Brad Friedel (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Even in the early stages of a new job, New England Revolution coach Brad Friedel managed to spare a moment to marvel at the progress of soccer in the United States.
Friedel spent most of the past two decades plying his trade in Europe. He moved from club to club and started game after game in England. He turned out for his country when it called. He wondered about the next steps and the future for himself and the game in his native country.
As he settles into his new role as head coach in Foxboro, he appreciates how the interim period between his first steps as a professional and his first steps as a coach created the conditions set in front of him now.
