How do you go from being at the bottom to the top, so quickly??

What if I told you that you could be dead last in the same league for two straight years and suddenly be a breath away from winning it this year? What turned around? North Carolina FC was 11th out of 11 last year, 12th out of 12 the year before, second in the USL League 1 this year. John Bradford is the head coach and he joins us on the Adam Gold Show.

So that's the first question. What changed? You guys were awesome, especially late winning for your last five. So what changed this year? First off, thanks for having me on Adam.

I appreciate it. I think the change for this year comes down to the roster we were able to put together in the offseason after last year's season. And just the quality and dedication of the group that we have. We were able to return some guys from 2022 and then also able to go out and bring in some talented guys into the roster for 2023. And it's really been a great experience with this group this season and obviously we have more to play for coming up in the playoffs. Right. By the way, go to NorthCarolinaFC.com and the big banner tickets.

First match is on the 28th, next Saturday 730 at Wake Med Soccer Park. 23 more goals. Did you guys go out and buy 23 more goals last year? Well, I think we got a better overall group that allowed the guys that returned like Oleks Anderson and Gary McLaughlin to continue to find goals and Oleks having a career year this year. But then also bringing in guys that are known for scoring. Ralph Mince again comes to mind and other good attacking guys and we're able just to be a quality attacking group with multiple different options. Guys that can play in different formations and quality in front of goals.

Certainly sounds like a formula for success. John Bradford is the head coach of North Carolina FC. Again, second in the table this year. They finished the season really strong. Four wins, one draw, no losses in their last five matches and they'll get a buy. I guess it's a buy into the second weekend of USL League One playoffs.

I am curious, what was it like? What was the benefit to this club of hearing that next year you'll be part of the championship again? Yeah, I mean I think it has an effect on the guys in the locker room. That is the ambition of every player that's on our roster is to try to play in a higher league. So when they understood that the club is making the jump back to the championship for next year, it basically kind of puts everybody on an extended trial, for lack of a better way to say it. So I do think it had an effect and I think for them to be able to understand how they're seen in practice every day, how they're seen in the games can help them achieve their goals of moving up in a realistic way.

I think is that a big benefit? It was about the same time, maybe it was a little bit, I think the announcement that NCFC was going back up to the championship, I think I saw the news a little bit before then, was floating the idea that USL could be expanding and going to possibly three tiers with relegation. I'm sure you guys have talked about what that would mean. What do you think the overall chance of that is and what would it mean? Soclearlyyou.com Yeah, I think that it would give the nation a different league that's got a different excitement about it.

It's more in line with the rest of the world, obviously, that has promotion and relegation. I know USL is exploring it to try to figure out if it's viable and if the owners from all the different existing clubs want to support it and get behind it. But I think there's been a lot of positive noise around it and it feels like something that could definitely take off. So I know that they're trying to do all their due diligence and get everybody's opinion that matters and see the realistic idea of how it could go. But I think it would be very exciting for soccer in the United States.

It would be great to have it. And this is not about Major League Soccer. This is about what what USL offers, but it's got to have more than two levels, right? If it's just one, if it's just two, however many team leagues, it probably doesn't work as well as three, right? Yeah, I think so. And I think that's what they've looked at with the model to try to take existing USL championship clubs and potentially new ones to put them in the top tier.

Find that middle ground, the middle group they would have. And then obviously the League One existing USL league right now is probably that third tier. But yeah, like I said, I think they're exploring all opportunities with it and trying to make sure that they understand it. But it could be very exciting. So are you guys just ditching Charlotte Independence now after we created the Dogwood rivalry? Or are they going up to the championship with you? Yeah, I'm not sure what their plans are. I don't think they're going up this upcoming year, but you never know what's going to happen in the future with them. But something tells me that we'll find a preseason game or it might be an open cup game.

You never know. But hopefully that rivalry exists for a long time going forward. I mean, I know it looks. Rivalries are fun. I mean, they're just there. What sports are all about when two clubs, two teams, when they just whether they hate each other or whatever, whatever the reason is, we don't have to be India, Pakistan, Cricket World Cup about it.

But it just adds so much flavor to to the sport. John Bradford is the head coach at North Carolina FC. Go to North Carolina FC dot com, by the way, right now, buy tickets to the match. If we weren't out of town with my own son's soccer matches, where we're like in Charleston next weekend, we would be there on on Saturday night at seven thirty.

I am curious your thoughts. The we just had the international break. I guess there's still a couple of matches straggling over before the break is over.

The U.S. men's national team lost to Germany one three one on Saturday. Just beat Ghana four nil last night in a dominating performance. Which do you take more out of in terms of those two matches? Yeah, I'm not sure if there's one I think more out of obviously was great to see last night, you know, a response to what was not a great overall performance against Germany, a decent start. But then it kind of just wavered as the game wore on in Germany was more assertive. But yeah, I mean, a commanding performance, obviously four goals in the first half last night.

And U.S. looked looked like you said dominant. And I think that the best thing about seeing this group, you know, is just the depth of talent that the U.S. has in the roster and in the pool. And, you know, you watch the Germany game and you say, OK, hopefully they're not going to get to the stage where they're wasting this this quality talent. And then they respond like they did last night, you know, with a great performance. So I'm just excited to see how this this young group continues to shape up the roster and some of these exciting pieces that they have.

Does it make you want to put Christian Polisic in like a not rather Gia Reyna in bubble wrap? Yeah, I mean, Gio, Gio, Gio, I've known him since he was with the national teams I was able to be a part of. And, you know, all the stuff, obviously, he's gone through World Cup and all that. But he's just he's a talented player, you know, and there's no hiding that.

And hopefully he can stay injury free as he goes forward as much as possible, because when he's on the field, the team is better for it. I mean, the things he does with the ball and I mean, finishing hasn't hasn't been great for the United States, not just him. It's been like everybody, like we're just trying to find somebody in front of goal who can, who can put the ball in the back of the net and cash in on the opportunities. They had a few more opportunities early against Germany. The best part of that match, I think the first 40 minutes, it could have been two or maybe even three nil.

And maybe the rest of it looks different. But, man, they got out early was a three nil before we got to the 13th minute against against Ghana. What's your take on Florian Balogun? No, I think he's a great get for the United States, you know, and I think it's going to give, you know, take a little bit of time for him to have the impact that he's going to have, you know, in the long run and get used to playing with the guys he's playing with. But, I mean, great talent. Obviously, you showed that last night and just the impact he's going to have within this group and the cycles, you know, for years to come. I think it's going to be immense.

One more thing, 30 seconds, if you could. How much did they miss Tyler Adams in the middle of their defensive midfield against Germany? Yeah, it was massive. I mean, you could see it. I mean, Tyler obviously has been a staple of the midfield, especially defensively in clogging passing lanes, interceptions, tackles, and basically been the heart of the group in the middle of the park. And it just, you know, I don't know if it looked lost, but it just looks certainly not the same missing him.

So, hopefully he's back in with the group soon. John Bradford, head coach, North Carolina FC, Saturday, October 28th. So, that's next Saturday at Wake Med Soccer Park, which is still one of the absolute greatest venues and the best fields I have ever been on.

That grass is almost illegal. It's so good. I wish you the best of luck and I'll talk to you soon. Awesome. Thanks Adam. You got it. John Bradford here on the Adam Gold Show. Last, dead last, two years in a row, second this far, two points out of first place. I mean, it was just incredible, incredible turnaround.