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His 2014 World Cup lasted 50 days. Thats how long Michael Bradley was away from Toronto FC while with the United States team. For millions around the globe, the midfielders World Cup was simply four games of ninety minutes plus 30 minutes of extra time against Belgium. 390 minutes. Six and a half hours. Bradley sees it very differently. The games, of course, are the true high points from the experience, but six and a half hours out of fifty days meant that Bradley and his teammates spent less than one per cent of their World Cup experience by playing in a match. In a sit-down interview with TSN.ca this week, Bradley nods his head when he is told that 2010 World Cup winning coach Vicente Del Bosque talked about how important is was to not have one single issue between his 23 players during their run to becoming World Champions in South Africa. A conversation about the mental side of the game is one the 26-year-old American is very comfortable with. He chooses his words carefully but delivers them in a calming manner, with authority. “World Cups are very interesting in the way they test you. As a player and a team. For all the hype, the build-up, everything that goes on beforehand, the wait of four years, then the draw six months before, the stage is set for so long, but then the club season ends, players leave their MLS squads, and every team has a two-, three-week window to really prepare.” Bradley, who emphasizes the word really, is clear in his belief about how important that time is. He continues: “Regardless of how club seasons went, or are going, regardless of how qualifying went, whether you were the first team in or through a playoff, everyone gets that same, small window to prepare the best possible way. “As a team we talked beforehand about understanding what it was all going to be about. It is a big country so travel plays a huge role, the heat, humidity, even just it being in Brazil. As special as it is, you knew not everything would run properly. We prepared for travel delays, we knew things in hotels wouldnt be perfect so we talked about making sure we understood that, making sure we embraced that challenge. “I think we saw some big teams go home early because they werent able to deal with a combination of these factors. A team like Italy, for example, they lose against Costa Rica and Uruguay and, at the end of it, still have a lot to say about the heat." Bradley, a man who will always smile when talking about his Serie A experiences in Verona and Rome, loves Italy and called his son Luca, but it is clear he has no time for excuses at this level. As he reflects on his World Cup experiences the discussion keeps going back to mental toughness and preparation. Such characteristics bring him to his coach, Jurgen Klinsmann. “Jurgen brings an energy, an enthusiasm that is infectious. Thats so important as you go through a period like this, when you are together for six, seven, eight weeks. “Inevitably, certain guys hit the wall at a certain point. Some guys are away from their families for a long time, the monotony of the days, its always the case that guys need a push. I thought in those ways Jurgen did an incredible job.” Son of former USA coach Bob Bradley, it is not hard to see why Michael thinks like a coach and clearly he played a huge role in helping Klinsmann dictate such an atmosphere inside the camp. He doesnt talk much about himself, instead, once again, preferring to share the value in the mental side of the squad during each challenge it faced. “The first game comes quick, and depending how that first game goes you can be in a good spot or right away you have to deal with adversity or pressure after it didnt go the way you wanted. Each checkpoint along the way, depending on how the result goes, can really change the mood. So it is so important that you have a team that is strong, that has been tested together. If you show up to the World Cup and all you have is excitement but everything else is superficial and there isnt a real leader or personality on the team, or a real sense of commitment and togetherness, then the reality is that first sign of trouble is going to be a real test.” Bradleys intelligence and awareness on the field is all to see but spend any time with him off it and you could argue both attributes are even more glaring away from the pitch. Such things have led to his club coaches saying how he keeps them on his toes. It was clear, however, that he was impressed with Klinsmanns leadership qualities. “He found a balance between being positive, encouraging and giving the team confidence but still letting us know that there is still more for us. “Hed say, for example, ‘look we got out of the group but there is more we can do better. Obviously, it didnt work out that way but the way that things were taken care of within the team, the atmosphere, the commitment, the mentality of the team, was very good and I think that came out throughout the tournament. “For the most part, the teams that do well in World Cups are the ones that are able to have a group that is committed in winning, to stick with each other through it all, until the end.” This brings us to Germany, a team Bradley played in Brazil and a team he watched when he returned home. Despite getting knocked out, he admits he loves the game and has watched every match. He will be home on Sunday to take in the final. “Germany is a very good team, a group of guys who have been together for a very long