I hope they replay what Klinsmann just said during World Cup Live about the state of US Soccer. He was asked about if our expectations matched the talent of our players. He responded that it was something that US Soccer was going to have to look at that issue. Then he continued.... "Looking at the game yesterday you had three really quality players that did not live up to their expectations, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard. They were not there. It was not there game last night and if they do not step up to the world stage then you cant expect Michael Bradley and the other ones to pull it all off. I think its really important that they lay out a philosophy for US Soccer and say where do we want to go. I mean hopefully by the end of the the US will get the WC 2022... and so you need to know how to develop the players. It is very difficult within the American culture to talk about that topic because you are the only country in the world that has the pyramid upside down. That means you pay for having your kid play soccer, because your goal is not that your kid becomes professional soccer player because your goal is that your kid gets a scholarship in high school or college. Which is completely opposite form the rest of the world...and it si a tough one because soccer is very similar to basketball you need it out of the lower class environment. Soccer worldwide is a lower environment sport. We all got up from moderate families and fought our way through. You need to keep this hunger throughout your life and I compare it to basketball because all these guys are coming form the inner cities so you need to find ways, whatever they may be to connect with the Hispanics, connect with everyone and get the kids that are really hungry. To get the kids on a technical level that are able to perform and what I mean by technical level is first touch. The first touch yesterday was not there and you cannot afford those in the WC." I think US Soccer is reaching a crossroads and some fundamental decisions are going to have to be made about the direction of US Soccer over the next 12 years (When we hopefully get the WC). We have seen a small movement in US Youth Soccer to begin developing a Latin American style of soccer as a style of US play. Now we will see how US Soccer attempts to further develop this beginning with the decisions at the MNT. Thoughts ???
Is it possible that we will have the $$ to bring him in as our new manager? Or did the talks breaking down the first time mean that it wont ever happen?
everything he said is 100% true and spot on. I and many others have been saying it for years - there is something wrong with a sports culture that basically locks out a significant portion of the population because of the high cost involved in having your kids advance up though the ranks of youth soccer.
Care to enlighten me real quick? I am assuming they wouldn't give him as much as he wanted....I wonder if this would still be the case?
I thought he didn't take the job, not because of the money, but because USA soccer would give hime the authority/control that he wanted....until there is a change of culture at the top, USA soccer won't change
I like Klinsmann...But I don't think he is saying anything that most people don't already know. A lot of people can say the right thing, but when you hire someone it's more about projecting whether you think that person have the drive and the ability to actually achieve the goals they are talking about setting.
Most people who follow soccer abroad know this. Most people in the trenches of youth soccer in the US do not know this. Parents of players do not know this.
That was a fantastic segment, and Klinsi was right on the money about what's wrong with soccer in the USA. Lalas, Turico and McManahan were quite good too, but you could sense that Lalas didn't want to go after Gulati too strongly. Maybe he's hoping for a job with the fed.
They had the money part worked out, it came down to the direction of US Soccer and a disagreement of how to use the different tournaments. Copa was at the center of the debate. He saw it wasn't going to go the way he wanted so he moved on.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/412013-us-soccer-are-you-willing-to-change While everyone is focusing on getting rid of Bob Bradley, we are missing a much bigger picture. We could have had Jürgen Klinsmann as our manager four years ago. From what everyone generally believes, he would have taken the job had he been given the power to do what he needed to do to improve American soccer, and the United States Soccer Federation (and President Sunil Gulati) wouldn’t give it to him.
Lalas makes no secret he's anti bradley...he is infact the guy who unjustly fired him from the metrostars position several years back. Lalas is a snake. what Klinnsman is talking about will take decades to change. Jose Mourinho can come down from the heavens and it still wont change. the solution is MLS youth academies. We're another cycle away from seeing any fruits from that tree.
I really like Lalas, but if he didn't recognize Klinsmann's point, then he's too much of a homer to be a commentator at that level. What Klinsmann said is 100% true -- US soccer is getting wrong with talent development (and probably coaching, too).
The elephant in the room: no one asked Klinsi what everyone at that desk was wondering - if he was interested in the coaching job
I feel Klinsmann's comments were right on the money. But what job is he looking for? Head coach of the USMNT or head of USSF? With no world class professional league in America I don't see it becoming a passion, a dream, for US kids to become so great that someday they might play for Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or AC Milan. So yes it is a bottom upside down development program but it is so only because circumstances dictate it...
Great segment, glad somebody posted it. I too have enjoyed Mcman during the coverage (anybody else crack up when he was making Tirico uncomfortable discussing betting on the U.S. game yesterday, some "flutter"??!). I also saw Lalas refraining, made me wonder exactly why. Surely he knows the truth as well as any of us. Wynalda talks about it all the time. Heck, we all do. So how do we, as fans, make it known to the USSF that we want changes to the system? Like now. Not knocking Bob, I respect him & his effort. Do I think he was perfect? Absolutely not. Am I still pi$$ed about the loss?. Damn right. But I won't insult the coach as I feel he did his best & achieved the level HE probably could have hoped (not to be confused with WE as a team). So honestly. We need changes at the top. How do we get them?
My thoughts exactly. He seemed to tense up a bit while that was being discussed, like he was hoping they wouldn't ask him. Then he seemed quite relieved when Tirico changed the topic before they got to him. Please, Gulati... make the deal.
Agree, it will take time and I dont think sacking Bradley would be the right way to go. In the end, he is nothing more than scapegoat that formed a pretty solid US squad.