Bob Bradley Wins 2019 MLS Coach of the Year
Chris Nicoll/USA Today Sports
Bob Bradley has some individual hardware to show for a record-setting season.
The LAFC manager was named 2019 MLS Coach of the Year on Wednesday, winning the award for a third time and doing so with a third club. LAFC won the MLS Supporters' Shield and posted a league-record 72 points and league-record +48 goal differential, featuring the league's most potent attack and stingiest defense en route to its best record.
Bradley previously won the award, which is now named for the late Sigi Schmid, with the Chicago Fire in 1998 and Chivas USA in 2006. He joins Bruce Arena as the only coaches to win it three times. Arena, who turned around the New England Revolution's season in his first job since failing to guide the U.S. to the 2018 World Cup, finished sixth in the voting. NYCFC's Domenec Torrent, Philadelphia's Jim Curtin, Minnesota's Jim Curtin and San Jose's Matias Almeyda followed Bradley in the voting, respectively.
Bradley turns his attention to one thing he hasn't been able to do in two years at the helm of LAFC: beat the LA Galaxy. The two city rivals meet in the MLS Western Conference semifinals Thursday night, with the winner moving to within a game of MLS Cup.
There's likely more individual hardware to come for LAFC, as well, with record-setting goal scorer Carlos Vela the heavy favorite to win league MVP after a 34-goal, 15-assist season.
