Gordon Bradley
Soccer Commentator and Former Star Player
| Born in Sunderland, England in 1938, Gordon Bradley
immigrated to the United States in the early 1960's. After a
successful career playing professional soccer in England, Mr.
Bradley has since dedicated his career to establishing
professional soccer as a major league sport in the United States.
In 1971, Mr. Bradley became the first player ever to be signed by the legendary New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. In addition to his playing duties, he was simultaneously the Head Coach and Vice President of the Cosmos from 1971 to 1977, winning two national championships. While coaching the Cosmos, Mr. Bradley also served as the Head Coach of the United States National Soccer Team. In the late 1970's Mr. Bradley moved to the Washington, D.C. area to become the Head Coach and Vice President of the NASL's Washington Diplomats. During his tenure with the Cosmos and the Diplomats, he was instrumental in bringing to the U.S. three of the greatest soccer players of all time -- Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, and Johan Cruyff -- and remains the only person in the history of soccer to have coached each of these international superstars. Now a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Mr. Bradley became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1974. Since 1985, Mr. Bradley has been the Head Coach of George Mason University's soccer team. He can currently be seen as a television commentator on Home Team Sports for local broadcasts of the DC United's Major League Soccer games. |
