Gordon Bradley, one of the pioneers of soccer in the United States and the Washington area, died Tuesday in Manassas after a long battle with Alzheimer”s disease.
Mr. Bradley, 74, is best known for helping lure Brazilian star Pele to join the New York Cosmos in 1975, a seminal moment in American sports history.
“He was a legend in the sport,” said veteran D.C. United player Ben Olsen. “He was one of the pioneers of the sport who made it possible for us to play professionally and I feel very fortunate because of him.”
Mr. Bradley moved to the area in 1978 to coach the Washington Diplomats, and helped recruit world-famous Dutch star Johan Cruyff. After the North American Soccer League (NASL) folded, Mr. Bradley became general manger of the Washington Stars. For 15 years, from 1985 to 1990, he coached the men’s soccer team at George Mason University, compiling a 183-113-35 record.
“Next to Pele, Gordon Bradley is Mr. Soccer in America,” George Mason Athletic Director Jack Kvancz said when Mr. Bradley joined the school.
Mr. Bradley was born in Sunderland in the northeast of England and signed with Sunderland A.F.C. when he was 16 as a speedy forward. However, his career appeared over when he suffered a serious injury and ended up working in the local coal mine. While slowed by his injury, Mr. Bradley returned to soccer as a tough midfielder and played 130 games for Carlisle United.
He came to America in 1967 and played for the Baltimore Bays of the NASL in 1969. He joined the expansion Cosmos in 1971 as a player-coach and later signed Pele and German ace Franz Beckenbauer, who drew crowds of more than 75,000 to Giants Stadium.
In the 1990s, Mr. Bradley was a television commentator for D.C. United. His name was placed on the Washington Hall of Stars inside RFK Stadium and in 1996 he was inducted into the Soccer Hall of Fame.
“His contributions are a significant part of the history of the game beginning in the ’60s and carrying through the ’90s,” Hall of Fame President Steve Baumann said.
Even though he was not a citizen, Mr. Bradley played one game for the U.S. national team in 1973 and coached the team for five games. He became a U.S. citizen the following year.
Survivors include his wife, Vera; and two sons, Paul and Doug.
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