Commentary
Thank you Jurgen, and goodbye. Again.
- by Paul Gardner , Oct 11, 2015
That headline was used for a column of mine after World Cup 2014. When Klinsmann led the USA to absolutely nothing -- just another World Cup elimination. I’ve added the “Again.”
Looking back, the only achievement of the 2014 team was a personal one, Tim Howard’s World Cup record of 10,000 saves, or whatever it was. A positive stat for Howard, but an abysmal one for Klinsmann’s team.
There was also the indisputable fact that the soccer played by the USA ranged from pathetic through forgettable and all the way up to just about acceptable.
So here we are again. A 2-3 loss to Mexico, and goodbye Confederations Cup. Plus another trite performance from Klinsmann’s team. No style, no flow, no real soccer. No nothing. In fact the USA’s soccer, for most of this game, bordered on the unwatchable.
Klinsmann, after the game, asserted that his players gave it everything, that they showed fighting spirit in coming back from a goal down, twice.
Oh please, enough. Klinsmann was not -- I trust -- hired to reveal to us that Americans are highly competitive, that they have a strong never-say-die spirit, that they don’t like losing. That was all solidly established long before Klinsmann appeared on the scene. So one pleasing thing that Klinsmann could do right now is to stop behaving as though he has imbued American soccer players with positive traits that they never before possessed.
Listening to Klinsmann’s press conference after the Mexico game was embarrassing. Not simply -- or even mainly -- because of his vapid answers, but because of the timid questions that came from the press.
Has Klinsmann ever faced a hostile press conference, I wonder? Here we had a situation where Klinsmann had just screwed up badly -- lost a vital game. In any of the world’s major soccer countries, that would have meant at least an extremely uncomfortable session for the coach. It might have meant him losing his job. Not here. Klinsmann smiled his way through this gentle tea party and emerged unscathed.
We ought to have learned something from these absurd little chit-chats by now. That Klinsmann intimidates the media. Not in his manner, which is always low-key, polite and smiling. It is his international reputation that cows people. Why should that be? His reputation as a player can hardly be disputed, but his career as a coach is far from blemish-free.
Even world-class personalities -- maybe especially them -- need to be challenged and questioned. Klinsmann is allowed to do what he likes. In a disgraceful display of personal vindictiveness he was, last year, allowed to leave the USA’s best player, Landon Donovan, off the World Cup team. He is allowed to bring in his pal Andi Herzog to coach the Olympic team, a job that should have been given to an American. And he is allowed to scour the world for players with tenuous claims to citizenship, the passport Americans, and to use them instead of developing home-grown American talent.
And for what? Klinsmann has accomplished nothing of any great moment during his four years in charge. In World Cup terms -- and that is usually the yardstick by which a national team coach is measured -- he’s done no better than Bob Bradley did, and not as well as Bruce Arena.
USSF president Sunil Gulati seems to find all of that acceptable. Well, I don’t. Four years is a long time for a national team coach to keep his job -- even if he’s winning. But Klinsmann is not winning, he is achieving nothing. He has an overpaid job, with next to no pressure. In fact -- at least in the soccer world -- the mother of all sinecures.
If there is a plausible, even a semi-plausible, soccer argument for retaining Klinsmann, I’ve yet to hear it.
He's gone.
No He's NOT...And That's The Problem...
GREG that "Ethiopian" kid is ZELALEM, on Loan to Scottish 2nd Division Team...JK assistant HERZOG, couldn't even figure out how to use him...and BENCHED him the Last 2 Games(should be used like Neymar is used by Barca)...Oh, And HERZOG GOT THROWN OUT OF THE GAME, as WE LOST TO HONDURAS in the u23 Olympic Qualification...Who's going to Coach the Team on Tuesday for 3rd Place???
and what magic coach would have beated Belgium in the world cup and of course gone to the semi's. Your a hack to write this without any real analysis of the limitations of US Soccer. We could hire Sir Alex and we wouldnt get past the quarters ever our complete system is broken. We should be happy we can at least get a Real European Coach/player with something great in their background. Bob Bradley Sr. is a solid coach in Sweden and Bruce Arena had 10 years to fix our structure so why doesnt anyone call them on that and they are americans
Peter Vermes or Dom Kinnear,,,Both Former US National Team Players,,,Who have taken the "Sows Ears" and made "Silk Purses" out of our Athletic yet Unsophisticated Talent Pool...
Aaron: first, Bradley is coaching in Norway, not Sweden. Second, it's not that we didn't beat Belgium (or Germany) at WC-14; it's how we played. Bunker soccer at its worst. No attempt to attack.
Compare that to some of the WC games under Arena or Bradley. Portugal and Germany in '02, Italy in '06, Slovenia and Algeria in '10 -- all games that the US team, regardless of the result, could be proud of, and the games that US fans will remember for years.
We have an imposter for a coach, who's doing more damage to the US soccer than anyone has ever done. Just look at the job his pal Herzog did in the Olympic qualifying.
We were Wondo choke away from beating Belgium...despite Klinsi, not because of him.
David the US was horrible at soccer 15 years ago. It is just that the other countries, save for Mexico were really bad too. The USA flooded $$ into Olympic/ Natnl team camps. Haiti/ Jamaica cannot afford to do that. However, please now that the Nigerian Ghananian Brazilian etcwould smoke the US kids every day of the week and 2x on Sunday. Thx Thomas for pointing that onus is on the players. Pele could coach, a player will do what he wants/what he feels comfortable doing. Have you ever seen Altidore pull a single move? Trust me JK does not Jedi mind trick a player from doing mesmerizing moves, and, or playing awesome tiki-taka soccer. The players cannot do it. Dempsey/Bradley can. However those 2 cannot pass the ball between themselves all game. Do you think JK has Mexico pass the ball around w/awesome 2 touch /1 touch passes? You think JK is the reason the US cannot maintain possession. The problem is the players. I can promise you that JK gets on the phone with his friends and puts his face in his hands and says that these guys "just suck..." They really do. I do not know if any you can play, but you can see from the start, Mexico was pinging the ball all over the field, they went back, across, up the middle and rarely lost the ball. The USA cannot do that. Bradley has to have the ball and must dribble into space where he has to make a precision pass and hope that some lucky results. This is what happens whenever the US plays a good team..Yes we can beat Honduras. We have exponentially more players and are more physical. However Mexico is a great soccer country. It is in their blood/ culture. Their players are from Barca, Porto, PSV, Villareal - Dos Santos did not even play - Dempsey is the only 1 that can play at that level. JK should scrap most of the MLS deadbeats n plug in the young kids. That kid from Arsenal (I know he plays at some other club so do not be a smartass and dismiss my points bc I cannot recall the new club's name), I know his parents are from Ethiopia, which is my other point. Until we get some authentic American athletes - not the whiny Landon Donovans - but a tough kid, the Allen Iverson kind, which is what Dempsey is - you will never see the heart and final product - Zyardes is a suburban / soft kid and will never be anything special. I am drifting off, but the point is that JK is not the problem, the players and the US system is the problem. The Brazilian team is composed of kids who played in the streets - not from Nike College ID Combine. The result will be the same regardless who is the coach. The MLS hacks will rely on MLS hacks to prove their point. They will loose by an even greater margins. You guys are mainly JK haters. PG you need to do some real journalism about the real problems. If you drive a crappy car and loose the race, it is not the pit crews fault. They cannot rebuild the car in the middle of the race, nor make the other cars drive slower and neither can JK
So why is it that we are supposed to beat teams like Mexico and Belgium? Their players are better, they play for teams like Chelsea, ManU, FC Porto. Our best players are playing MLS. You look weak against teams like Belgium or Mexico, because they pass the ball around with the highest quality. Going out to Jamaica and playing like we played, that was a bad performance. But losing to Mexico or Belgium is not fun, but anything else would be a huge upset. The guys who don't even make the starting eleven of Belgium would be BY FAR the best players of the American MNT. Guys like Christian Benteke from Liverpool, Nanggolan from AS Roma and Kevin Mirallas from Everton don't even start for them, but they are much better than Altidore, Bradley or Zardes. Same with Mexico. If LA Galaxy would face the 10th of the EPL or German Bundesliga, they would most likely get hammered.
