The second-guessing began moments after word oozed from the wires and tubes of the Internets that Michael Bradley was about to leave European soccer to return to Major League Soccer.

Some of the reaction followed a similar theme: mistake. He’s giving up on Europe. His decision will hurt the United States national team as it prepares for the World Cup in Brazil.

Bradley will have none of it.

“For me, it was a thing I had gotten to a point at Roma, now with a new coach, he clearly had his ideas on who he wanted to play when everyone was healthy and to move the team forward and, look, I was really happy there,” Bradley said. “The club is fantastic, my family and I enjoyed living in Rome, but at a certain point it was just kind of like what am I going to do here?

“Am I going to stay here for another however many years and play 15-20 games a season, or go somewhere where I’m going to be challenged every day to take big responsibility, to really force and help my team to win? Obviously everybody is wired differently. Everybody has different things that motivate them. For me, the chance to come here and be a part of what’s going on in North America — I said I want to be a part of it and to not let this opportunity pass me by.”