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Former Soccer League coach Bradley dies

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

May 1, 2008

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MANASSAS, Va. - Gordon Bradley, who coached Pelé and Johan Cruyff in the North American Soccer League, died Tuesday. He was 74.

A major figure in the NASL, the Englishman coached the New York Cosmos in their heyday in the late 1970s, when the Brazilian superstar Pelé played for the team and it drew crowds of 70,000 to Giants Stadium. He also coached the Washington Diplomats, where he worked with Dutch star Cruyff.

After working in the NASL, Bradley became a college coach, and he had a 0.606 winning percentage for George Mason, taking the school to the NCAA Tournament six times.

Bradley was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996. He had played in England and Canada and became the Cosmos' player-coach in 1971. After being dismissed as coach, he later returned to the star-studded team.