Jesse Bradley | Former Professional Soccer Goalkeeper

Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm interested in making money.

I'm not interested in hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C-13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season 2, The Dixie Mafia. Available now on the Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app. Your trusted local radio stations, coverage of your favorite teams, live news from your hometown, and millions of podcasts on demand. Best of all, you can completely customize your listening experience. Follow topics you care about, like leagues and teams, pause or rewind your local sports and news, and add shows to your queue to catch up later.

There's a lot to listen to, so get started and download the free Odyssey app today. Jesse Bradley, former pro goalie. He played internationally, is now based in Seattle. He is diversified. The man is a social media maverick, and also has been a great World Cup analyst for us here on After Hours.

We're pleased to welcome him back to the show one more time with the final set, Jesse. We've got Argentina and France. We will definitely talk about it.

It was a run for the United States that captivated a lot of attention. We've had fun talking about the U.S. At this point, though, with just one match left, what are your impressions of what we've seen to this point in Qatar? You know, I think it's been an amazing World Cup. I'm glad people are listening and interested in the conversation, in soccer, and just talking about life.

Because again, I think sports teach us about life, and there's so many things to watch, learn, pick up on. And this has been an incredible World Cup. I know there's been some different controversies off the field, but for the Americans, to make it to the 16, that was a huge accomplishment. And then our midfield played so well.

And you know, if we mark up a little better on defense, we would have pushed through. And it was a phenomenal showing for the U.S. I think it was very encouraging. We took a huge step forward and a lot of very talented players who are in their teenage years, who are also playing in the top clubs in Europe. So the future is bright for America. I'm counting down three and a half years until it comes to the U.S., and it's right here in Seattle for one of the sites.

I'm looking for tickets already. And then, you know, when you think about some of the showings that were surprising, we have, for the first time ever, an African team made it to the Final Four. I love that. I played professionally in Zimbabwe, and I'm cheering on Africa. Morocco was outstanding, and they inspired everyone. Then we also had teams in Asia that showed up so strong. Japan knocked off some giants. Korea, you know, knocked off Portugal.

They were strong. Even Australia made the Final Sixteen. I mean, there were a lot of teams that weren't expected to do that well, and I think that caught people's attention and interest. And all that makes, you know, for an exciting World Cup. But we come down, like you said, we come down to France and Argentina, probably the best two teams. You know, Italy didn't even make it to the World Cup with a shocking second time in a row. And then you've got Brazil, who are probably the most talented in terms of attacking soccer. But they didn't have that sense of urgency.

And if you can't hold the shape and the defense, you're not going to win championships. I think Croatia beating Brazil, that was a favor for Argentina. Because as you think about Argentina, and they were my pick at the start of the tournament. You know, right now, Argentina against Brazil, a lot of people would take Brazil, but they're not here. So Argentina has a pathway right now that they could take it all. Well, we'll talk about what it means to get to a World Cup final for the two nations that are still standing.

But I want to talk a little more about the Americans. We knew this was the youngest team we had ever fielded at a World Cup. How do you believe youth was served in this tournament?

A positive or a negative, Jesse? A huge positive is that they played fearless. You know, a lot of teams probably anticipated the U.S. to be more cautious, a little more defensive shell, maybe try to counterattack.

That's not what they did. We have midfielders who can run, who have skill, who put pressure. Our midfielders made England nervous. I think when the Netherlands were preparing for us, they retreated somewhat.

And, you know, with everything you have a strength and the flip side of that can be a weakness. And I think because we were gaining confidence in midfield, we didn't really keep our shape well in the back and we left ourselves vulnerable. And because of that, I think the savvy of the Netherlands showed up. And when you have a coach that's a little newer and players that are newer, sometimes you just don't make the key decisions at the key moments. And soccer's a game where it comes down to just a couple plays. And if you kind of fall asleep tracking guys back on defense, that's the difference between winning and losing. So I think the Dutch, you know, they use their experience well.

They beat us in that regard. I mean, some of our players that are very talented, Raina, you know, didn't really show up much on the field. So trying to keep the young guys, you know, solid, focused.

Sometimes when you're young, you just assume you're going to be back here three or four times because you have a long career ahead of you. But you really need to play like it's your last one because there's no guarantee that you're going to be healthy, that you'll make the team, that the team will be back. And I think, you know, if we had a good balance, especially our defense had some older guys and the goalkeeper was great too, Matt Turner.

