As a fan that I believe US Soccer wants to keep this is it for me in a nutshell....The dismal showings piled up to critical mass, the "whoa look at what genius I am with a new formation that Mexico has just run all over, whoa look at what Wondo and Zardes look like against Argentina!!!!" Change for change sake may not be fair or right but its what happens to coaches and JK got more rope than he deserved.
Very true (bolded). That being said, I would be surprised if Howard is the only player on the team that feels some players are not putting in full effort and sometimes perception is just as important as reality. If Howard and a significant group, believe some players are not doing what they should (rightly or wrongly), that is a problem. there are two potential"passion" problems: 1. the lack of passion (if accurate) 2. the perception of a lack of passion (regardless of whether it actually exists)
Which enhances JJ's role as a mediator between both groups. IMO, Klinsmann owed keeping his job 5.3 years not just to Dempsey, but also to Jones.
Lol, although this is as good a theory as any, my own hunch is that somehow there must have been a near perfect alignment of the planets and stars. I look forward to hearing some inside analysis, when it comes out in a couple of years.
Fafa Picault was tethered to the bench for last place 2. Bundesliga team St. Pauli and now is TRIALING in MLS, the league that Klinsmann acted like was inferior to ones such as the 2. Bundesliga. This after Picault transferred from NASL as a 20-something vet to the 2. BL. Is that the biggest foreseeable reach in player selection for Klinsmann, or was it another one? Other candidates would be: Caleb Stanko - part-time player for last place Swiss Super League team. Mix Diskerud - not playing anymore for NYCFC. The issue was how much he was leaned on by Jurgen. Chris Wondolowski - again, how much he was leaned on, then kept returning even when he proved to suck. Michael Orozco - off and on in Mexico, struggled in MLS, again issue is frequency not that he was capped at all. Timothy Chandler - certainly had the pedigree, but continued to fail, and kept being brought back. Brad Davis - the fact he played significant minutes in a World Cup in 2014 (and Donovan didn't, lol) Alan Gordon - bench player for the Galaxy getting key minutes and roster spots Miguel Ibarra - a few caps and significant rosters out of NASL. Subsequently didn't really play in Mexico. hm - Kiesewetter, J. Morales, Beckerman (over-usage), Evans (over-usage), Corona (over-usage), Alvarado (usage), Vincent, Green (timing)
Alan Gordon and Brad Evans both were used in qualifying and did in fact help us qualify for the World Cup. They are both the type of player you know are going to bust their ass and have enough talent where they can make that positive difference in a few key moments during gritty qualifying games in CONCACAF. Do not simply dismiss those types of players.
There are other tall guys cf's who can go up and win an aerial battle who I think have better ability, like Bjorn Johnsen for example in this day and age. Sapong is a better player and target man. Gordon was still being called up at 35. Evans is a rotational player for Seattle and very limited. He was far from ideal as a defender and going forward. All you can say about him is he played within himself, smart. But he was over-used and there are better options. Lichaj jumps off the page in that regard. And I listed 16 players. Don't simply dismiss the question and concept because of 2 players.
Sapong is not better than Alan Gordon at the role Gordon was used as. Gordon is a beast and I have a lot of respect for his game and ability to be a solid role player. That doesn't mean he is still a good option as he ages. I am stating that Evans and Gordon both helped us qualify. They both literally came up big in a few key moments to help us win games in qualifying. You need these gritty type of players who are intimate with the region at times. I can't speak to others on your list. But these two were good picks to use during qualifying. And Gordon would have been a great backup for Jozzy. Although I would have preferred EJ. For the world cup. Gordon doesn't have to be some awesome player, just perform his role well. And he does that very well. It's a team game. Sometimes role players are the ones that push the team further rather than the stars.
