Howard hails Bradley's gentle approach

LONDON (AP):

When the United States take on England in their World Cup opener expect a clash of cultures and coaching styles.

While Fabio Capello has cultivated a fearsome reputation in the England camp and helped to banish player-power, US goalkeeper Tim Howard says his team should thrive in South Africa due to the more congenial atmosphere encouraged by Bob Bradley.

Howard, who is based in England with Premier League club Everton, has been able to contrast it with the strict regime the Three Lions have been subjected to since Capello took charge in January 2008 when the team was at one of its lowest ebbs.

"With Bob Bradley, there is a huge amount of respect there, but to say that we don't fear him is the way that he is," Howard said in an interview with The Associated Press. "He is very gentle in terms of how he interacts with his players and he doesn't want there to be a barrier.

"Yes, of course, there is a hierarchy - he is the manager and what he says goes and as players we respect each other and we respect him - but he doesn't want there to be a wall."

And players are not afraid to tell Howard what they think.

"He wants there to be open lines of communication and he wants to be able to have conversations with players and get their feedback and that allows him to do his job better," Howard said as he prepares for the June 12 opener against England.

England striker Peter Crouch last week praised Capello's disciplinarian approach - one that is in marked contrast to Sven-Goran Eriksson's more relaxed rule between 2001-06.

While Capello, the former Real Madrid and Juventus coach, was an outsider in England before taking charge of a bedraggled national team, the 52-year-old Bradley has been a mainstay of American football for decades.

Players growing up

As a result, the former Chicago Fire, New York MetroStars and Chivas coach has crossed paths with many of his World Cup-bound players as they were growing up.

"There is a history there between Bob Bradley and a lot of us and there was already a good relationship that was built," Howard said. "In the last four years, we have cultivated that relationship and it has got better and better and the trust level has gone up and it's brought us together as a strong unit on and off the field."

Bradley has transformed the US team since replacing Bruce Arena after a lacklustre 2006 World Cup. No longer are the Americans considered minnows, as Spain, which were beaten in last June's Confederations Cup semi-finals by the US, can testify. As can Brazil, which had to recover a 2-0 deficit in the final before prevailing 3-2.