Bob Bradley believes Crew SC's new signing is a good fit. He says Naess can become a strong leader.

When Gregg Berhalter was gathering intel on center back Nicolai Naess he placed a call to a fellow Jersey boy.

Former U.S. national coach Bob Bradley spent two years building a small, suburban Oslo team into a third-place finisher in Norway�s top division in 2015.

One player who helped Bradley orchestrate the improvement and qualify Stabaek for the Europa League was a young defender he called �Nico.�

So it�s not surprising Bradley offered a solid recommendation on the 23-year-old defender, who the Crew SC acquired Thursday.

�Nico made great progress in the two seasons I worked with him,� Bradley wrote in an email to The Dispatch. �He played a big role in our success.

�Nico is an aggressive defender. Strong in the tackle and good in the air. He is good on the ball and has an ability to play some very good long passes.�

Turns out Bradley, who now coaches Le Havre in the French second division, served as a reference for both the Crew and its new player. Naess contacted his former coach about the Crew and MLS.

�He thought it would be a good challenge for me,� the defender told the club�s website.

Naess appeared in 74 games with Stabaek, scoring two goals. In Columbus, he�s united with fellow countryman Ola Kamara, who played against him in the Norwegian first division.

Berhalter sought the opinion of Kamara before using target allocation money to complete the transfer for Naess.

�He was in discussion for the Norwegian national team,� Kamara said. �I know the guy. He�s a good defender. He�s good with the ball, as well.�

Berhalter said Naess must acclimate himself to a more �challenging� style of play. He must learn to defend in space, arriving from a league where the game is more compact. MLS strikers also are more talented and physical from what Naess is accustomed, the coach added.

Bradley believes the center back represents a good signing.

�Nico is a good man in the team with potential to become a strong leader,� he wrote. �He can become an important player in Columbus.�

Other notes from Thursday�s practice in Obetz:

--- Berhalter said the club expects to acquire another player or two. The Dispatch reported Thursday morning the Crew is looking for another attacking player and a backup goalkeeper. The transfer window closes on Aug. 3.

--- The coach offered no timetable on when Naess might play. Obtaining a work visa could take anywhere from 10-14 days, Berhalter said.

--- Naess is a defender viewed with a bright future. You don�t spend target allocation money on a stop-gap player. So what role does he fill in the long term assuming he can adjust to the MLS game?

Berhalter agreed with a line of questioning that likens Naess� game to captain Michael Parkhurst, 32, who�s in the final year of his deal.

�It�s a similar (player) profile to Michael,� Berhalter said. �Michael has done well over the years. We just want to make sure we have depth in these positions and this gives us that.�

And finally . . .

--- Berhalter is in favor of using video review to help correct calls in games. The International Football Association Board approved review experiments in May, according to the New York Times. But it does not involve a coach's challenge. Under the guidelines only the match referee can initiate the review. In other words, the ref must be willing to admit he might have erred. Would that have spared Harrison Afful a red card last Saturday night?

--- treed@dispatch.com

Twitter: @treed1919