The real problem is that there has been no player development, nobody came through who is top level in the last few years. Yedlin and Zardes are good players, but not World Class. Why did we not develop at least one player who is of the level of any of the 22 of the Belgium squad? A country of 11m people? Because our youth system is sub par and at the age of 14-18, our best players play against average kids. We should try and play the best Central American teams on a regular basis in a competition, instead of facing average teams within the country. I'm pretty sure our boys would learn more from playing 10 games vs. the top Mexican talents per year than playing other DA teams.
Stephen, I like your idea...Having our DA teams Travel IN and Out of Mexico..etc..Would be a Real Exposure...After all, MLS is Giving the Central Americans and Islanders a Place for their players to Develop and Make a Decent, Safe Living...They can at least do us the same Favor
"We should be happy we can at least get a Real European Coach/player with something great in their background." This is a very honest statement supporting one side of the debate. The other side simply wishes we still had a good soccer team. We remember when the US ruled CONCACAF. The program is slipping, but "We should be happy we can at least get a Real European Coach/player with something great in their background."
It wasn't the result that mattered, it was the reality that the team was not put in a position to to win the game. The US has never played pretty soccer, but the players have always been connected on the field. Under Klinsmann you see individual disconnected players, not a cohesive team. It appears to me that since Martin Vasquez left there has been no team building to speak of, and the results speak for themselves.
Could the US beat Belgium or Germany at Brazil. Perhaps, but only if the team exceeded the capabilities of the players. That used to be the main quality of every US team. Not under Klinsmann. Perhaps because it is a uniquely American quality that he doesn't understand.
Is there anyone who thinks it was a smart move to start a defensive midfielder and put Jones in a wide attacking position, with Woods and Yedlin on the bench? I was shocked. Jones is coming back from injury and JK left him in for 120 minutes as a wing half? I am beginning to think he either hates Jones or his club. I am in no way knocking Jones. I only hope that he is none-the-worse for the wear.
Yes That was a "Heroic" performances from Jones to play both Def Mid and Left Mid...The Adjustment JK Should have made was to move Jones to "Sweeper"(Like Rafa on Mexico) and Move Beasley UP to Wing Back...Then you wouldn't have had a Cross on the
First Goal...And you would have had an Extra Defender in the Middle, when Cameron and Besler where Over Run on the First Goal.
When I saw the lineup, and saw Bradley and Beckermann as defensive mids, I thought JK has seen the light. And then I saw Jones as an OUTSIDE MID!!! Has he ever played this position before? And to try it in one of the most important games for the US team? Although I've never been a Jones fan (too reckless physically and he gives the ball away too much), he certainly has some quality; but he said he's not 100%, and you could see in the 2nd half he was exhausted. Again, when Yedlin was set to sub, I said "finally, JK has come to his senses, he'll take out the struggling Jones and inject the speed we need to counter", yet he took off ZARDES instead of Jones. Unbelievable. And I would attribute the last 2 goals to Jones (at least partially). Jones was closest to the overlapping Mexican player who made the cross on the 2nd goal (Beasely was there too, but Jones was closer, so should have marked him), and Jones committed the foul (slide tackle from behind because he was too exhausted to try to chase him further) that led to the free kick that created the chance for the third goal. I don't blame Jones for these miscues, I blame JK. I actually liked most of his lineup (though clearly Jozy and Dempsey would not doing anything and should have been subbed much earlier) with the exception of where he played Jones (Yedlin should have started there instead of Jones).
Exactly. was SO excited to see Yedlin coming in the game, we figured it would be to withdraw Jones. Why Zardes?? And why didnt Williams come on for Beckerman?? NO accountability for the coach is NOT good for US!!
Zardes was FRIED...Because He was doing the same as Jones on the Otherside...Running from Inside Midfield OUT to Cover Layun...Amazing that Jones(at 30whatever) could do it for 120 minutes and the Younger Zardes could Not...(Speaking only of the Physical, Because all 3 Goals started with Jones/Beasley Late Coverage on Aguilar)
Good wording Mr. Paul Gardner and yes goodbye Jurgen and I would say goodbye to the president of our US Soccer Federation. I would say that if we want to change soccer in our country and take it to a much higher level, complete change of coaching and administration must occur. For the sake of our youth, we just can not continue to wait.!!
I completely disagree w your "for the youth" battle cry. You must not be involved in youth soccer, because officially in two years most states/clubs will start next year but the changes to youth soccer are a product of Jurgen to make our youth level more competitive on the world level.
Do some homework
Duh! What they are doing is matching are domestic age groups to other countries age groups. It has absolutely nothing to do with improving player development. Just another bunch of adults giving more attention to tournaments than development.
If you are talking about making USSF policy regarding number of players and field size for matches, I really don't think it matters much what you do during matches for pre-teens. 7v7 or 5v5 or 8v8? What matters at that age is the quality of the coaching. Pre-teens don't need matches to develop.
In the second half the US was playing with 10 men because Altidore was doing absolutely nothing. JK didn't see that and make the appropriate change?
Actually, it was 9 men, because Dempsey wasn't doing anything either. And given Jones was exhausted, probably more like 8.5 (though Jones did seem to get something of a 2nd wind later in the game).
Actually it a 8.o, because Johnson only had to do Half a Job, because they pulled Zardes back to cover Layun...So what or who did Johnson cover the rest of the time.???
I really hope that many of you are right and this is the end of this embarrassing EuroTrash Reality Series called the US Men's National Team. I was tired of this 3 years ago, just plain angry last summer and found myself almost rooting for Mexico last night. JK and his buddies need to pack up shop and move to the next to whatever federation is dumb enough to hire them (Qatar? Maybe Egypt?)
