COLUMBUS, Ohio -- United States midfielder Michael Bradley says he will always be grateful to Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio ahead of the CONCACAF giants' World Cup qualifying clash in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday.
The duo's relationship stretches back to when Bradley's fledgling career was starting to flourish and the now 29-year-old was looking for an opportunity in Europe.
Before Bradley moved from the Metrostars to Dutch side Heerenveen in January 2006, it was current Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio who opened the doors for a stint training with Manchester City -- where he was then an assistant coach -- and living in the Colombian's house in Northwest England.
"I always remember my time in Manchester and my time with Juan Carlos," said Bradley on Wednesday before U.S. training. "He was incredible to me. He opened up his house to me for a week or two."
Osorio's family was back in Colombia at the time, leaving the two meticulous professionals to share their passion for the game.
"On days when there was no team training, whether the reserve team or the first team, he put me through extra sessions," continued Bradley. "We'd watch games, we'd talk football and I'll always be very grateful for the way that he treated me and the way he opened his doors to me and I look forward to seeing him."
The respect is mutual, with Osorio admitting recently he has closely followed the careers of Bradley, Tim Howard -- who he knew from his time as a conditioning coach at Metrostars -- and Geoff Cameron -- who he tried to sign from Houston Dynamo when he was head coach of New York Red Bulls.
"There are a few players [in the U.S. squad] that I have spent time with and I respect them all [for] the progress and achievements that they have had," Osorio told ESPN FC in a recent interview, adding: "It'll be a great opportunity to compete with them."