Rainbow captain's armband was Michael Bradley's brainchild

Besides the fact that the United States had advanced to the Copa America Centenario semifinals, the biggest story to emerge from the team's 2-1 victory over Ecuador was that of the rainbow captain's armband.

You likely know the story by now. As the USMNT emerged from the CenturyLink Field tunnel on Thursday night, a rainbow-colored armband could be seen on Michael Bradley's arm. As soon as that was witnessed, an outpouring of support and kudos came from the American soccer community. It was a fantastic gesture to make to the LGBT community that had suffered tragically mass losses in an Orlando shooting.

It turns out that it was the captain himself who came up with the brilliant idea. U.S. Soccer say that Bradley approached the team's equipment manager, Jesse Bignami, and he got to work.

They collaborated with both the Seattle Reign and Sounders to get the materials to get the job done. The final product came together and the rest is history.

This story has taken a life of it's own. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton even applauded Bradley for his gesture on Twitter:

You don't have to be LGBT to stand with the LGBT community. We all have a stake in equality. Thank you, Michael. https://t.co/EfEMVugWCp

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 17, 2016

There have even been unconfirmed social media rumors about U.S. Soccer willingly paying a $1000 fine to be able to have the armband on the field. However, that's probably just pure escalation even if it makes for a great story.

Rarely do U.S. Soccer do something that is universally applauded, this appears to be one of those moments. Good job, Michael and all involved.