Oh yea and thanks there Hanz and Franz or whatever your name is with the great job you guys did with the u23s
OMG.!!!..I guess Herzog had to catch an Early Flight to LAX...Andi; Not bad for your FOURTH OFFICIAL GAME(sarcasm)...I could not find anywhere that Andi had COACHED A TEAM Before JK gave you the USA Olympic Team...Another Reason to FIRE JK...
“UnEducated” Klinsmann was Out Coached… Never was able to figure out how to Cover a 3-5-2…I kept telling all of you that We would struggle against a 3-5-2…Poor Jones and Beasley, ….Left to Flounder out there, Neither one knew who was supposed to cover Aguilar ….The way you counter a 3-5-2, is to play 3-5-2… “UnEducated” Player Selection; If Bedoya doesn’t get sick WOOD wasn’t even Picked… “UnEducated” cause he didn’t learn from Last Year World Cup…Parking THE BUS is NOT Necessary…Every time Yedlin is on the Field with Bradley and Dempsey we score Goals…Instead we get the “UnEducated” Double Holding Midfielders…Jones and Peckerhair, Should not be on the Field at the same time… Jurgen Klinsmann; “UnEducated” and should be “UnEmployed”
"If there is a plausible, even a semi-plausible, soccer argument for retaining Klinsmann, I’ve yet to hear it."
Without Klinsmann, you would have nothing to write about...
East; Peter Vermes would be the Choice...or Kinnear...Former US National Team Player with YEARS OF COACHING AND PLAYER DEVELOPMENT...AND RESULTS...Actual Trophies as COACHES..
Eastie; Even Klinsmann said that we Could have made the Semi's at Last World Cup..Heck Iceland and Wales are doing better than Holland...The Bottom level is coming Up, while the Higher Level is coming down...Change shirts on 9 players and you wouldn't notice much of a difference
Mr. Gardner was right on. I was very excited to see JK get the job, but with each passing match the thrill is gone. Until we develop home grown talent, and I do not mean 'ODP' or college kids we will stay stagnant. The real talent is in the urban and barrios of this country. These kids play soccer every chance they can, similar to black Americans playing pickup basketball all over America. I still wonder what was the 'real' reason Martin Vasquez was given other duties. Oh and Berti Vogts really made a difference for our defensive liabilities, right? Time will tell.
Martin Vasquez...Banished to Director of ARIZONA/Real Salt Lake Academy and PAID OFF TO BE QUIET, By Still being on the u16 and u18 STAFF...Isn't that a Conflict of Interest...Berti Vogts, I DID NOT SEE HIM THERE>>> Humm.!?!? Inquiring minds want to know..??? Was he there or GONE to..
I agree with Mr Gardner, JK has added nothing to US soccer to justify his continued employment. I also agree with the many who point out that the US has to do a better job of finding and developing home grown talent. I'm certain its there, but many really talented young players just don't come from a background of sufficient money to get private or college level training, and just don't even get seen by the soccer world. They can do it all over the rest of the world, we should be able to also
If Gulati can't see that, and he thinks JK is the answer, maybe he is the problem!
Agree 100% with this statement. We are sill pay to play, coaches/trainers, top dogs get paid, these players do not reach the pinnacle partly due to lack of funds. I said PARTLY. Many are better than what we have on our U23's, U20's, U17's and even MNT. This argument has gone on for years and no improvement in sight. Money always an issue.
Changing Klinsmann won't fix the American Soccer "System" ......
We are a country searching for a soccer "system", a US style of play that will outshine all others, instead of promoting and developing innovative and creative players with vision (Messi, Rondaldo, Maradona, Pele) we are busy creating little robots with a mentality of "winning doesn't matter!" Academy training philosophy. So we don't allow creative and innovative, "artists" to develop,we train the creativity and the winning attitude out of them for "the system!" Paul Breitner, another great German footballer has this to say about players being developed in the US "system":
Diane Scavuzzo: If you were a player who had been developed in America, would you have gone on to be a professional player who scored in two World Cup finals?
Paul Breitner: Never.
- See more at: http://goalnation.com/paul-breitner-needs-change-american-youth-soccer/#sthash.WNrNDGPx.dpufDiane
In his interview with Diane Scavuzzo, Paul Breitner, who is only one of 4 players to have scored in two World Cup Finals says he would have never developed into a professional had he been trained in the USA. "I would have developed the same as 100 other players. You have the same type of players and everyone has to develop the same moves." "Coaches in the USA have to realize that they are instructing, working with an artist and they are not working with robots."
Over my past 35 years of following young players developing in the USA I have to agree with Breitner. I have seen a lot of young creative players with vision have it trained out of them by coaches from recreational soccer to Academy, to National Teams and beyond for the sake of "the system." This cookie cutter approach will not result in the development of Messi's, Ronaldo's, Pele's or Maradona's. See you at the pitch.
Paul Breitner is a Bigger FLAKE than JK...Quit as Coach of German National Team AFTER 17 HOURS...Has NEVER COACHED A TEAM...Great Players RARELY make Great Coaches,,,Precisely because they are ARTIST...National Team Coaching is NOT a "PIE IN THE SKY" Job...It's Herding Cats and Chess...Both Take Fore Thought and Vision...NOT SUITED TO ARTIST or FLAKES
Until US Soccer drills down to the youth level with direction to concentrate on ball control that includes bringing the ball upfield under pressure (rather than desperately blasting it upfield) and accurate passing, we will continue to see the same results in many years to come.
I firmly believe that is not all JK fault, he's not a coach, the blame should go to who hired him, a gentleman who has never seen a soccer ball and who does not know the basics of the game, the president, Sunil Gulati.
If they have any pride and self steem they should resign, before the FIFA ethos committee gets involved.
JK and his German Americans what a sad state of affairs
It's clear that US soccer has taken a huge step backwards with Klinsmann in charge. 10-15 years ago, US youth teams were making some noise at the olympics and world cups. Now, we can't even qualify for the olympics.
I don't know if you've noticed, but MLS has proportionately improved our CONCACAF competitors more than it has improved US players. We HAVE improved, but not as much as the other CONCACAF teams.
Santiago ... Breitner sees the issues in USA .... flake or not .... in understands robot development. How many youth players have you seen with the creativity, intuitiveness and vision coached out of them .... pathetic? A National coach isn't going to correct the difference between "system" and "player" development. Coaches are training like gird iron football coaches ... not giving player the freedom to "create" or "think" ... keep changing coaches at the top and not change the developmental system is just stupid. Breitner is spot on as long as our youth are being trained to be little robots nothing is going to change at the top. Unless, a Messi, Ronaldo, Maradona, Pele come along to beat the system. See you at the pitch!
On this we agree... Too Many Rigid Youth Coaches...I Think this will Change when The YOUTH CLUBS get The 5% Player Compensation/Solidarity Payments per the FIFAfia Regs...Good Old American Greed will make sure to Produce INDIVIDUAL Players versus Trophy Hunting Robot Teams..
