When Aaron Long was named captain for Sunday's U.S. national team friendly against Panama, it was seen as a surprising decision given the presence of former captain and veteran midfielder Michael Bradley on the squad.
Gregg Berhalter's decision raised some eyebrows, but one person who had no issue with the decision was Bradley, who took time to give Long some advice on wearing the captain's armband for the first time.
"I told him to enjoy it," Bradley said of his talk with Long before Sunday's 3-0 win against Panama. "I told him to be himself, to play and compete how he always does because in those ways he always sets a real example and a high bar for everybody.