time, and reap the benefits of having the core of their team play 60, 70 games together at Bayern Munich. I also think when a guy like Pep Guardiola goes to Bayern with some of the ideas and concepts he brings then you start to see it in the national team.” As they get ready for a World Cup final, Bradley isnt surprised at all they have got this far but knew they werent anywhere near the team they are today, when USA faced Germany back on June 26. “In terms of pure possession, circulating the ball, the angles, movement, how one guy comes into space and the next guy moves out, so they can keep the ball … I thought they were very good. But, they werent always finding the right ways to transition that into the final third to be a little more dangerous, to shoot, create a chance. Obviously they had a lot of the ball, their rhythm with the ball, the ease that all their players have in taking the ball in tight spots and playing with it is so good. However, looking back, on the day, it wasnt like they were just creating chance after chance like they did at such a high level against Brazil.” Germanys ability to be more clinical and precise in the final third has certainly improved dramatically since then. Bradley, who can play deeper inside a double pivot as well as in more of an advanced role inside a central midfield three, is perfectly placed to talk about where modern day football is going and the emphasis on counter-attacks and transitions. “Players are so athletic now, the demands on a physical level are so high. So, as teams continue to get better, stronger, fitter, faster it means that some of the best teams are at their most dangerous when the other team has the ball. They are organized, difficult to break down, but in the right moments they know how to press, and when they win the ball back they know how and where to go and go quickly, using their mobility and dynamic abilities to create goalscoring opportunities." Bradleys experience officially ended when he landed home with his wife Amanda and son Luca into Toronto on July 3, but he wont forget how it all ended against Belgium in a pulsating extra time in Salvador and the sudden finality of what comes next. “Its a weird thing, for almost two months you are in this mindset of World Cup and everything that means. Set mealtimes, training, treatment, meetings, games, recovery, all of these essential things and that is how it is right until the end and then that final whistle blows. “You are out and it is amazing how quickly everything changes, guys are on flights the very next morning and everyone is off going their own separate ways. Its disappointing and that can take a little while to go away.” His competitive spirit means such an emotion will take time to leave him but that didnt prevent him from a moment of reflection. “In the big moments, on the pitch, even when things werent going our way, we still had a resolve and determination that came out in a big way and every player, coach and person on that staff should be proud of that.” It is not hard to see why the mental side of the game is so important for Michael Bradley. New England Patriots Jerseys . -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Irving Fryar Jersey .The Los Angeles Lakers star passed Michael Jordan for third on the NBAs career scoring list Sunday night in a 100-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/Elite-Kevin-Faulk-Patriots-Jersey/ . New York Red Bulls. 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Its going to be a big shift, safe to say, Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis admitted. Its a challenge. (Manning) gets everyones attention in this building right away. The player he is, how he carries himself, how he runs things on the field -- its going to be a great challenge for us. Challenge may be an under statement because the Bengals have never beaten Manning whether he was in Indianapolis or Denver, compiling an 0-8 mark when the five-time MVP is lined up opposite them. Cincinnati inched closer to its fourth consecutive postseason berth in Week 15 when plenty of money signs were flashed but none coming from the player associated with the gesture, Manziel. The Cleveland rookie quarterbacks first career NFL start was as dismal as it gets and the Browns were whitewashed, 30-0, by the AFC North-leading Bengals. Jeremy Hill had 148 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and Giovani Bernard amassed 79 yards on the ground for the Bengals (9-4-1), who produced points on each of their first four drives and remain a half-game ahead of Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the division standings entering Week 16. Cincinnati can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Broncos and it can earn the AFC North crown with a win coupled with losses by the Steelers, who play Kansas City on Sunday, and the Ravens, who are at Houston. Were still in control of everything, said quarterback Andy Dalton. We know these next two games are going to be big. The way our division is going, everyone keeps winning. We know what were facing. Dalton completed 14-of-24 passes for 117 yards with one interception against the Browns as Cincinnati won its fourth straight road game to tie a club record. Denver, meanwhile, already punched its ticket to the postseason dance by winning the AFC West for a fourth straight year after downing San Diego, 22-10, in Week 15. Now the Broncos are focused on a first-round bye and the top spot in the AFC. Denver will clinch