Check out the favorable spin on Klinsi's Wikipedia page . . . 2018 World Cup qualificationEdit The U.S. notched a 1–0 win over Czech Republic to open the new 2018 World Cup cycle on 3 September, their first ever win over the Czechs.[citation needed] On 5 June 2015, Klinsmann guided the U.S. to a dramatic 4–3 win over the Oranje in a friendly in Amsterdam and another friendly victory over Germany five days later.[51] The United States men's national team entered the final stage of the 2018 World Cup qualifying cycle, known as the "Hexagonal", in November 2016 having compiled an outstanding record for the year up to that point of 12 wins, four losses, and one draw. Klinsmann had continued to evolve the team by bringing in emerging young players such as Christian Pulisic, a teenager who had earned his way into Borussia Dortmund's starting lineup, Jordan Morris, 2016 MLS Rookie of the Year, and Gyasi Zardes, forward for the Los Angeles Galaxy. The luck of the qualifying draw saw the United States men's national team face the two highest ranking CONCACAF teams, Mexico and Costa Rica, to begin the Hexagonal. Despite losing these two matches, the United States men's national team still had eight matches and a potential 24 points available to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Historically, only 15 points have been needed to qualify and Mexico qualified for the 2014 World Cuphaving earned only 11 points in the Hexagonal. Nevertheless, U.S. Soccer Federation officials removed Klinsmann as the U.S. men's national team manager on 21 November 2016, replacing him with Bruce Arena, who had been previously dismissed as U.S. men's national team coach after his team failed to move beyond the group state of the 2006 World Cup.
It's not like he's a physics major at Berkeley. He's got plenty of time to Man the Barricades in the height of Berkeley fashion.
Amazing news, if true, I might have to get some popcorn . . . http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/us...vid-wagner-bayer-leverkusen-manager-shortlist http://www.espnfc.com/bayer-leverku...n-a-contender-for-bayer-leverkusen-job-report For Klinsmann it would be a chance at redemption in the Bundesliga after his managerial tenure with Bayern Munich lasted less than a year. His time in Munich was marked by criticism from players over tactics and a culture clash when Klinsmann began implementing changes to the club’s training regimen. David Wagner has had success recently in England’s second division with Huddersfield Town. Currently the team sits in third place in the EFL Championship table and if form holds it would have a chance to be promoted to the Premier League.
hey, the rest of it is working out. It took Arena all of one game that counted to return the mentality of the team and return back to our strengths. Im hoping when Yedlin is back and healthy the Zusi thing is a moot point. I dont want it to be Arena's Ricardo Clark.
Klinsey could still have the last laugh when Arena doesnt get out of (a perhaps weaker) group in 2018
Klinsi, 0-2 in the group, 0 goals scored, 6 allowed. Arena, 1-0 in the group, 6 goals scored, 0 allowed.
Don't get me wrong - I'm pleased with the result of this match. I just wish we could get back to Klinsmann's more proactive attacking brand of soccer.
Germany - WC Winner 2014 Portugal - Euro Winner 2016 Ghana - only team not to lose against Germany in 2014 Honduras - Concacaf cannonfodder
In 2014, Portugal was nowhere near 2016 and Ghana wasn't as good as previous WC teams. Klinsmann deserves credit, but that was not the same team that won the Euros and Ghana looked much improved the next year in ACON.
That would be the perception maybe, but not reality. We always get out of group outside Europe. Never inside Europe. This WC will be played in Europe, the last one was outside in Brazil. In the modern era: 4-0 outside Europe, 0-3 inside Europe. On Klinsmann's trajectory, he was not getting out of the group in the next WC, he wasn't even making it. Getting out of the group the previous time was also flattering. If he's consistent, it's not the result but how you play. We played poorly as reflected by setting all-time record lows in shots and possession. Howard saved his butt against Belgium especially from that being a downright embarrassment, and to a lesser extent against Germany and Ghana. The Ghana win was a 2-1 smash and grab. The only game of the tournament the U.S. didn't actually play poorly in relative to standard was Portugal. The World Cup also constitutes one sample of 3-5 games. It's a small sample. In the bigger sample, Klinsmann had 7 good wins vs. 14 bad losses in meaningful a-team competitive matches, per Elo rating changes. Naturally, that paled in comparison to his predecessors, one of them being Bruce. It would be hard for Bruce not to exceed such a low standard in his return. He's already 1 vs. 0 in that regard. Of course, Klinsey will get the last laugh in the end regardless, because he's a conman, and his game will work on enough gullible people or those who are predetermined to make the case for him. He'll have shills from the LA Times writing pieces spinning things in his favor, book authors that he's feeding lines to, and sometimes he'll even write on his own behalf. If the U.S. makes a run in the WC, that will be a product of his vision, even if he's not still around, the team plays differently, and the rotations consist of several players he just chose to ignore out of prejudice.