In the end, nobody would take the leap of faith overseas to hire an American soccer coach, no matter how qualified. And in the end, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati couldn't find a strong foreign coach enthusiastic enough to take the national post.
And so a marriage of convenience was arranged, or more accurately prolonged - and both sides appear quite happy with their consolation prizes.
"His record speaks for itself," Gulati said Tuesday, on a conference call announcing the decision to rehire Bob Bradley for four more years through the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "The schedule we've gone through was tougher than any we've had in history."
Bradley led the Americans to their first first-place group finish at the South Africa World Cup, but the tournament ended in disappointment when the U.S. fell behind yet again and was eliminated by Ghana, 2-1. Gulati and Bradley met after that tournament and agreed to a flexible negotiating timetable, each one then reaching out in other directions.
Discussions between Gulati and Juergen Klinsmann were relatively brief and fruitless. Meanwhile, Bradley's name was mentioned for Premier League posts at Fulham and Aston Villa. He never got as far as an interview, however.
"The timing after a World Cup is interesting," Bradley said. "Most club teams are set. It's a nice thing if Fulham or Aston Villa thinks a little bit about you a bit, and the types of discussion I had involved some national teams. But without a doubt I'm a product of coaching in the U.S. and MLS. As much as we continue to grow, it's a challenge for all of us. That's just the way it is."