Why Jurgen Klinsmann Makes USMNT a Dangerous World Cup Opponent

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: October 16, 2013

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On Tuesday night, in what was a meaningless World Cup qualifier for the United States men’s national team, the U.S. pulled out a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Panama. Down 2-1 in the 92nd minute, the Americans capitalized on late goals from Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson to earn the win.

And while the excitement of the game should not be overlooked, or its effect on the CONCACAF qualifying process—which saw the U.S. win save Mexico’s qualifying life and kill off Panama—the late comeback should not be surprising to U.S. fans. It has simply become the status quo in the Jurgen Klinsmann era.



When Klinsmann took over the USMNT in 2011, the U.S. was struggling. They had just lost the Gold Cup final to Mexico 4-2, and the talent pool was a mix of fading stars and never-quite-good-enough role players. Mexico was clearly the dominant team in CONCACAF, and serious worries had sprouted up about the future of U.S. Soccer, as they had limped through the 2011 Gold Cup that summer.

From his first game in charge, Klinsmann made it clear that things were going to change. He began drastically widening the talent pool and spent the first year-and-a-half sifting through numerous formations, looking for the right combination of players and tactics. Things did not always go well, as the team struggled for goals and continuity in the early going. The U.S. even almost saw its World Cup dreams die last October, when they went down 1-0 in a game against Guatemala on the final day of the CONCACAF semifinal qualifying round.



Even as late as this March, the team was struggling. They had lost their first game of the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, commonly known as the hexagonal, to Honduras, and a scathing article by The Sporting News’ Brian Straus made the U.S. camp look in disarray. Fans, the media and even his own players were questioning Klinsmann’...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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