Bradley outed as USA coach

Bob Bradley has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the USA following their Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico in June.

The announcement came after a meeting at the Home Depot

Centre in California, between USA Soccer Federation (USSF) president Sunil Gulati,

CEO Dan Flynn and Bradley on Thursday.

Bradley guided the US to the last 16 of the FIFA World

Cup in South Africa last year, but they suffered a 4-2 defeat to Mexico in the

Gold Cup final on June 25.

The US also lost to Mexico in the 2009 Gold Cup final

with Bradley at the helm.

“We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and

dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years,” Gulati said.

“During his time as the head coach of our men’s

national team he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now

was the right time for us to make a change.”

“It is always hard to make these decisions,

especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the

best in his future endeavours.”

The USSF will make a further announcement on Friday.

Bradley, 53, took over as head coach of the USA in

January of 2007.

He led the team to victory in the Gold Cup later that

year and secured a passage to the 2010 World Cup, topping their CONCACAF qualifying

group in the process.

They also finished first in Group C at the World Cup

finals, ahead of England and Slovenia, before losing to Ghana in the round of

16 on June 26.

Bradley had been contracted until the 2014 World Cup in

Brazil.