So let's get caught up on where I stand on the firing of Bob Bradley and the hiring of Jürgen Klinsmann. First, I dont' categorize myself with the Bradley haters. I think he is a good manager that was essentially thrust into the job as the last option and acted as a decent caretaker of the program. Bradley was the permanent interim coach. He didn't take the team to new heights, but did oversee a few good results and US Soccer moments. As far as the overall path of American soccer, he kept the team on a plateau, bringing the squad up from a bad 2006 World Cup showing. It's hard for me to fault a guy for that.
But these are exactly the reasons that I'm OK with his firing. He did a good job as caretaker until US Soccer got the man they really wanted to advance the program, which they now have. And that seems to be the focus now, advancing the program. The majority of what we've heard from Sunil Gulati and Klinsmann on the plan for the future has been focused on what is going on at the lower levels, from U-20's down to the grassroots. We haven't heard many specifics as to what Klinsmann's vision in this area, but I'm intrigued at the very least. At least in the time that I've been a soccer fan, I don't know if I've seen a comprehensive vision within the USSF for what American soccer is. Can Klinsmann bring that, or at least aid in finding that? The short answer to that is, we don't know.
Klinsmann's resumé is a successful club (over 500 appearances and 200 goals as a striker) and national team (1990 World Cup, 1996 Euro Champions for Germany) career as a player, two years at the helm of the German national team (3rd place 2006 World Cup), a year in charge of Bayern Munich (16 wins, 6 draws, 7 losses in Bundesliga), and two stints in MLS as a consultant for LA Galaxy then Toronto FC.
The recurring theme at each of his stops when his playing days were over is that in each place he was focused on the whole institution. During his time as manager of Germany, current manager Joachim Löw is credited with much of the match day tactics and preparations, whilst Klinsmann took charge of the team philosophy as a whole. It would seem that this is what Klinsmann is most comfortable doing, and why US Soccer wants him. He is a man concerned with the big picture, and the big picture is what needs fixing within American soccer.
But usually with big picture guys, you see them stay at one place for a while so that they can firmly implement their ideas. Yet this is not the case with Jürgen, as his longest stint was the two years he spent with Germany. Half a year with LA, two years with Germany, one year with Bayern Munich, nearly a year with Toronto. One would think that the task lain before him could take two World Cup cycles, or seven years as it stands now. But will that be the case?
The keys to Klinsmann's success are pretty simple. First, the USSF needs to get out of the way. The way they've been doing things haven't produced the talent that it is capable of, so it's best to let Jürgen have a go at it. The second key goes along with the first, everyone needs to keep an open mind. Klinsmann wants to play open, attacking football, something that is rarely seen at any level of soccer here. It will take some adjustment for everyone involved. Third, he must build a solid staff. The people around him will be more important than I can remember at any time in recent USMNT history. I can't name one person off the top of my head on Bob Bradley's staff. But the selections made by Klinsmann will be scrutinized, and for good reason. He'll need people to take care of the nitty-gritty stuff. A tactical mind such as Löw's next to Klinsmann will be essential.
All in all, I'm optimistic about the hire. There are loads of expectations being heaped upon Klinsmann, but the truth is that we really don't know if this will push the Americans higher or if we'll fall flat on our face. But it's unlikely that we'll continue on this plateau for much longer. The future is now.
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