I just think there's no replacement for experience and you can't simulate playing in the World Cup. And I think we just lost our shape enough on defense, got exposed. But overall, you know, the interest in America for soccer just keeps growing. There's momentum, the MLS, you know, making it to the 16 this time, hosting it next time. Like overall, the positives outweighed the negatives and the setbacks, for sure. Since the team has returned stateside, we've heard from Greg Berhalter that there was an internal issue with Gio Reyna, the son of Claudio.

A lot of people remember him as a first generation U.S. World Cup-er. Gio responded on his social media and said, hey, I was hoping this would stay in house, did appreciate the accountability of the team. What's your reaction to how that was handled by Berhalter?

You know, it's a tricky situation. Any time people make some bad decisions, it puts a lot of pressure on the leadership. And you could tell they were managing, they were navigating, they were getting a lot of questions.

How come he doesn't have more playing time? And really, it was held secretive during the World Cup. So kudos that it didn't leak, that, you know, that didn't get more attention and more distraction. And, you know, for Reyna, being able to apologize to the team, that's a significant step. There's a lot of superstars that wouldn't do that. They wouldn't humble themselves.

They've got too big of an ego. And we need more apologies. We need it in marriage. We need it in friendships. We need it in coworkers.

Like we need to be able to apologize, forgive each other and stick together. So I think the team managed it fairly well. I think for, you know, Reyna, the disappointing part later on was that it did leak. And I don't think Berhalter was trying to draw attention to him. I think he did acknowledge that, you know, yes, there was a problem off the field and it did put some tension on the team. You know, he probably shouldn't have said that looking back because then they start putting one and one together and it looks like two.

And then pretty soon it gets revealed and you just can't keep stuff quiet. So it'll be interesting. One of the biggest decisions the U.S. needs to make is do they keep Berhalter for the next World Cup or not? I think they'll keep him a little bit longer because he clearly made progress. The team is better than when he took over. You can't say that about all leaders of the Americans over the years with men's soccer. But clearly there's been improvement. The question is, how far can you take him?

And some people think he got a little bit outfoxed in the round of 16. He could have had a different approach and we could have had more success. You know, what's going to happen next four years?

What's his ceiling? And that's something that they're going to have to assess carefully. They could bring in a top coach. You mean an international coach? Yeah, an international coach and someone who already coaches at the highest level, you know, week in, week out. And already works with that level of talent and has already faced some of the tactical challenges. And so it'll be interesting. There's some big names right now.

There's going to be a lot of interest, I think, amongst coaches. But, you know, again, Berhalter played. He got to the Final 16 as a player and then he led them to the Final 16 as a coach. I mean, he's made a phenomenal contribution and he had great leadership. He really kept the team together. I think his choice of the captain, you know, a 23-year-old captain, Tyler Adams, that worked out really well. He made a lot of good decisions.

And even in terms of who he chose to play, overall it was a strong world cup for him. But I'll tell you, if trust breaks down, any relationship, any team, any culture, any setting, the core relationship is trust. And when trust breaks down, and right now that's going to be a point moving forward for the coach, the player, and then some of the other players wondering, like, okay, are we really keeping this in-house or not? But a good coach and a good leader will rebound from that and we'll pull them together.

So he's going to be tested because how much can the team improve and then how much can he keep that team united together? But the talent's going to be there and the players are going to have so much more experience four years from now that I think they're going to show up differently in the key games. And this will be a great learning experience. You know, for a lot of us, we need a taste at one level to be able to go back and then move to the next level.

And they got their taste this time and I think that'll suit them well. We're so excited to spend a few more minutes with Jesse Bradley during this World Cup. He's a former international goalkeeper himself at the professional level and author and speaker and pastor and now analyst for After Hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. And for our radio audience who can't see us, haha, we're actually recording this on video to share a little bit later on our platform.

So it's good to connect with Jesse again. What's the difference? What's the separation between the United States at this point and the elite teams in the world? I would say the very best teams have a combination of skill and decision making and they can move at a pace and with excellence that just sets them apart. Also, the best teams usually have unbelievable goal scorer and then also a great goalkeeper. And the U.S. has had great goalkeepers, but right now there hasn't been that phenomenal goal scorer and soccer is a low scoring game.

