US Soccer

[CardiacCoug]

Whoa just got embarrassing for real.

[Omaha 680]

Disaster.

[falafel]

Disaster.

Time to pull the plug on the Klinnsman experiment?

[Omaha 680]

Time to pull the plug on the Klinnsman experiment?

It could be. Fusnik called this a year ago. I may have been blinded because I like Jurgen and really want him to succeed. There have been some bright spots but also some really low points and we are at the lowest at the worst possible time. Zero points and goal differential in the cellar through 2 games in the hex. Our margin for error in qualifying is just about gone. We need wins in our remaining four home games and a couple draws on the road to feel safe.

Granted we started playing the top 2 teams so it will get better. But that doesn't mean I'm not nervous. I will say if they are going to blow it up and start over they should do it now. Don't wait 2 or 4 more qualifying matches. Either make the decision to see Jurgen through the end of this cup or can him now

[Omaha 680]

ESPNFC article calling for the firing of Klinnsman. There are some good points here.

Yes, the U.S. reached the semifinals of the Copa America Centenario, but that run has been eclipsed by other poor results. There was the defeat to Jamaica in the semifinals of the 2015 Gold Cup, as well as a loss to Guatemala in the last round of qualifying. A defeat to rivals Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup deprived the U.S. of a spot in the Confederations Cup, a valuable tune-up ahead of Russia 2018. Now the two recent World Cup qualifying defeats to Mexico and Costa Rica have left the U.S. bottom of the Hex.

Along the way have been a rash of questionable personnel decisions and flawed tactical plans, none bigger than last Friday's ill-advised decision to take the field against Mexico with what Klinsmann called a 3-4-3 formation.

That experiment ended when Klinsmann was confronted by Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones during a stoppage, though Bradley insisted afterward that it was a group decision. When defeat followed, Klinsmann persisted with an old habit: blaming the players -- in this case Bradley and Jones -- for the formation's failure instead of taking any responsibility himself. That is an act that can't possibly go over well in the locker room.

The German has had his back to the wall periodically throughout his tenure, and the team almost always responded. In this instance, not only did the U.S. not respond against the Ticos, but it capitulated after going down 2-0 with plenty of time left.

There was a time when the identity of the U.S. team could be recalled without much difficulty: organized, tough to play against, with enough attacking flair to threaten teams. More than anything, the U.S. was a side whose mentality was never in question. This was a team that would scratch, claw and battle, even when it was getting beaten. To see those traits disappear in a game that mattered is sobering, and the biggest indictment of Klinsmann's leadership.

http://www.espnfc.com/team/united-st...on-but-will-it

I still find myself hoping he can pull it together, but he is nearly out of time.

Edit: lots of people calling for bringing Arena back. Not the sexiest move by any means, but he definitely would get them safely into the Finals.

[jay santos]

Having matured from the brashness of my youth to a patient and wise old man, my observation is that those who aggressively call for a coach to be fired, generally speaking have higher-than-realistic expectations for the team.

I've only recently started paying closer attention to the USMNT. But my understanding is that Klinsmann has some accolades in the coaching world, as prior coach for Germany national team and Bayern Munich. It seems half the job of the team is to attract talent. Even though these are national teams, there is a wide latitude in terms of defining what countries you are eligible for, and I believe Klinsmann has been very successful in this area.

As for tactics, it sounds like that Mexico game was pretty bad. I dunno, not really my area of expertise. But I would tend to be patient with the guy.

[Clark Addison]

Just waiting now for Indy to come in and rip on Santos and tell him how much JK sucks.

[jay santos]

Just waiting now for Indy to come in and rip on Santos and tell him how much JK sucks.

Bizarro 2004 Cougarboard.

[Topper]

ESPNFC article calling for the firing of Klinnsman. There are some good points here.





http://www.espnfc.com/team/united-st...on-but-will-it

I still find myself hoping he can pull it together, but he is nearly out of time.

Edit: lots of people calling for bringing Arena back. Not the sexiest move by any means, but he definitely would get them safely into the Finals.

I don't like the thought of bringing Arena back. I want JK to succeed, but these latest two games have revealed a weakness in his tactical game.

[snowcat]

Klinsman is a hot mess.

Embedded Tweet

13 awful USMNT milestones set under Jurgen Klinsmann

http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/gall...insmann-111516

Embedded Tweet

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[snowcat]

I don't like the thought of bringing Arena back. I want JK to succeed, but these latest two games have revealed a weakness in his tactical game.

Arena would be a short term option. If they fire Klinsman now, they would need someone who could fill in quickly to get the team out of the hex and into the World Cup. Arena is familiar with the player pool and would be a likely candidate to fill this role. Many of the candidates we might want for the future are tied up until after the World Cup.

[Omaha 680]

Having matured from the brashness of my youth to a patient and wise old man, my observation is that those who aggressively call for a coach to be fired, generally speaking have higher-than-realistic expectations for the team.

I've only recently started paying closer attention to the USMNT. But my understanding is that Klinsmann has some accolades in the coaching world, as prior coach for Germany national team and Bayern Munich. It seems half the job of the team is to attract talent. Even though these are national teams, there is a wide latitude in terms of defining what countries you are eligible for, and I believe Klinsmann has been very successful in this area.

As for tactics, it sounds like that Mexico game was pretty bad. I dunno, not really my area of expertise. But I would tend to be patient with the guy.

To clarify I am not aggressively calling for him to be fired. I'll be OK if he stays or if he goes (unless we don't qualify in which case I will NOT be ok). I agree that Klinnsman has brought a different kind of talent to the squad that we haven't had before. But he seems to have negated that benefit with his constant tinkering and some real head scratcher tactical decisions. It's his right to tinker and he should do it but there is a time and place. The opening matches of the hex against the two top teams in the region is not the time.

[falafel]

Klinnsman is out.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016...rgen-klinsmann

CHICAGO (November 21, 2016) – U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced today that Jurgen Klinsmann has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team and Technical Director for U.S. Soccer.

Gulati will conduct a media teleconference call Tuesday afternoon to discuss the change. Details will be announced in the near future.

Klinsmann began his tenure as head coach on July 29, 2011, and compiled a 55-27-16 record during his tenure. In 2013, he led the team on a record-setting 12-game winning streak, the longest in program history. The 16 victories and .761 winning percentage in 2013 are all-time U.S. MNT records for a calendar year. In 2014, the team advanced out of the “Group of Death” and reached the Round of 16 in the FIFA World Cup. Most recently, the MNT finished fourth in the 2016 Copa America Centenario held in the United States.

[Omaha 680]

Just another step on the road to becoming a soccer power because I can't imagine a top 10 program keeping a coach on with Klinnsman's recent record.

In seriousness I'm kind of sad to see him go. I think his ceiling was much higher than someone like Arena who we will need to bring in now for the rest of this cycle. But the powers determined he wasn't going to get it done and the recent evidence certainly supports that.

[Omaha 680]

Arena feels like a big step back to me, but firing Klinnsman at point means Arena was about the best we would get. We will be in no danger of missing the tournament now, but Arena's teams never felt dangerous. Maybe what he has learned in the past 10 years combined with the new US talent will be a pleasant surprise.