The Klinsmann Coaching Thread v.3 N&A Edition [R]

Good passer, good ball winner, good positioning, poor lungs(doesn't get on the ball like Osvaldo Alonso, Bradley, or even Rasta).

 

He most certainly was.

 

against SK, we left the top of the key open, as usual. Jones is poor as a DM for USMNT. Bradley is not a defensive force, he does not have the physical/mental make-up as a DM for our team. He needs to be further up the pitch and not have to beat it back on every turnover. Mix? Ha, no chance. Beckermann? Slow molasses. Who else? I have argued for Cameron in the midfield and would love to see him as DM, but it is not going to happen, apparently.

Edu is the only other option.

 

Probably Edu finds his passing feet in MLS like he apparently did in Turkey. My assumption is this Stoke/injury experience was a hiccup in his automatic call up status, and now we resume regular service.

 

I agree, the team played well, and Bob only made one (in hindsight) glaring mistake, by starting Rico --should have stuck to the Mike-Mo in the middle against African teams, because Algeria also had pace through the middle. The general game-plan was good, exploiting their weaknesses while keeping them honest out of fear of counters.

I'd say that Ghana team was stronger than the one this year, too. Their talent was better distributed. This time around their best players are all in midfield, but in 2010 they had a very solid defense, with Paintsil and John Mensah at their peaks.

 

I'm not trying to bait you into elaborating, but I cannot think of a single entity or person who would give a damn about Rico Clark starting or not starting. Not Nike, not USSF...unless it was the players themselves. Which makes no sense.

 

Could be an influential family member/friend. Happens more often than you would think. (the irony...)

 

Huh.

Nothing better than behind-the-scenes intrigue.

 

I will guess I will have to ask someone else about the grassy knoll, then.

 

@Jeff Bradley ?

 

Are you saying @Jeff Bradley is the one who pressured Bob to start Rico?

 

You know my style - of course I'm asking that. When I have ever missed an opportunity to try to be funny?

However, the @ allows Jeff to enter the fray and comment - if he dares.

 

Starting to think that someone is reading someone else's tweets:

Just been thru Goppingen, Klinsmann birthplace & source of the alias "Jay Goppingen" he played under with 3rd-tier US team in late '90s.

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) March 17, 2014

Current #USMNT Coach @J_Klinsmann played in the #PDL for the Orange County Blue Star after retiring from his professional playing career.

— USL League Two (@USLLeagueTwo) March 17, 2014

 

Jurgen thinks Clint Dempsey isn't protected in MLS. Cries about him being fouled.
http://www.soccerbyives.net/2014/03/klinsmann-concerned-dempsey.html

To use Jurgen's words, he ain't shit. This is what happens in Euro Champions League if you are Eden Hazard vs. Galatasaray:

 

This is correct. although I never played against him he used to register under a pseudo name.

 

Damn! I am sure it doesn't hurt that the majority of folks in the EPL/Europe tend to wear screw ins.

You don't see that much in the US--most players tend to prefer molded which don't have as much 'bite'.

 

I've got notches on my shinbone from screw ins.

 

much debated about how much jurgen does with youth. U18 coach says Jurgen is heavily involved.

 

So... when are we going to start noticing any improvements in the youth program, then? 2018?

 

Pretty sure the U-17s who are 15-16 now and have been in Jurgens system have done this over the past year.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/04/07/19/08/140405_u17mntvmne-and-sarajevo

They are in their third straight tournament title game and are playing better and better. The style tempo and quality of play has increased for our youth sides. We shall see how it continues over the next few years.

 

They won the tournament, which is nice. But beyond beating Montenegro, Sarajevo, and Bosnia in the final (4-1, by the way, with 2 goals from Haji Wright and 2 from Christian Pulusic), what interests me is the qualification for the U-17 WC.

Next year is their real test, in the qualifiers.

 

I agree with Klinsmann about MLS needing to protect players more. MLS is one of the more thuggish leagues around and what do we see our officials taking a firm stance on? Diving. We don't give a crap that we beat players into the ground and continually see teams place more and more emphasis on physicality and brute force than skill, but we're obsessed with eliminating even a hint of diving. Ridiculous.