Michael Bradley has so many memories from his decade with Toronto FC, it was hard for the Red Bull New York head coach to narrow down his favorites to just one or two.
Winning his first Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in 2017 certainly stands out, Bradley said when asked to look back at his time north of the border.
He’ll get a chance to add to the memory bank on Saturday when he returns to BMO Field for the first time since he retired from the club in 2023, this time as the Red Bulls head coach.
Though he’s now a Red Bull and back in his native New Jersey, Bradley’s time in The Six helped shape the coach he’s turned into.
“My time in Toronto taught me a lot about what it takes to build a culture,” Bradley told The Post ahead of Saturday’s match against Toronto FC. “We had a group that was incredibly committed to each other and to the standards we set every day, and that’s something I try to bring into our environment here. As a coach, you want players who push each other, who are accountable, and who understand that the work you do during the week is what allows you to have those big moments on the weekend.”
It would make sense that Bradley’s experiences in Toronto, which included being the club captain during his tenure, would influence how he’s coached.
Bradley is equally ingrained in the history of Toronto FC.
The club appeared in three MLS Cup Finals and won four Canadian Championships while he was there.
Bradley didn’t bite on a question about how he would be welcomed back in The Six when he was asked about it during his pre-match press conference, but said he was “excited” to return to Toronto and predicted it should be a “great afternoon.”
Ali Curtis, the former Toronto FC general manager from 2019 through 2021 and current president of MLS NEXT Pro and executive vice president of MLS Sporting Development, remembered Bradley’s time with the club well.
“I think it will be a very emotional moment for him, although knowing Michael, he will be very composed and focused on trying to win a match, and doing his job,” he told The Post. “When you think of Michael and his days in Toronto … he was an exceptional steward for the club. Anyone that knows Michael Bradley and his times in Toronto knows that he is the type of human being that leaves it all on the field and he has so much love for that city.”
He added: “It really was impressive to see a player that committed to the city and to his job and to his teammates.”
Now Bradley is using that same energy as a coach, which has started off to plenty of fanfare, though, Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Montreal tempered the mood a little.
After one month on the job since the season started, Bradley looked back on his time so far leading the first team.
While the new role “always” comes with its fair share of challenges, “nothing that’s been completely unexpected.”
“You understand that managing a first team means balancing a lot of different things — the day-to-day work on the field, managing the group, and making sure everyone is aligned with the standards we want,” Bradley said.
Bradley’s first three weeks of the season have seen the Red Bulls win back-to-back matches, and their young stars — Julian Hall, 17, Adri Mehmeti, 16, and Matthew Dos Santos, 17 — became one of the most talked about stories in the league.
On the flip side, the Red Bulls came back down to earth a bit in their loss to Montreal.