Bob Bradley and Nico Estevez begin their respective coaching stints with Toronto FC and FC Dallas on Saturday when the teams kick off the 2022 MLS season in Frisco, Texas.
Bradley, 63, ranks third all-time in MLS wins with a 182-127-86 record at the helm of the Chicago Fire, New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Chivas USA and Los Angeles FC.
A three-time MLS Coach of the Year and former U.S. men’s national team head coach, Bradley takes over a Toronto club that limped to a 6-18-10 record in 2021 under former coaches Chris Armas and Javier Perez.
“We’ve made progress in preseason. When you start, you want to build on that,” Bradley said. “I don’t think any team, even experienced teams, start the year in their best way. I think it’s a process that requires real games, week after week, and then you see how certain situations evolve.”
The new-look Reds await the debut of promising Italian winger Lorenzo Insigne in the summer while adjusting to life without Ayo Akinola, who is still recovering from a season-ending ACL injury. Toronto, however, is pinning much of its hopes on Alejandro Pozuelo regaining some semblance of his form when he was the 2020 MLS MVP.
Like Toronto, FC Dallas struggled throughout the 2021 season and finished 11th in the Western Conference after posting a 7-15-12 record. The franchise fired third-year coach Luchi Gonzalez on Sept. 19 when the club was saddled with a 6-11-9, mark and director of soccer operations Marco Ferruzzi finished out the season on an interim basis.
Enter Estevez, who spent the past three years as an assistant coach for the U.S. men’s national team. The 42-year-old won’t have the services of prospect Ricardo Pepi, who scored 13 goals last season for FC Dallas before joining FC Augsburg in the winter.
Estevez likely will rely on U.S. men’s national team winger Paul Arriola, who was acquired from D.C. United in the offseason. Arriola recorded six goals and four assists in 20 matches (19 starts last season).
“I’m very confident in this club and coaching staff and my teammates that we’ll be able to start off on the right foot,” Arriola said. “No matter who comes in, it’s the first game of the season, we want to defend our house and I think it’s extremely important for us to be as strong as we can at home.”
–Field Level Media