No 2014 world Cup, No Gold Cup, No confederation no nothing after 4 years.
We have young talent, Bobbie Woods scored three goals in three international appearance last night yet he doesn't start over Josie who has done nothing. Woods scored again last night you can also include Danny Williams, Jordan Morris but Dr Jekel and Mr. Klinsman refuses to play them. A couple other MLS players are not on the squad because of conflict with Dr Jeckel and Mr Hyde.
You must bring these players into games like this and not wait. He refuses to do this because of his power hungry ego and that is a faul that is undermining our program. He has insulted our nation or people with his remarks last night.
It is time for him to go AND Suni Gulatti who hired him they both have et our soccer program back 2 decades.
Our media has to be tough and not let this guy get away with that type of insults.
Remember WOODS wasn't even Picked for this Game...He only got here Day before game, because BEDOYA got Sick.. Otherwise we would have ended up with WondoLoserski again...JK was about to put him in, when WOOD Scored,,,He brought in Evans for Injured Johnson instead...
You're missing the quid pro quo: Gulati gets to schedule the matches at Azteca Norte and bank all the money, and in exchange JK doesn't get the boot. I'm sure JK wants Columbus instead of LA but lost out for financial reasons. Thanks Gulati for that one.
I missed the "Insults" that JK made to the Nation..Can u elaborate Please??
Interesting article, but the writer never credited Mexico's superb technical ability and creativity over the US's. Player for player, skillfully, Mexico is better, which is why they are able to posses the ball and go forward. They can do this to world powers: Brazil, Argentina, Germany, etc. And they have. There is no way this senior US team can play a high attacking style of soccer with these current players who cant hold onto the ball when they are pressured. The criticism should not be on the senior US team because those players are so technically behind (other than Bradley or Dempsey). I'll criticize our youth programs- the u23's and their inability to qualify in CONCACAF. That is the future. If Klinsman is in charge of that, then he's to blame.
Plus, this is Mexico's time. This core of players won the u17 World Cup and earned an Olympic gold medal. If the US goes forward and plays Mexico straight up, Mexico wins 5-0... Maybe 5-1 if the US gets a set piece. I'm a US supporter and I'm admitting that.
So, Compete with what you have...High Intensity and High Pressure ALL OVER THE FIELD...Don't Lay Back and Take It.. That's NOT American...Attack, Attack, Attack Blindly and with Aggression...Gets us into Wars, But we usually WIN
Santiago please quit it already - the formation did not prevent the US from maintaining possession. The players are not robots - altho their play might suggest otehrwise. They do not have dog collars on, if Bradley has the ball, the closest player can ask for it and make a pass, and so can the rest of the team. I do not know all of the players names on Mexico, but I know everyone one of them maintained possession. I know Marquez is 30 something and cannot beat a single US player in a sprint, but he can control the ball. The US players, save for Dempsey and Bradley cannot. Yedlin cannot. Wood Cannot. Altidore cannot. Altidore is a big cannon, but if you have not noticed soccer is evolved beyond that. Mexico kept possession and the cannon never gets into the game. Thank you Raymundo for noticing the obviouis. Mexico was like Barca out there. They were awesome, the score should have been 5 to 2. The US was lucky to be in the game at the end. Tab Ramos is sitting right next to JK. He is in charge of U20s or whatever. For all I know he thinks some of those kids are not ready either, but the US system where club coaches will tout specific players who are on their bc they are paying $$$ and ignore the kid who is olaying in the oark, but has 3 siblings and parents who cannot afford to pay the club fees. So once more, the problem is the pay to play system hardly produces the kind of player that can compete against worldly talents like Mexico has plenty of. The US cannt olay because foew of its players can play. Please just look at Beckerman. He is playing rugby out there. Zardes is just running. The only players that have any swag and noticeable skill is Dempsey and Bradley and the GK. We need 11! and a bench. Yedlin is not it. Marquez can play sweeper or center mid. He could do it at Barca. That is what JK hope Jones could do. Jones cannot. JK is not stupid bc Jones cannot play anywhere. Another example, Marcelo plays in the back. If he was asked to play in the ctr do you think he would say _ oh I cannot do that.." He would not miss a beat, bc his style of play is exactly that, he creates as he goes and he controls the ball, he does not care where he is so long as he someone to pass to. The US players cannot do that
If you line-up players to be Out-Numbered, The Formation does matter...Telling Americans to "Lay" back is NOT IN OUR GENES(regardless of Country they come from)...Yes, Pay-For-Play is a Problem... Hopefully it will become like the rest of the world...Pay-for-PLAYERS YOU DEVELOP..USSF is meeting with the Clubs that are taking them to FIFAfia "Court" over not being paid by MLS, Decision(incorrectly)Supported by USSF
MARCELO at Central position??? You were actually doing well until then...Real Madrid and Brasil would NEVER put him there...Marcelo is NUTS(Artist) and would probably say YES...But I have Never seen a Coach put him there.. You NUKED your own good Reasoning..
Counter-attacking soccer requires: ball possession, runs off the ball, proper and timely delivery, and execution...how do we stack up against teams like Portugal, Mexico, Spain, Germany, etc?
We can't Counter Attack from 80 yards...Not enough players can make the correct Tactical or Technical Decisions..But we Can Counterattack from 50...Pressure Up Higher leads to Shorter CounterAttack...Requires More Man-to-Man Defense and HENCE Correct FORMATION and Player Choice by Coach...It's Chess, not Checkers...
We have better players today than in 2002 when we beat Mexico 2-0 and made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Let's not forget that we beat Portugal (with not one, but quite a few world class players on that team) in the group stage of that competition. We almost tied Germany in the quarter final game except for the fact that a European ref decided that that blatant handball didn't happen. In 2006 we had a bad tournament but held off the eventual world champion Italy, down two men no less. In 2010, we topped our group, not just squeaked out of it-- undefeated I might add... But now, while we can beat top soccer powers in a friendly we can't beat Jamaica in a competitive game? And people think it's about out youth teams. Remember when our youth teams actually qualified for the big tournaments? Now they can't. What's wrong with this picture?
