The demands of the Premier League hamstrung England’s 2010 FIFA World Cup™ campaign, USA coach Bob Bradley believes.

Bradley’s side held England to a 1-1 draw in their opening match in South Africa, a match which set the tone for a thoroughly disappointing tournament for Fabio Capello’s men, which ended in a thrashing by Germany.

“The Premiership is such a demanding league,” said Bradley. “The fact that the World Cup starts up so quickly for that group – to some degree it was part of the situation there.

“The World Cup is always interesting for all teams because none of us are teams throughout the year so when the World Cup starts there’s a big spotlight. If you get going, if you produce a good result, then you can get momentum and if it doesn’t quite happen that way, the pressure mounts.

That ability to quickly switch gears when you go into a national team camp, especially as you prepare for a World Cup, is a challenge.
Bob Bradley, USA coach

“There was tremendous hope that this English team could go far. They advanced out of the group but they ran into a hot German team. Nonetheless the talent is great and Capello is a tremendous manager with a great track record,” he added.

Bradley believes it is increasingly tough to balance the demands of international and club football. He said: “(International football) matters, but the clubs, the demands throughout the season, the salaries the players get, that has to take up so much of the focus. That ability to quickly switch gears when you go into a national team camp, especially as you prepare for a World Cup, is a challenge.

“It’s something we’ve talked about every time we come together as a national team – the ability to come in for a qualifier, quickly get back into the routine of how we do things, then know that as soon as the game’s over, it’s essential to switch gears again, get back to the club and continue to produce on the pitch.”

Bradley led the United States into the last 16 of this summer’s World Cup, where they lost to Ghana in extra time.