You need someone to move through that. I'll also say this, the best teams have an incredible culture and a great system that everyone's bought in. And there's still these kind of X factors. Like I saw the Argentinian team brought hundreds of pounds of their favorite meat and then some spices just so they felt at home, you know. And the French players are saying, we just love our coach. Sounds like my kind of team.

You know, you got to have that with you, right? If you're going to win, you're away from home for a long time and you just need that taste of home. And then the French are saying, you know, their coach just calms them down and it worked last World Cup.

They're trying to be the first team to repeat since like the 1960s in Brazil. What happens off the field, especially in the tournaments this long, I mean, it's one thing like in the Super Bowl, you fly in, you play one game. But this is you're overseas for over a month and you really have to have the right combination off the field too. You know, lastly, I would say the number of players that have weekly experience at the very highest levels in the world. That's a huge factor. And because they play week in, week out at that level, they've just seen it. They know it. They know how to respond to the pressure, the crowds, the opponents, the tactics. Like it doesn't get in their head.

They're not rattled. That's huge. And the U.S. is getting there. They made the knockout stage, which was, I think, the expected goal and played really well, except for that initial game against Wales and actually probably just the last, what, 10 minutes against Wales. Really thinking ahead to the next World Cup, which is on North American soil, cannot wait.

We're talking about the United States, but also Canada and Mexico. You understand what soccer means because you've played it in other countries where it's the lifeblood. But what do you anticipate in terms of spirit and excitement when it lands here in the United States? It's such a gift to host the World Cup because it's not only that month. It's the three years building up to it. I got something in the mail and I work with the Seattle Sounders faith and family night, but I got something in mail this week. Seattle World Cup, you know, hoping it might be tickets like, you know, it was like Charlie Chocolate Factory and I got the gold ticket, but it was not free tickets. The World Cup.

It was just a postcard to let me know. It's only three and a half years to go. It's only three and a half years. Only three and a half. Let's start counting it down, right?

Almost under a thousand days. No, not quite yet. And then, you know, it's like my kids are catching that buzz. Four kids will play soccer and they're looking for it. They're starting to talk. They're starting to dream.

Hey, how old would I be? Do you think I could play in their next World Cup? You know, the dreams start, but that happens for a generation where all of a sudden the World Cup's coming. Oh, we got three and a half years and they watch it. They want to be a part of it. And what that does to infuse excitement for coaches, players, it just takes everyone's game up to the next level. And you can't simulate that too, you know, for hosting a World Cup and that buzz that's going to happen. So, you know, people watching this World Cup and, you know, you mentioned I'm a pastor. Sunday morning, it's at seven o'clock and we were joking like, could we just like, I don't know, put it on the big screen for a while and then move services back or like, how do we adjust so we can watch some of this stuff? So we're having fun with it.

It is Sunday morning. But, you know, it's going to be incredible. I watched this clip where people are in Argentina already are serenading Messi's grandmother's house.

They are outside just singing and joy. And it's like the passion in those two. You know, even one of my kids was, you know, saying, dad, they were watching the game at school.

And, you know, this is a semifinals. And so we all went over and watched. It was during school.

In some countries, they just cancel school so you can watch. That's the buzz. That's the excitement, the ownership that has to happen in anything you do. You've got to have that ownership. And, you know, when you do have that ownership and you have that passion and you believe in what you're doing. And it's caught your attention, your affection. All right.

Now you're in. And that's so different. And that's happening in America much more for soccer. And at least we don't have to deal with the stress of qualifying, though I'm sure they would qualify. I'm glad that process is a little less stressful.

We're not advocating skipping school, of course. Jesse Bradley is with us from Seattle. It's great to have him one more time here on After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Messi is in his mid 30s. For him to get to his first World Cup final, there were times, I remember, he's very emotional. He was going to quit the national team. He was done. He was frustrated.

He didn't want to be there anymore. And yet he is the standard. He's got everything but the golden ball, the golden boot. So what does it mean, do you think, for him and for his nation to finally get to that level?

That's it. You described it so well. And I love how you just run with soccer.

Not all sports hosts do. You know your stuff for Messi right now. He said this is my final World Cup.

So this is the last dance right here. It means everything. When you talk about names like from Brazil, Pele, when you talk about Maradona from Argentina, his name's going to be right there next to him.

