Toronto FC fires head coach Bob Bradley, names Terry Dunfield interim coach

Football

Published 27.06.2023

Toronto FC fires head coach Bob Bradley, names Terry Dunfield interim coach

Bob Bradley ran out of time with Toronto FC. And president Bill Manning ran out of endurance.

Anxious to halt a slide down the standings that Bradley has been unable to appropriate, the MLS membership fired its head coach/sporting director on Monday.

Terry Dunfield, a former TFC participant and Canadian worldwide, has been named interim head coach. The 41-year-old, who additionally performed for the Vancouver Whitecaps and Manchester City, has been serving as head coach of the under-17 crew on the Toronto Academy.

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“Bob has been a consummate professional with Toronto FC and we thank him for his passion and tireless work during his time here. We are all disappointed that we were not able to achieve the results we expected,” Manning stated in a five-paragraph assertion.

The membership additionally axed Mike Sorber, Bradley’s right-hand man who was each assistant coach and technical director.

Toronto, which misplaced 2-1 on the New England Revolution on Saturday, is mired in 14th place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference at 3-7-10. It has received simply two of its final 17 matches (2-7-8) in all competitions.

TFC, which is seven factors out of the playoff image, hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Bradley, whose son is TFC captain Michael Bradley, took cost of Toronto in November 2021. His file with the membership was 14-26-19.

Bob Bradley is the third coach to return and go for the reason that December 2020 departure of Greg Vanney, who led the crew to the MLS Cup in 2017. Chris Armas and Javier Perez coached through the 2020 season.

Bradley, a three-time MLS coach of the 12 months, has been within the crosshairs for some time. Injuries and a scarcity of depth have hamstrung the membership.

Toronto was lacking 11 gamers by damage and worldwide responsibility within the weekend loss to New England.

“The fact that we show moments of good football every game is what we point to,” Bob Bradley stated after a 3-0 loss at league-leading Cincinnati on June 21. “But we’ve got to be able to sustain it. We’ve got to be able to eliminate some of those mistakes. And we still have to do more in terms of scoring goals.”

Toronto’s sluggish begin to the season was exacerbated by criticism from Italian star Federico Bernardeschi after a 1-0 loss at Austin FC on May 20.

The loss in Austin, with Toronto lacking 10 gamers by damage or suspension, together with fellow Italian Lorenzo Insigne, prompted a annoyed outburst from Bernardeschi.

“We don’t play,” Bernardeschi, the fourth-highest-paid participant within the league at US$6.295 million this season, stated in English. “We play a long pass. We don’t have an idea to play.”

“I think this city, the fans, everybody, don’t deserve this,” he added.

Bradley benched Bernardeschi for the sport towards D.C. United, calling it a “coach’s decision” quite than disciplinary motion.

Bernardeschi returned to the beginning lineup after the 2-1 win over D.C.

The 65-year-old Bradley was in control of every little thing from recruitment to the on-field product. His ties to the franchise ran even deeper given Michael Bradley, second solely to Jonathan Osorio in profession appearances with the membership, leads the crew.

Michael Bradley, who has been with the membership since 2014, has been sidelined since early April by damage.

But after taking cost, Bob Bradley’s effort to revive the franchise appeared one step ahead, two steps again, at instances.

In addition to the depleted roster, Bradley additionally hinted a number of instances about inheriting a tangled net of participant contracts that wanted to be cleaned up. A turnaround would take time, he instructed.

Finding the best supporting forged for Insigne and Bernardeschi proved to be a difficulty, exacerbated by a string of accidents. Bradley was hardly ever capable of area his most popular midfield trio of Michael Bradley, Osorio and fellow Canadian Mark-Anthony Kaye.

A current damage disaster at centre-back, with three of the 4 obtainable gamers injured, compelled Bradley to make use of first Kaye after which, when he bought injured, Richie Laryea within the coronary heart of the defence.

Injuries (groin and foot) restricted Insigne’s play in 2023. The 31-year-old managed one purpose in his first seven league appearances however has come on sturdy of late, concerned in Toronto’s final 5 targets (two targets, three assists).

Finding a striker to enrich the Italians within the assault was additionally a difficulty. Spanish ahead Jesus Jimenez was shipped to FC Dallas earlier than the 2022 season and newcomer Adama Diomande was hardly ever match. Bob Bradley tried younger Canadian forwards. Ayo Akinola, Jordan Perruzza and Deandre Kerr, additionally making an attempt Insigne in a extra central position.

Nothing appeared to work. TFC went by a 418-minute league-scoring drought after CJ Sapong’s strike in a 1-0 win over visiting New York City FC on April 29. Toronto failed to attain throughout a four-game winless run in May towards New England (2-0), CF Montreal (2-0), the New York Red Bulls (0-0) and Austin (1-0).

Toronto didn’t handle a shot on track towards Montreal or Austin.

A giant soccer mind, Bradley is a professorial-type coach, difficult gamers to assume and assess choices after which make the best choice.

At instances, his bluntness was shocking akin to his May 17 tackle Akinola — “His finishing needs to get better.”

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Bradley was introduced because the membership’s twelfth head coach on Nov. 24, 2021, after a 6-18-10 season that began with Armas and ended with Perez in cost. Bradley was additionally given the title of sporting director.

At the time, Manning stated Bradley, who ranks third in teaching wins within the league behind Bruce Arena and the late Sigi Schmid, was taking on a crew “that needs a significant makeover.”

More than 30 gamers have moved on since Bradley began reshaping the membership.

Despite the midseason arrival of Insigne and Bernardeschi, Toronto stumbled to a 9-18-7 file in 2022. The arrival of the Italians sparked the crew, with TFC shedding simply as soon as of their first eight league matches (4-1-3).

But the membership, harm by accidents, took a nostril dive late within the season. The membership misplaced its final 5 league outings, outscored 16-6.

Bradley strengthened the defence earlier than this season with the signings of goalkeeper Sean Johnson, centre-backs Matt Hedges and Sigurd Rosted and fullback Raoul Petretta.

But the common season bought off to a poor begin. After rallying for a 2-1 lead at D.C. United with seven minutes remaining, Toronto conceded targets within the ninetieth and 98th minute to lose 3-2.

Toronto went unbeaten for the subsequent seven video games, however six of these have been attracts. With accidents mounting, the crew then swooned.

It began with a lopsided 4-2 loss April 11 at Philadelphia that noticed the Union take their foot off the fuel after going up 4-0 after 56 minutes. TFC rallied to beat visiting NYCFC the subsequent week however then went winless and scoreless the subsequent 4 league video games.

The membership additionally exited the Canadian Championship on the first hurdle, overwhelmed 2-1 May 9 by Montreal within the cup quarterfinal.

Bradley beforehand compiled a 43-25-12 file as head coach of the U.S. nationwide crew from 2006 to 2011 and 22-8-6 in control of Egypt from 2011 to 2013.

At membership stage, he beforehand coached Stabæk in Norway (2014-15), Le Havre in France (2015-16) and Swansea City of the English Premier League (2016).

In MLS, Bradley was the primary head coach in Chicago Fire historical past and led the growth crew to the 1998 MLS Cup Championship and U.S. Open Cup double whereas incomes his first MLS coach of the 12 months award. He coached the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now Red Bulls) from 2003 to 2005 and Chivas USA in 2006, when he was as soon as once more named coach of the 12 months.

Bradley took over growth Los Angeles FC in July 2017. Two years later, he received his third coach of the 12 months award after LAFC claimed the MLS Supporters’ Shield.