USMNT: What Is the Ideal Role for Michael Bradley?

Michael Bradley has been one of the most polarizing American players since the 2014 World Cup. When the U.S. men's national team struggles in a game, like on Tuesday against Trinidad and Tobago, Bradley has been the scapegoat.

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@BarstoolSam Michael Bradley has to be the worst "good player" in #USMNT history

— DannyOfPhilly (@DannyOfPhilly) November 18, 2015"

He occasionally has poor performances for the U.S. because of his role, which is always a controversial topic in the American soccer community.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has primarily used Bradley as a No. 10, because his vision and passing are two of his best attributes. However, this is not his best role for club or country.

Bradley's tendency to roam forward also means that he's not an ideal No. 6 who can operate in the heart of midfield.

The 28-year-old's best role is somewhere in between. He's a No. 8 who can operate as a box-to-box midfielder.

Box-to-box players need to have incredible stamina, defensive qualities and top vision. Bradley has all three of these attributes.

Even the man himself believes he's "a complete midfielder," something he told Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl in October:

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I think I’m a complete midfielder. I can attack. I can defend. I can score goals. I can set up goals. I can tackle. I can intercept balls. I can play a more disciplined role a little deeper. I can be more mobile. I can cover ground. I think I’m somebody who in the midfield can do anything that’s asked. Depending on the team, depending on the game, depending on what’s needed, I’m ready to take whatever is asked of me and spill my heart and soul and blood and sweat and tears into that, trying to be the best and trying to help the team be successful.

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Since arriving in Toronto, he has made 50 appearances for his club. He played the full 90 minutes in all but two of those games.

Bradley has participated in 18 matches for the USMNT in 2015. The September 8 friendly versus Brazil was the only game he didn't finish.

Stamina? Check.

It's worth noting that the ex-Roma man suffered a couple of niggling injuries since returning to MLS. One of those knocks required foot surgery.

For Bradley's sake, it would be smart to give him a rest in friendlies to avoid further injuries. Nonetheless, he's consistently shown that he's the ultimate iron man.

Defense often goes unnoticed in games but not on March 2, 2012, in a Serie A match between Juventus and Chievo Verona, when Bradley produced one of his career-best performances against the champions.

The American was everywhere that day. He was breaking up counterattacks, pressing the Juve players high up the pitch and hustling back to snuff out any danger.

Defensive contributions? Check.

That 1-1 draw also demonstrated Bradley's passing. Most of those passes occurred after running from a deeper position on the pitch. That's when he's dangerous on the ball.

Julian Green's goal against Belgium is another example. Bradley collected the ball, ran forward, dropped back from the pressure, saw Green's run and completed the pass.

Top vision? Check.

The one reason why the U.S. captain isn't excelling is because he's playing beside a significantly slower Jermaine Jones. Someone such as Dax McCarty or Perry Kitchen who sits deep and is a more disciplined No. 6 than Jones would be the perfect partner for Bradley.

If a true playmaker such as Lee Nguyen started behind the strikers, it would be a more balanced midfield. Alternatively, Klinsmann can tweak the formation so that there isn't a No. 10 and then use two forwards instead of one.

This year has been tough for U.S. fans. It's easy to point the blame at the captain or the star forward when the team is experiencing poor form. However, the USMNT can rebound if Bradley starts in the No. 8 role and is playing alongside others who can serve as the No. 6 and No. 10.