United States Soccer coach Jürgen Klinsmann has been getting absolutely hammered recently for the play of his United States soccer team. From inconsistent performances in tournament play to sluggish showings in World Cup qualifying, the U.S. squad has seen nearly everything over Klinsmann’s five-year reign. Unfortunately, that has not often included sustained success.
As of the past few days, the hard feelings for Klinsmann’s group have come to a head after the national team’s stunning 4-0 shellacking at the hands of Costa Rica, a team the U.S. beat 4-0 just five months ago in June’s Copa America Centenario. This does not seem to be a one-off, either, as the international team lost to Mexico last Friday and drew 1-1 last month with lowly New Zealand, a team that has made the World Cup just twice in the past nine times the event was held. So things aren’t exactly going so well on our side of the pond, at least in terms of international football.
But how in the world does the United States get itself out of this mess? And is there anything that can be done to save the sinking ship that is United States soccer?
For starters, we should cut Klinsmann some slack because of the squad he is coaching at the present moment. Goaltender Tim Howard is expected to miss the next four months to undergo groin surgery for an injury he sustained in the Mexico match. Howard is 37, and he may not be the team’s starter when the 2018 World Cup rolls around (which, by the way, is by no means assured for this U.S. team). Brad Guzan has filled in for Howard and his performance has been somewhat uneven; he allowed seven goals in five games at Copa America and allowed three the other night in the Confederations Cup loss to Costa Rica. By the time 2018 comes, he may be a better option than Howard in goal (or Howard could possibly be retired, too). But his play as of late has been up and down, which is the primary difference between this U.S. team and the 2014 squad that lost to Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16.
Also, the midfield unit of Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones has struggled mightily in World Cup qualifying, as neither has scored a goal in a combined 13 matches and 1,212 minutes on the field. To make matters even worse, Bradley and Klinsmann don’t even agree on what position the midfielder should play; Bradley would like to be positioned as a purely defensive midfielder while Klinsmann would like to have his captain play in more of an attacking role. Ironically enough, Michael’s father, Bob, was the USMNT coach from 2007-2011 and is now the manager of the English Premier League’s Swansea City. When Michael played for his dad, he was used in the exact role he is now, but he has evolved into more of a defensive midfielder as his career has progressed. Klinsmann probably isn’t using his player in the right role, which may be part of why he has struggled so much in international play.
As a general rule, though, this United States team is in transition; stars from past squads such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, and others have all moved on or are on their way out from the national team. This group is currently moving on from its past and addressing its complicated future, all while still trying to qualify for a World Cup. This is not the easiest task in the world, but it also hasn’t been helped by some of Klinsmann’s tactical decisions, not the least of which include placing Bradley in the attacking midfielder role.
And that brings us from the makeup of the team to the team’s coach. It’s interesting to note that most national team managers don’t stay on for more than one World Cup; Klinsmann himself left the German national team shortly after the 2006 World Cup and was only with the team for about two years. However, he was hired by the United States Soccer Federation in 2011 and coached the Stars and Stripes to a Round of 16 appearance two years ago. The performance was praised by critics as baby steps for a team that has often struggled in major tournaments. It was widely thought that Klinsmann’s U.S. squad was on the rise.
There reaches a point, though, when players who have been in the team’s system for several years begin to tune out the coach’s message; that’s why many international coaches don’t stay on with one country for more than one World Cup. Unfortunately, that may be what is starting to happen for the United States team. Klinsmann’s message was surely effective at the beginning of his reign, but that message might be getting old now. That seems like a speculative thing to say, but many of the players who have been in the program for several years are the ones who are struggling the most. Connect the dots and the reason why might be Jūrgen Klinsmann.
One of the few bright spots for the United States team has been 18-year-old phenom Christian Pulisic. Pulisic has risen from nearly complete obscurity to arguably the best and most important player on the USMNT right now. He is one of the most exciting U.S. soccer prospects in recent memory, and he holds the keys to the United States’ international football future. No pressure, man.
The question is: will Klinsmann stick around for his development? More importantly, should he? I would say that the answer is no: the U.S. team will likely still make the World Cup, but this squad has more talent than what they have shown recently. They do have one of the most promising players in recent memory, but it’s far more important for Team USA to build for a potentially exciting future.
And while it’s not all his fault, that future does not include Jürgen Klinsmann.