Mexico changed Formation to 3-5-2...They Could not Beat us in 4-4-2 Slug Fest...So they Spread the Field with Wide Wing-Backs...Also Instead of Losing Ball in Middle, if they lose it out wide...Much easier to Press , Make Field Smaller and Stop USA Counter-Attack down the Middle to Dempsey...That why Dempsey and Altidore Look so Bad.. How many Balls did Zardes, Johnson, Beasley and Jones Give away or hit Out of Bounds???..JK.."UnEducated" "Out-Coached" and should be "UnEmployed"
Sorry David its Norway not Sweden for Bob Bradley. Are you saying any coach would win the Copa next year if we play in it? Do you think anyone could get us to semi's ? So fire a coach and become Mexico how has that worked out 17 coaches in 16 years. What is our system in the US or in our structure. We dont have system of play as our players dont have the tactics & technical development to play in one except a handful of our older players who all went to europe in the 2000's. We dont want to understand the rest of the world is not standing around but investing and building a pool. But if you look at our defenders across the pool they offer nothing. Except for 2-3 they cant break into any lineup in the top divisions in europe and without Howard we are ok at goal but with our MLS/NCAA/Youth program focus on strikers playing this untechnical football. You think blowing up our USSF coaching is going to fix this
Rewarding ineptitude at YOUTH or NATIONAL Level is Not Good for anyone...Player Compensation for Youth Development and as For National Coach; YOU WIN; YOU STAY...YOU LOSE; YOU GET FIRED
RM nor Barca need to put him there bc they have more then enough talent all over. The point is that he is versatile. He can purely play. Whereas, you are complaining about formations. When the US got the ball, they can go wherever they wish. They could not. And the players could simply say - we are going to play how we want. Do you really think that if the US was playing attractive soccer and possessing the ball, he would turn red with anger and sub off all 11. You are really lost. Come on - clue in. No one at that level, a nationally televised game, aims to suck. The US does not have to counter. It is not a binary. There are limitless decisions, and 10 other players to pass to. You statements are exactly what the problem with the US - you speak as if there are 2 options, run forward, or go back with nothing. Does not exactly smack of creativity huh. Well Mexico as you saw had 11 options at all times, and when they felt like it, they took one the US via 1 v 1 , 2 v 1 and were awesome doing so. WHen your teammates play with confidence, it makes the individual more confident and vice versa. No one formation will rob a team of confidence and skill, the US team never had in the first place...wake up Santiago. You are out of your depth
Greg, You forget; I'm the one with the National "A" License and have Represented the USA on 4 continents...I know how deflating it is to an American Player to have his Coach tell him to Lay back and play for a HopeFull counter Attack...Watching the other team TOY with You, is DEFLATING and SUCKS the Confidence out of You; In that you are correct... Marcello Can't play ANYWHERE but Left Wing Back in 3-5-2.. He Constantly gets Real and Brazil into Trouble with his Bizarre/Artistic Runs and Dribbles...
I think zigi schmid should get a shot at coaching the national team. What he has done at the college and pro levels in coaching has earned him that.
Sigi.??? More German Blood.??? But, Hey.!!! He did Develop Yedlin, !?!?!?... Oops, No he Didn't!!!...That was CrossFire Youth Club, and that is Why they are Taking USSF/MLS to FIFAia "Court" Because the MLS in Collusion with USSF have been keeping the 5% Transfer Fee due to a players YOUTH clubs from age 12 and above...
Santiago - then as I said before, just as you thru a title at me. You are summarizing what is wrong with US soccer. A player, a free minded / proud person, will not let himself be relegated to sit back and chase the ball like a dog. The US did. JK does cme from Germany, they do not hardly sitback. They do not bc all 11 players can play. JK does what he does bc only 2 out of the 11 can play. The rest are scared to death, they will end up on YouTube getting abused. Their fears are founded. Even still, when the US got the ball, are you suggesting that JK told them to bungle their passes and lose it / give it back? He did not. Tab Ramos is sitting right there n I know he is throwing up inside his mouth watching Zardes passback instead of taking on a player. Everytime! I do not want debate Marcelo, but I will say that he makes RM/Brazil win. Most plays in soccer do nor result in goals. Yes your teammates will have to cover for you if you mess up, or if the other team beats you. It is supposed to happen. But that is the point my friend. Marcelo's courage to play like it does not matter is also why he scores the winning goal in CL and is a millionaire at RM. Conversely, the US has MLS players who get paid thousands bc that is all they are worth. Marcelo is an example of a player who is purely driven and unpredictable AND AWESOME. And you have made my other point bc it sounds like you as an A License Coach would cut Marcelo and play Beckerman or someone safe, but tweak the formation LOL...I am literally laughing. Well the US does that and they still loose. I have played and I know that US coaches have removed / cut talented players for the same petty/couner-productive reasons you cite here. I do not want this get mean, but your comments are exactly what kills US soccer. Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Marquez, Ashley Cole, Dempsey, Wilshire, I could go on...all these guys try shit and sometimes it does not work, but for the most part it is does, and their teammates and coaches, AND FANS LOVE THEM FOR IT. Try finding some kid wearing a Matt Beasler jersey. Clearly, the US has figured out how to play safe and still loose. It sounds like that book has been checked out by too many US coaches too. And trust me Marcelo can play anywhere he wants on the pitch.
I agree about players with GUTS to Try the Unpredictable...I am Specfically saying that Marcelo(as many Good things as he does) Has NEVER been tried as Central Player by Real and Brazil...And both of them have had MANY chances to try him there...NEVER Gonna Happen...He can't help the Team there...Only Hury them. .
I didn't say they were SKILLED, But it doesn't mean we are Not Competitive...World Cup Coach must Coach his CURRENT CROP of Players to THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES...NOT HIS PIE IN THE SKY DESIRES..."Got to Make Lemonade out of Lemons"
Nothing More American than McDonalds...Except Baseball and Apple Pie, and of Course Chevy and Coca-Cola...
Can't jump on Paul's USA coach for USA bandwagon. We lack talent, period. Clint was a no show. He walked more than ran. Josie was playing defense. Clint no. Forwards has defensive duties other than walking back with your head down. Michael Bradley, OMG, please tell us that MLS is good for our usmnt players. PLZ start Mix next game. If Bradley could shoot as well as a USA u12 we would have won 4-1 in regular time. Seriously have you ever seen so many MB whiny shots. Shameful. Oh I love the comments regarding we need to find better talent. Where? Mars? JK is already raiding the countries that have soccer players. Are there US players that are better than Bradley, Dempsey and Antidote that JK and previous natl team coaches have ignored so the team would suck on purpose. Our problem is NOT the coach. We don't win the WC for one reason and only one reason....it's not the coach. Just so I don't sound too negative the u20's are decent. The u23s were playing in a non FIFA tourney that did not have a red. Punches thrown , no red cards..Whaaaaat? Olympic soccer should be boycotted. It's for the girls....Here's and other coach were tossed for sticking up for safety. WATCH. THE GAME BEFORE COMMENTING
Talent Sucks,!?!?..Play to your Strengths...Athleticism, Intensity, Aggression, "American Exceptionalism"... Don't tie the shoelaces of the players together, with Formation and Tactics that put your players in a Straight Jacket
I did watch the games... Both if them..