Mount Rushmore would be our geographical illustration metaphor here. But it's going to put him in that place. And it takes 11 to win in soccer. It really is a team.

One guy can't do it himself. But this is a breakthrough for Messi. And here's a key piece in life. It's how you finish.

Because we all go through some ups and downs. And right now, coming in this tournament, it was Messi and Ronaldo. And unfortunately, you know, Ronaldo's had some trouble with his club a little bit with his team.

He wasn't even starting. And so that's going to taint an unbelievably successful career. Taint it in a sense that people are going to remember how his career ended with Portugal, with his club right now.

Whereas Messi is ascending. And I think it's a reminder. You know, some people, once they hit 60, start to fade and just cruise control. And it's like, no, finish strong. Finish strong. I take note, like in the Bible, there's a lot of people who don't finish strong, but they were strong up to that point. And it's like, you can just become complacent, sleepy, or you can get discouraged along the journey. But you see the prize. You just keep going. And not all the days are going to be great.

Not all the seasons are going to be great. One of our kids right now, we have four kids playing soccer. One of the kids in our family, their record is like 0-23. I mean, that's just tough on anybody, you know. And you can see the toll that takes. So when you want a prize or you're not winning as much as you think, or you haven't won the big prize, that's a temptation just to quit and give up. But on those hardest days, you have someone who comes alongside you and encourages you.

Speaks a word of life. Builds you up. You know, in a tough practice, they pick you up. That's why captains are so great.

That's what the great coaches know how to do. See, soccer, it's physical. It's also intellectual, because there's a lot of soccer intelligence during the game. And then there's the emotional part and the relational part.

And it all comes together. And I'll tell you right now, managing, because when you want something so bad, and Messi does, going in to see Mbappe, he could win a second, but he's only going to be 23. Pele won two at 22, but Mbappe, he's going to be chilling. He doesn't win this one.

He's still got all these years. Messi is going to feel some pressure on this one. And how do you manage? This is what the champions have to do. How do you manage the excitement? You're going to have a sense of urgency, but how do you calm down enough?

And every player is a little different. You know, the hard times test you, but the biggest stages test you. And what's your response?

What's your emotional response? And can you bring excellence when you feel all the pressure? And we're going to see that with Messi. The whole world's going to see this with Messi.

I mean, there's going to be billions of people watching him. For me, early on in life, I was just putting too much pressure on myself as a goalie. And I wouldn't play as well, but I had to learn how to manage that.

And for me, even prayer was part of that. I mean, there's all kinds of things. For some people, it's a certain pregame meal, you know, but you're trying to manage that stress. And that's going to be a key. In between Messi's ears, the game might be one right there. And I'd also say whichever team scores first is going to be a huge advantage because Argentina set up that if they get a goal, there's going to be very tough to penetrate their defense. And they're going to be dangerous in the counterattack. If they score first, I don't see France coming back from that. So that first goal is significant.

Start out quickly. That's what you saw today with France. They beat Morocco and they got that early goal. First 10 minutes, they're already 1-0 ahead. That just takes all the pressure off.

And the other team can't sit in that defensive shell. So first goal is going to be huge. And the mental battle for Messi, it's going to be probably more formidable than anyone else out there. And, you know, other players like France already won one. They have an incredible goal scorer, Giroux, up front. And he is finishing his career. He's a phenomenal player.

Savvy. And France has a lot of weapons coming forward. So that first goal is going to be key. You say Mount Rushmore, Jesse.

I want to know, is there an American that you think could be on the mountain or at least standing at the base of the mountain looking up? Right on. Yes. You know, Clint Dempsey is an outstanding scorer. Landon Donovan is another name that a lot of people are going to know.

I would say that in this current team, there are some players that could exceed that. And we don't know who they are. You know, usually the goal scorers get it's like the quarterback, right?

Yeah, you got it. Who's going to score the touchdown? The specialty players.

I mean, they're going to get the attention. So it's usually a goal scorer. Goalkeepers are huge in terms of final result, but they might not get quite as much attention. So it's probably an attacking player. I don't think that players emerged yet, but I think the potential is on this team right now. And if some of these guys keep working and playing in their clubs, I think we could get there. I mean, we've been talking about Raina and he's got the potential to be that.

