breaking down smaller CONCACAF opponents. Bradley's Egypt will be considered the top team in their 2014 World Cup qualifying group featuring Guinea, Zimbabwe and one of Mozambique or Comoros.
Obviously, Bradley joins Egypt in a tumultuous period for the country as a whole, and it will be a challenge for the new manager to keep his players focused on their sporting duties while their country undergoes a historical transition. Meanwhile, Bradley will have his own challenges adjusting to a different culture, though the widespread use of English in Egypt will make his switch easier.
While he was linked with European club managerial positions after the 2010 World Cup, most notably Aston Villa, Egypt is a relatively big fish in international soccer, and Bradley's success or failure could be decisive in opening up more global opportunities for American coaches and managers.
See the video of Bob Bradley's first interview on Egyptian television. Any Arabic speakers are welcome to translate this for us.