Holy mackrel Batman, the JK haters are out in force! Watch out, because things aren't gonna change, Robin!!! The comments some well meaning and many others downright mean and ugly, are spot on for some and not so to others. However, I must single out some: Greg Milton said it quite well that the "problem is the players...(sic)" and Bob Ashpole succinctly said, "Coaches don't win matches, players do...(sic)" Lastly, I found one comment out all of them, R. Ramirez's in which he aptly stated that not many give credit to the Mexican NT, including Paul Gardner's diatribe about JK. And know what while watching the game I wondered just how many comments would actually speak about Mexico's abilities, as R. Ramirez aptly commented! And since many of you are perhaps tired of all this stuff, here's my suggestion for the next MNT Head Honcho: I am going to forward to Sunil Gulati Santiago 1314 name as the next US head coach, and who has a US Soccer A
License and has played in four continents on the USMNT, and apparently has a keen sense and vast knowledge of the game. But hey, lay off Sigi Schmid, he's a good man, - I've known him since 1971 when he first enrolled at UCLA, but then again, also lay off Martin Vazquez (he went back to his old job) Kinnear? How about a new combination of Landycakes Don Oven, Dempsey and Bradley the three amigos to take over the US Soccer's National Teams program??? Just sayin, but for sure, Santiago 1314 for new MNT Head Honcho!!! Got this Sunil?
Hey Greg Giese, just read your post, but you do have hit the danged nail square-smack-on the head!!! I won't beat a fallen horse, though as I agree 10000% with you. And I have an even better idea on how to find talent: Y'all have heard of that annual soccer-talent search outfit, ALIANZA, right? Well, for those of you who don't know or don't give a crap about it, this group (who was started by Brad Rothenberg some years back) actually conducts talent searches, supposedly and obsentsibly to find talented Latino soccer-playing youth throughout the southwest and other paltry cities for possible inclusion, recruitment to MLS (YEAH RIGHT!!!) but eventually do the work and find loacl US-born Latino players and then sign them to Liga MX teams, and some Central American leagues in El Salvador, Costa Ric, Guatemala, Honduras, etc. So instead of having Alianza do this for other "foreign" or Latino leagues outside our frontiers, for crying out loud, have them recruit for the USA!!!
Then US Soccer and its merry band of "scouts" how many a couple of dozen??? to cover the width and breadth of this vast and wonderful country of ours, because after all, they have a bucket full of supporters/sponsors, cell-phone companies, so then US Soccer would not have to come up with the funds... anyhow, hope y'all get my drift! Talent is there, you just gotta look for it, high and low, inner cities, suburbia, but for sure not the "pay-for-play" foreign coached clubs, etc. etc. And maybe we could even have Paul Gardner write a positive article on this, instead of his usual negative-loaded articles!!!
Klinsmann is both GM and coach. As GM he would have been fired in any of the 4 US majors. His decision to leave Donovan off the WC roster and bring Julian Green is beyond understanding. Green sucks. He only scored in the WC because he mishit the ball - it was a development team level mistake! Klinsmann's loyalty to Beckerman is beyond baffling. Becekerman doesn't run, doesn't pass well and is flat footed over and over again on defense, what is up with that???? Finally the US style is, at best, the most glorious US college team ever. Klinsmann has done nothing to develop a style, draw in players that fit that style and commit to anything. He should have been gone a long time ago.
Hard to argue with any of that...
The big thing from JK from the start was to change things. Get a fresh start. Its been 4 years. And more importantly than our senior team flailing is that our youth teams are fairing no better. These are the teams we should be seeing a new style of play from. How can we expect the same old core players to make a huge switch in style and play and results? You cant change these players. That is the fundamental problem with JK's approach. He is trying to develope a national team in the senior program. Thats not his job. His job is to pick the best Americans that are playing right now. Our u20's with his own Son as goalie just got smoked 8-1 by Germany. Our u23's are possibly going to fail to qualify. Why cant we get some people into US soccer scouting in Chicago who have some cajones? Willing to go out, find kids that have T.I.P.S and get them into better situations. They stick with the same kids because its safer to hold your job when you can say you relied on your identification from past scouts or cronies. Plain and simple.
I guess yesterday was an illustration of the "transformational" and "proactive" style that Klinsmann fan boys see in their delusions and no one else in the world does.
@ Ric Fonseca... Lol... Very witty... I have a sense of humor. And im not being sarcastic. All I was trying to do by bringing up Mexico was pay tribute to their youth system and criticize ours, with Klinsman as the person in charge. Our u23's being unable to beat Honduras is pathetic. Our u20's showed some promise, but the core of Mexico's team last night have won a u17 World Cup and an Olympic gold medal. Although they barely qualified to the World Cup thanks to the US, they had a decent run at the World Cup and should have beaten the Netherlands.And they were clearly the better team last night. As a US fan it's hard for me to say this but they are doing something right, and we're not. Unless Klinsman has a trick up his sleeve, our future doesn't look too bright.
Did I hear that Mexico had 16 Head Coaches in 17 years.!?!?...And yet they are Producing Winning Teams and Players at the Youth Level...Youth National Coaches should be independent of the Head Coach...National Team Coaches are Not there to "Develop" Players...They are there to Qualify for the WORLD CUP in their various Age Groups...YOU WIN; YOU STAY...YOU LOSE; YOU GET FIRED.!!!...Real Simple
And like you said they wouldn't have Qualified for the World Cup without USA help... And they wouldn't have Won the Summer Gold Cup without help from Refs...Results in Soccer are becoming "Weirder" every Year...Change 9 players from one team to the other, and you almost wouldn't Notice...
He should be fired. We did not pressure Mexico. We let them have possession of the ball And set the pace of the game we need a coach that is going Exploit the talent and resources our great country has at all levels U17 U 19 U21 U 23 and senior teams We are the greatest country in the world lets make our team competitive at all levels.
Right On!!!
This would be much easier pill to swollow if it was not for the fact that our u20's just got trounced 8-1. And now our u23's may have just put the olympics out of reach. Who cares about the senior team. JK was brought in for this supposed future that will include a style which is directly related to the success of these youth teams. Something is wrong with the identification process in this country. It starts with cronyism and scouts or coaches relying on there predecessors to identify talent. Taking the safe route by picking players they can say somebody else identified.
US soccer head scout Rick Ramos needs to be replaced.
I don't know if anyone noticed, but in the second half, with the ball in the attacking half, we were out of ideas. We repeatedly sent the ball around in hopes that something would happen. Fabian J made that run that he did during the WC (when I think he scored), but got no service. Mexico, in those same circumstances, repeatedly found throughballs that split defenders and created chances. That was the main difference between sides. We don't even need a world class attacking mid--a functional one (essentially anyone who's not Michael Bradley) will do. I thought Mix would be able to fit, but JK doesn't think so. Will Zelalem be ready in 2 years? Don't even let him play in CONCACRAP matches, but against the rest of the world he might be able to manage.
I have been trying to tell u23 to use Zelalem, like Barca uses Neymar...Up High and Wide to the Left...all they have to do is go back and watch the u20 vs New Zealand...and where is Arriolla...He was most consistently dangerous player for u20...Probably Too Small, Just like that Pesky Aguilar from Mexico
I think the US Soccer Federation needs to take a serious look at our system from the top down. Here is an article shedding light on how Belgium changed an entire system in a rather short period of time. The results are proof that it can be done.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/06/belgium-blueprint-gave-birth-golden-generation-world-cup-
Shannon Mathews, the changes to the youth system have been in place for a good while now, before Klinsmann was hired. I'm not sure if the results of the academy system are being realized yet, but rest assured, it wasn't your boy who started it here. You might want to do some homework yourself and realize that there are kids playing in the third flight of youth soccer; for neighborhood teams essentially, that are better than the coddled academy players who have essentially bought their position. We're not there yet.
