Bob and "the work"

One thing I learned about Bob Bradley from having covered Chivas USA last year and having interviewed him a countless number of times is that he is all about the work. His favorite phrase is "the work."

A typical question and answer session would be something like this:

Me: The team seems to have had some good results. At this point of the season, are you where you want to be?

Bob: We feel very good about the work we put in and we're hopeful the results will continue to show on the field.

At this point, Bradley is as concerned about the players' mentality as he is lineups and depth charts and all that. Results at this point are secondary; what matters most to Bob is that the team punches the time clock, puts in an honest day's work and creates a strong mentality.

That the team is winning despite all that is absolute gravy.

And if the mentality created in January, February and March carries over into June and July, it's going to be a good summer for the USMNT, regardless of who plays in what tournament and who does not.