Not the first time ...

It's a good thing that the United States Soccer Federation scheduled that friendly against Denmark in January. Because if they hadn't, they wouldn't have had to name Bob Bradley as interim head coach of the men's national team tomorrow (which they will in a morning eleconference). with the impending match on the horizon, they needed somebody to piece together a team. their hand was forced.

It looked like Jurgan Klinsmann was indeed the man that they wanted (which was one of the worst kept secrets in the soccer community) but he turned down the final offer, and now we are left with an interim hoad coach heading into what could be the most important year in the development of the United States Soccer program as a whole.

2007 will bring with it a chance to defend the Gold Cup and a chance to make an impression below the equator in the Copa America. Many will remember the impact that the fourth place finish in the 1995 Copa had. That team beat Aregntina in the group stages. The head coach that summer in Uruguay? Steve Sampson, who had just been named "interim" head coach of the national team in April after Bora Milutinovic resigned. Sampson was named the permanent head coach in August of 1995 based, in large part, on the team's performance in Uruguay just a month before. Three years later, he was promptly fired after leading the United States to their worst ever showing in the World Cup.

So what lies ahead for Bradley and the national team prgram? A win over the likes of an Argentina or Brazil during his stay in Venezuela this summer would certainly do wonders for Bradley's resume when U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati re-opens the search for a permanent head coach. But will that be the right move based on what we know of history?

Only time will tell ...