Ever wonder why the US WNT wins world cups and the MNT is not a top ten team? I believe it is because girls generally had better coaches and training opportunities. A lot of the girl's coaches I saw were women, former college players and/or teachers. Generally speaking the women I saw were better at working with kids than the men, were more concerned with skill development and had essentially no interest in advantages in strength and size as a competitive advantage. Generally speaking the women's game is not dependent on strength and style, which translates well to youth. I am not saying women won't use their strength and size or play hard. I am saying they learn how to beat bigger, stronger players, because that is a challenge most of them faced. The only girl's youth coaches I saw selecting size over skill were men. Something to think about.
Bob, you can't possibly compare men's and women's football. If you think that the coaching and training opportunities are the reason the W are more successful, then the only reason you're right is because of the disparity between the US and the rest of the world with women's soccer. We've been way ahead of the world in women's sports and culturally allowing women to play sports. We've seen the other countries catch up and if you watched without bias, Japan, France, and Brazil all played better football than the US. I support both the men's and women's national teams, but we need to be better from the kids to the senior team. From the parents, from the culture. We need intelligence injected into our game at every level, but also need creativity to be allowed. It's a fine line, and we're not doing it right currently.
Bobbie, there is no reason not to compare the two, but I wasn't. I was contrasting the youth coaching of, let's face it, mothers versus fathers, former college players and teachers versus coaches without those backgrounds. In my experience youth coaching, by untrained volunteers, is so wrapped up with the coaches own prejudices and attitudes that it makes me laugh (when its not harmful). But then without coaching expertise, what else do you expect them to apply other than their own values and attitudes. The most common pattern I saw was coaching like their high school pointy football coach. I literally remember being horrified at a father yelling at his huddled U8G rec team to "Get out there and kill them." I was horrified by his conduct and also embarrassed that he was wearing his military uniform at the time. Too often coaching is more about the coach than the players.
Klinsman got the US man's team to a heck of a higher level then it has ever been. But, yes, it is still not at the level of men's soccer in the power houses. Stop dissing Klinsman.
Based on what? There has been a natural progression with the players that would've occurred under any manager as real soccer players become more prevalent in the US. I haven't really seen a difference otherwise in the overall quality or results. People act like we haven't made it out of the group before and that that should be a huge win. We won a group game a few world cups ago and we were third best from CONCACAF in the last world cup. Is that acceptable?
Leia, your first sentence is just flat wrong which is obvious to anyone who has followed the US MNT after the 1998 world cup finals disappointment. Under Arena the team did very well at the 2002 world cup finals, eliminated in the quarterfinals by Germany. Under Bradley they were runner up at the 2009 confederation cup, and beat Spain in the process ending their record making streak of results. While winning friendlies is a good thing, a friendly result is not a good measure of a team or a coach.
won a knockout game
If Klinsmann performed like this as a CEO of a corporation the stock holders would be calling for his head. If the USMNT was a company its shares would be tumbling, and its subsidiaries and divisions (U23 team) would be in crisis mode. Klinsmann would be accused of destroying the efficiency of the company while also hurting moral. The stock holders would then vote to terminate Klinsmann. This is what happened Robert Stemple of GM in 1990. The stock holders and various company employees got tired of GM's rapid market share decline and terminated Stemple. In short everyone got fed up. What will it take for those running US soccer to tire of Klinsmann. In America there are checks and balances that prevent individuals from completely wrecking companies, why isn’t there a similar system within US soccer that will prevent somebody like Klinsmann ruining the once respectable USMNT.
Soccer America has to retire Paul Gardner from the team of writers, this man has been there at least since this magazine was created when nobody didn't have a clue about futbol, what he have learned is to create controversial comments, this man is nothing but a troublemaker, let's bring people that knows the sport well.
Hey, Don't shoot the Messenger...PG just pointing out the obvious..."Der Emperor has NO Clothing"
Did JK bully Paul Gardner in middle school?
Steal his lunch money? I can't think of any other logical explanation for these diatribes. Is JK setting the works on fire w this team? No. Is he underachieving. Maybe. But if so not by much. Let's face facts - we have a very shallow talent pool. We don't really have a single international level player by, say, English standards. Our best player ever, Donovan, felt entitled enough to go on sabbatical during WC qualifying and then retired prematurely. Can JK do better? Sure. Is he the root of our problems? No. Is Paul Gardner grinding some weird personal ax? Seems so.
The reason is simply klinsmann is a lousy coach who is destroying US soccer.
I will repeat this experience :Yesterday I went to see a U12 team in a predominantly Latino area. The kids wore a USA national team knock off uniform and were playing in a local league that cost $35 dollars a season. I saw 11 INCREDIBLE American players. US Soccer Federation, where are you??? We need to scout and find these kids, we need to completely revamp our entire administration!
They are not of European heritage so
Klinsmann is not interested.
@Johnny c: Yes, for crying out loud, where in hell was/is US Soccer? Oh, I get it, the "US soccer player 'scouts'" probably all twelve, or is twenty by now, weren't present due to budgetary problems!
Each area has the soccer power players that are usually scouts and most of them worked there way into the nearest USSDA. So basically most US soccer scouts are in your local USSDA and they will not be looking anywhere besides there.
The truth hurts klinsmann eats dung.
Some great comments today. The problem has always and will continue to be the arrogance that we have in this country. But to the point for today. Any coach anywhere to allow for two players to walk around the field at this level more than they ran is unacceptable. Altidore is and has always been a bum in my mind that has no business on our team. Dempsey, who I have admired through the years, is also quickly sinking. It is hard to believe that by now we cannot field a team to compete with the world. With the diversity of so many immigrant families from many countries we have a melting pot of worthy players to choose from. Unfortunately, as usual, it comes down to the almighty dollar.
I am a fan of Jurgen but was shocked at choice yesterday. We lived in Europe and my kids played in the system for six years, our youth system and MLS development system is so fing confusing it is amazing anyone does not see it. I sit on a local board for soccer in our schools, no qualified coaches all teachers, they all fight with other local members of AYSO organizations for bit players, MLS teams try to snatch good players for their teams, not national team development, and it cost major $$ to have your child play in a premier, nat premier, academy or regional academy team. From what I understand there is no plan, it is all about $$$ for the clubs. My son plays on a premier team with other foreign nationals, these kids breath soccer, but none are tapped into the capitalist system that is our development, US Soccer is kinda back ending into this system, not recreating it. I am not an expert, but until we have development system that identifies kids at all levels and economic backgrounds it will continue.
