Friday, February 10, 2012

Grant Wahl: In aftermath of tragedy, Bradley stands in unison with Egyptians

It was nearly 1 a.m. Cairo time last Friday when Bob Bradley called. If you're the Egyptian national soccer coach, as Bradley has been since last September, lack of sleep is understandable these days. On Feb. 1, more than 70 people died in violent clashes after an Egyptian league game between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly in Port Said. Bradley was not at the game, having decided to attend a different one in Cairo instead. Like all Egyptians, he was profoundly shaken afterward. "No one comes close to anticipating something like this," the former U.S. coach told me. "The focus has to be on the respect for these families and the overall sadness about a senseless tragedy." Most foreign national-team coaches in Africa would have taken the first flight out of Cairo last week. But Bradley was different.

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