the mini-vacation with a win over the Bengals but needs to win out and hope New England loses one of its final two games to claim the top spot in the conference. Hindered by a bout with the flu and temporarily sidelined by a thigh injury, Manning got plenty of support from his Broncos teammates against the Chargers. Manning briefly exited the game late in the first half and produced a modest 233 yards with a touchdown, but five Connor Barth field goals and a strong defensive effort helped Denver sew up another division crown. Its a tough division to win, so it feels good, said Manning. All it does is guarantee you a spot in the playoffs, but at least you have a shot. The Broncos limited San Diego to 288 total yards, with the Chargers failing to mount a sustained rushing attack with top back Ryan Mathews out with an ankle injury. Demaryius Thomas caught six passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, while C.J. Anderson added 85 rushing yards on a workmanlike 29 carries. All that really matters now is winning, said Thomas. Manning completed 14-of-20 attempts one week after he threw for a season-low 173 yards and had a streak of 51 consecutive games with a touchdown pass halted against Buffalo. The Broncos won that game, too, though. Manning was shaken up while blocking Chargers linebacker Donald Butler on Andersons third-and-goal run that was initially ruled a touchdown, then overturned on review. When the five-time league MVP hobbled, Broncos head coach John Fox opted for Barths 19-yard field goal. Brock Osweiler directedd Denvers next series, which ended in a quick three- and-out, as Manning received treatment in the locker room.dddddddddddd The Broncos lead their all-time series with the Bengals by a significant 19-8 margin and have won four straight, the last of which was a 31-23 triumph in November of 2012 when Manning threw for 291 yards and three TDs. Both teams have had their troubles on Monday nights with Denver compiling a 29-36-1 mark over the years and Cincinnati being even worse at 10-20. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Manning and the Broncos offense have taken a step back from their 2013 performance, perhaps the best statistical season in NFL history, when Denver became the first team to pass the 600-point barrier. That said, when you look up, the numbers remain staggering as Manning is third in the AFC with 4,143 passing yards and even better with 37 TD passes (second in the NFL) and a 106.4 passer rating (tops in the conference). The veteran now has an NFL record 14 career 4,000-yard passing seasons and headlines an offense that is fifth in the NFL in both yards (400.7 yards per game) and points per game (29.1). If anything the group has become more well-rounded in recent weeks because of the emergence of the ground game and Anderson, who is averaging 135.3 scrimmage yards per game (812 total) with six total TDs (four rushing, two receiving) over the past six games. The receiving threats remain as good as any in football led by Thomas, who has 1,389 receiving yards and leads all AFC receivers with 41 TD catches since entering the league in 2010. His running mate, Emmanuel Sanders, has a career- high 1,261 yards and seven TD catches over his past nine games. The Cincinnati defense looked like world-beaters against Manziel but has taken a significant step back overall without Mike Zimmer, now the head coach in Minnesota. The Bengals D entered last weeks contest 25th in the league and are now 20th after dominating Manziel. The 25 number is probably more indicative of where they belong because facing a QB who isnt ready to play in the NFL is an anomaly and certainly not what Cincy will be up against on Monday night. Dalton has been inconsistent this season so the strength of the Bengals offense is the running game, which is clicking now that Bernard is healthy and the rookie Hill is getting more comfortable week by week. The Cincinnati running game has been averaging 145.3 yards per game over its past four games. That shapes up as strength versus strength, though, because the Denver defense is second in the NFL. allowing only 71.6 yards per game on the ground. Overall, Jack Del Rios stop unit is one of the most improved in the league and is fourth overall, surrendering 309.4 yards per game. The two stars of the unit, Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, come off the edge and the Broncos are one of only two teams with two players that have recorded 10 or more sacks (Miller 13, Ware 10). We have to get through this game before we have any opportunities at January, Lewis said. Its been (a playoff mentality) for the last seven weeks. Preparation and how you go about it, and the confidence of knowing what to do and how to do it allows you to play fast. Thats the most important thing, for us: to play fast, to play physical, to play smart. OVERALL ANALYSIS The Bengals are 13-2-1 in their past 16 regular-season home games but one of those losses and the tie came in their past two as the host. With the air of invincibility at Paul Brown Stadium diminishing and Mannings history of success against Cincinnati, its tough to pick the Bengals here. Its our goal (to win the Super Bowl) every year, Fox said. Everybodys hope and dream before the season is youll be hoisting that championship trophy. We got close last year and came up short. Obviously, (the AFC West championship) is a great accomplishment, but we still have more season left. 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