Jones was not the problem, his work rate was amazing, Beasley is not the best choice at back, Jurgen is looking for a Lamm player on that side, I like the alternatives, Beasley is a defensive liability, they let Mexican player have backdoor all game. As for midfield, Beckerman and Jones are clones, but Jones is better, he is ONLY player who has played against Europes best his entire life, Beckerman had a nice run, time to retire him. Jones is a better at center defensive mid to help jump start O and help center D. Where was Zusi and other younger options for wing middies with pace and skill. I have read too many articles saying how well Bradley played, he lost ball too much to pressing Mexican attack and got lazy tracking back. Altidore is a Drogba clone big central striker to do it alone, they sent few long balls and Dempsey seemed lost and did not want to play with others, Wood and Yedlin are talented players but need other creative players around them. Thought them central D looked its best in a long time, but still made mistakes. Our best players play in MLS, is it really a surprise we are not better. MLS is full of past their prime Euro stars here to pad their retirement.
If JK were a CEO, he would fire most of the employees, ie..the current crop of players, and take the company private, as the shareholders, ie...opinionated counter productive people like we have here...honestly, US soccer should have a referendum and ask every coach in the US and abroad to note the best 3 players he or she coaches and let those kids have a camp. Not only the club teams, but get from 9th grade to 12th. And have them play with the best of the college and pick from that crop. I can pick out 5 guys in the WDC area who are better than Beasley. I don't know if JK knows about the caste system that exists here. The incumbents at US soccer certainly will not out themselves and admit that they have for the most part pickubg suburban kids who they liked and, or why certain kids / ethic groups are underrepresented. I know in France ann Netherlands they have peoplr who say that they have too many foreigners etc...However their teams win trophies so those opinions don't get much momentum. Here we have the polar opposite. The old US teams were very underskilled. Even the players themselves will admit that. However I would say they didn't have the MLS to fall back on and had to earn their reputation with foreign clubs and fans here. In short they played with more passion, but for certain the US did not play attractive nor possesion soccer.
And to Chisolms and Kirstens point, US soccer is not diverse. Soccer is prohibitively expensive at the club level. Consequently you see few immigrants. Clint Dempsey is the only poor kid on the natl team. And as anyone can see, his grit n attitude is reflected in his play. For all of the comments about American exceptionalism, you appear to miss the point, that America has always been the home for people who need/hoped to start anew...we were the poor kids. That's not the case for soccer. Brazil n France, their teams are filled with players from the ghetto. Rooney is from the hood. Even Beckham was from the hood. Zidane...the hood. Stoichcov..hood. Maradona..do you get it now. And the same holds true for every other American sport, with few exceptions. Football/basketball are dominated by poor kids, unless your Dad played and have a genetic hall pass..Stephon Curry. Poor kids are weeded out. Clubs only want players who can pay fees. College coaches don't talk to academic ineligibles. France does not pick its players based on their gpa. I am getting tired of stating the obvious. The coach is not the problem. We have inept players. JK does not handcuff thrir talents. The players are feckless and he hopes that by changing formations and roster he can eak out a result. However trust me he knows Altidore wouldn't be a striker in any European nor South American country...not even Wales nor Greece, so please enough already. There is no one like Drogba, Giovanco, Kean, Wilshire, or even Marquez as old as he is. The ctr midfielders for Mexico did and will continue to roast Beckerman, Zardes, Bradley, Jones. I know there are players in the US who just as good, but they are not in the talent pool, and US soccer is not about to admit that we sre bunch of elitist snobs who shun poor kids. That said, the comment about Mourihno is dead on. He wouldn't do much better. Fix US soccer, not the blame.
I would bring MOU for the Last 2 Years before World Cup..
DEC. 2016...He has a 3 year "Shelf Life"..1st year Lots of Power Struggles until he gets the "Bit" into the Mouth of His Players...2nd Year, Wins it All(or Almost All)...3rd Year, FLAMEOUT.!!! ...Crash and Burn...Got to Time it just right..
To Greg Milton: THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your two very insightful and honest comments! Your very last sentence is succinct, brief, and to the point that we need to "Fix US soccer, not the blame...(sic)" P.S. I wonder if US Soccer , et. al. reads these comments?
A lot of people defending JK blame the lack of world class players, fair enough. Very few countries have a plethora of world class players, and the US clearly isn't one. So they blame "the system" for not developing world class players, and again, that's an accurate charge. But JK was brought in to change that. I kind of think it's impossible for one person to have that kind of impact (and said so at the time), but that was the idea. It's been 5 years, and JK has been given a lot of leeway, and if anything, it feels like we're taking 2 steps back for every step forward. The national team coach should be responsible for the national team, period. As Santiago said, the national team coach is a selector, not a developer of talent. He doesn't have the players long enough to develop their talent. The national team coach has to get the most out of the player pool he has, not complain about not having a better player pool. Arena did it, as did Bradley. The next coach needs to do it as well, and I think it's time we figured out who that should be.
Get rid of JK, and, Get rid of Lazy Altidore too!
The only way to get rid of JK and SG is to boycott USMNT games!!!!! It's all about money.
I think most over-react. One or two goals and everyone would think Klinsmann was a genius.
Get rid of Altidore and stop with all the German players and I would be happier.
And goodbye Lazy Altidore!!!
Klinsmann has isolated Altidore so balls are not fed to him. Besides, why get rid of the second leading USMNT scorer of all time. He is only 25 years old and will end up the USMNT all-time leading scorer. Right now Altidore is suffering the same fate of other US players, which is Klinsmann poor tactically decisions.
As for the German players they seem to be fading away, which is not surprising since most of them were mediocre to begin with. The team is now down to two German starters. Fabian is not coming back, and Brooks will be riding the bench.
The Germans running US soccer just don't understand the American work-ethic and the way they approach things. The same thing happened when Dialmer Benz took over Chrysler in 1998. The new company(Dialmer-Chrylser) would feature German engineering and American design. Unfortunately, the German and the American workers just did not gel. The Americans thought the Germans were too rigid in their approach, while the Germans though the Americans were too carefree and not disciplined enough. The result was the two sides simply did not communicate effectively. The result was a comprised product that eventually lead to a government bailout during great recession of 2008.
The moral of this story is that you can't change the way a country does things, but you can work within the system to try to improve things.
Why get rid of Altidore? Because he is a lazy sod, who has seen his best days!!! What is he doing at Toronto FC? Nothing! He had a good run in the Dutch league and that was it. He bombed at Sunderland. Why has he got so many USMNT goals? Because JK gives him so many playing minutes. Give Aron Johansson or Bobby Wood those minutes and then let's talk.
JK must go. In late November of 2014 I wrote to Sunil at USSF to express my feelings. Today, 11 months later, I will be writing him again. Key question: Haven't things gone from bad to worse during the past eleven months? The USSF should take sone of the huge profits from the game vs. Mexico and buyout his contact as soon as possible. If you feel likewise, send a letter or e-mail to Sunil G at the Federation offices in Chicago. What are you waiting for??