News: Klinsmann announces 30 man preliminary WC roster

Reality:


What Jurgen sees:

 

Have we seen a Klinsmann led team that loses gas in the second half? There may be some examples that are escaping me. I guess what I'm asking is whether anyone have anecdotal data on Klinsmann running the players into the ground and affecting their play on the field. Generally K's teams play better in second half (keeping in mind that it is largely in part due to substitutions), don't they?

 

The core of our starting lineup (and 4/6ths of our "spine") is MLS based, including our two best players.

 

USA v Canada and USA v A&B in the semifinal round of qualifying in 2012. The team looked completely dead on their feet. This was after a 2+ week camp that featured off handed comments about our fitness needing to improve, and 3 other friendlies.

 

I do remember the Canada game now. I generally remember it as a dull affair, but don't recall dead legs. Not saying that it wasn't present, I just did not want to remember that game. To think the Besler/ Gonzalez pairing was born in that game.

 

Not really meaningless. You've got to seriously battle every day in training in a top league. Competition is cutthroat. You can't take parts of matches off either as multiple guys are gunning for your spot. That does impact fitness.

Now people don't have to agree with it and there is an argument to be made that MLS guys might be fresher, but I've also seen a few MLS NTers doing what I'd call "going a bit easy" the last few weeks, attempting not to get injured. Others have noticed this too. That also effects fitness/sharpness. So does the slower tempo of MLS compared to what our boys in the Bund face and play at.

 

Even if I agreed with that, its merits are completely negated by the fact that guys who are 2.5 months in are going to be healthier, and fresher, and able to reach peak form/fitness a lot easier than guys who just finished a 10 month season and are likely carrying injuries or worn down thanks to games and "having to battle every day in training".

It's a dumb comment by JK. Already. Before the first training session, he declared half the team "not fit enough".

 

I said it earlier--but why is it that hard to believe? Maybe he's not impressed right now where they are fitness wise compared to numbers he thinks they should be?

 

You think?

 

True, but their teams paid for their "taking it easy": most of the MLS teams with guys coming to the 30-man camp haven't looked good.

Seattle (3 players) was completely destroyed. Union (Mo Edu) lost at home. Just like Parky's team (Crew). The Galaxy (Donovan, Gonzo) has two points in the last three games. San Jose has been ok, and Kansas and RSL have done well, but because they got deeper squads.

But their teams have paid a price for them taking it easy. Not any different from what would happen in Germany. Except that over there, several of these guys would have been subbed out.

 

Because he said it before he had any opportunity to observe them doing anything?

Because fitness has literally never been an issue for a USMNT side?

Because even if he believed it, he said it in the stupidest possible fashion, and started his camp off by criticizing half the team?

 

How do you know he is saying this without any 'proof'?

How do you know that he hasn't already tested the guys Max VO2 levels?

I am just saying--maybe he doesn't feel they are at a level he wants based on what he's seeing right now? He's being vague...but probably for a reason. He very well could be matching it to what he saw at Bayern or when he was manager for Germany in 06.

SOme say mind games--I think it's because he has some measurements that he is going off of that he isn't divulging.

 

The USA has always been praised as one of the fittest teams in World Cups, even in 2006. If the players have been training as usual, just being more careful during actions in-game, I see no reason why they should be less fit than in previous occasions.

It's a strange statement.

 

I'm not buying it.

 

I wouldn't describe Landon, Evans or Omar as fit, healthier and ready to reach peak fitness easier than everyone coming from Europe.

Would you?

 

Klinsmann, Herzog and Sakihana have been meticulously scouting each player and their fitness for probably about the past 2-3 weeks. He even sent the latter two all the way to Germany to check on the fitness/health our German-Americans 3 weeks ago. I'm sure he knows where each player stands fitness wise to the T. Thus, I'm sure he'll be a bit harder on those who he feels have some catching up to do.

 

That's another thing--he says this about the WHOLE group...but I have a feeling it's only a couple that aren't up to what he's asking right now fitness wise. Doesnt matter to him though, he'll just say the TEAM isn't up to a level right now.

 

All three of those guys have been hurt recently, so that isn't really indicative of an issue with MLS players at large. That's 3 guys of 15.

I could say the same thing about Jones, Chandler and AJ. Are they fit, healthy and ready to reach peak fitness?

 

He said it about the MLS players, not the team. Giant difference. Unnecessary sentiment to express. Its those kind of "mind games" that piss people off. Sending messages via the press is hackery.

If he wanted to say something, he could have said "we need to make sure we're at our top levels of fitness by the time camp ends" or "being in our best shape is critical". Saying what he said was just JK being JK.

 

I still wonder though.
Maybe they aren't really up to the level of the others right now who played in europe? He's publicly challenging them to focus on fitness.

 

Then do it in private. Calling out a league that half your team plays in is dumb.

 

Yeah, but they don't pay for it the same way Cameron would at Stoke or Jozy would at Crapperland. Each spot in the table is worth roughly 2M. In MLS, you just have to make the playoffs. I like the playoffs too btw, but it's a different pressure.

On top of that, you go easy and your spot is in jeopardy.

 

It looks like a similar thing said by the USMNT fitness coach in 2010 (who also was the fitness coach in 2002 & 2006):

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...s/04/23/us.wcup.prep/index.html#ixzz31kQOlDq9

 

We don't know what goes on behind the scenes. You're assuming all MLS guys arrive at these camps with the same level of fitness as the Euro guys. Maybe they do, maybe they don't, but if they did, and Jurgen tracks all this with fitness tests upon arrival, I don't think he'd be saying this.

I don't really care whether it's PC or not. This country is too PC in general and people get their feelings hurt. All I care about is is there truth to it. And unless we're there looking at the fitness test results, we don't know. So either the results show the MLS guys are usually behind their Euro counterparts, or JK is flat out lying. If people believe JK is flat out lying without seeing the test results, so be it. However if the results have truth to them, I'm actually glad he's calling out MLS training staffs and and habits.

 

The reverse could be true too, and the Euro guys could all be at varying levels of fitness. Are Jones, Johannsson and Chandler particularly game fit at the moment? I doubt it. So why single out the MLS guys?

I think option C (JK just ran his mouth and took a reasonable idea about players needing to be at peak fitness and ran with it) is more likely.