There was a lot of people going to this World Cup that says he's our most talented player and they thought he was going to shine. So, you know, I could see, especially with a few bumps at the end of this one, sometimes, you know, I remember Andrew Luck said, you know, once he gets pounded by an opponent in a football game and that first really hard tackle, it's like he's focused the rest of the game. And sometimes you almost need a little bit of a challenge or setback or adversity.

You got it. And that's just going to fuel him. So if I was pulling for somebody, it would be him for the next one. But we've got some outstanding talent right now. I know this World Cup will always feel a little bit different to me because of the loss of Grant Wall, who is the longtime soccer insider. But really, more than anything, when I think about him, I think how he was synonymous with the sport in the United States. He's certainly a great loss for the soccer community. I'm sad for him. I know he was doing what he loved. But man, what a loss for soccer overall in our country. That's right.

What a tragedy. And he's one of those people that moved the sport forward. He's incredibly knowledgeable.

He was an Ivy League grad and from Princeton. And, you know, when you listen to soccer commentators, the English, the insights they have and the pace and the words they use, they're set apart. I mean, they're the best commentators. Of course, some of the Hispanic commentators bring the excitement. They celebrate the goals and they also have great insights.

But the American commentators have been a little behind some of those who are overseas or from other countries and we're catching up. And when I think of Grant Wall, I think of catching up because the insights he brought to the game and the passion he had and how he explained it and made it, you know, accessible and understandable for so many people and then raise their intelligence. I mean, he just served the soccer community. He served the nation. And when anyone is that dedicated and excellent in their craft, they leave a tremendous legacy.

And there's going to be a lot of people I think were inspired by him and will their careers are going to move forward because they want to bring what he brought. And it also reminds us of the fragility of life. It reminds us, you know, the human stories that surround this World Cup. You have like the treatment of women in the Middle East that was relevant there. You've got some of the workers that died and the conditions they're trying to build the stadiums.

When you had the war in Ukraine, Russia wasn't at the World Cup because of that. I mean, Grant's story, there's a lot of heartbreaking stories and it's always bigger off the field, you know, than on the field. We enjoy the sport, but like Grant's life, his family right now, you know, keep them in your prayers. You know, we had a campaign and we've done some digital campaigns recently. It was just a campaign of hope. The content spread more than it's ever spread.

And we had so many people going through the content and even like interested spiritually in God in this content. And the world right now is in a unique spot. People are looking for hope right now. And I think soccer players can bring hope with their platform and the words they say.

I think someone like Grant brings a lot of hope. And I think we all can do our part in our communities locally and globally to look out for one another, do our jobs well, serve people well. Like you say, be faithful to the end.

Don't check out early. And, you know, that's something that we all need to step up together during these days. And there is a hope that's available to everybody.

Oh, yes. A message of hope. That was what I determined my radio show would be during the course of the pandemic. And that's how you connect with people, to be sure, because we all need that need to remember why it's so important.

Jesse Bradley, former international goalkeeper, professional goalkeeper. We've been so excited about your insight and, of course, connecting with you. We've enjoyed these conversations. Remind people how they can connect with you.

Thank you so much. I love to hear from people. And I have heard from a lot. I've loved being on CBS Sports. Your show is outstanding. You have a lot of people that really follow your show closely, too.

And, you know, all those encouragements continue to send them to Amy because they mean a lot. It's not easy to be a host. It's not easy to cover sports.

It's not easy to handle. You always get a lot of negative comments and just people just need to vent and stuff. So keep those coming. We love to hear from you for reaching out. JesseBradley.org. Also, RevivingHope.com. We have two websites now.

And then social media is Jesse J. Bradley. So let's talk soccer. Let's talk life. We can talk Seahawks, too. Whatever you want.

Ethan Seattle. We're good. So let's do it. Awesome. Great to have you on the show again, Jesse. Thank you. Thanks so much, Amy.

Had a great time. What makes your skin crawl, no matter how absurd? I want to know. Tails without fur on them, such as rats or opossums. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. You send me your fear.

I'm just so weirded out about the texture and how they can just move around and flop. And then I go to the experts to learn how to overcome them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast from. So my biggest fear is there's going to be snakes in the toilet. We're all afraid of that one strange thing. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new short 10 minute podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. We unpack where these fears come from.

A rat climbed into my toilet and learn how to manage them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm interested in making money. I'm not interested in hurting people. 15 years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C-13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season two, The Dixie Mafia available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.