Back in March of 2013, following a disappointing loss to Honduras in the opening round of the CONCACAF hexagonal qualifying round, a highly-critical article about Jurgen Klinsmann and some rumored disharmony within the US national team camp surfaced that led to open and abundant speculation about Klinsmann’s job security.
Today, just shy of a year-and-a-half later, where do Klinsmann and the national team stand? A stretch of 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 further loss saw the US finish the final qualifying round atop the table, and they even had the luxury of being able to do heated rivals Mexico a favor in their final qualifying match. Klinsmann was also able to lead a Landon Donovan-inspired team to a Gold Cup victory, an achievement that had eluded the US since 2007.
A tough draw for the group stage of the World Cup seemed to place the US in an impossible position, where they would have to contend with the likes of perennial contender Germany; Ghana, who had eliminated the US from the past 2 World Cups and were considered one of the best African teams; and Portugal, with the mercurial talents of one Cristiano Ronaldo available to them.
Klinsmann had one further bombshell left for the US fanbase when he dropped the iconic Donovan from the final squad, opting instead to include several then-untested players such as DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks, and Julian Green. Donovan’s snub was greeted by skepticism, and understandably so – after all, when it came to the World Cup, he was the US’ most-experienced player. In choosing to include younger, inexperienced players, Klinsmann seemed to be sending a hint that he was treating this tournament as more of a testing ground for a new core of players to emerge for 2018 and points beyond that. His statement before the tournament dismissing the Americans’ chances was greeted with even less enthusiasm by fans and the media alike.
So amidst this backdrop, the US began play in Natal on June 16th against Ghana, and they certainly wasted no time at all in making an impression, as Clint Dempsey weaved his way through the Ghanaian defense in the first minute of play:
As it turned out, US fans had much to be thankful for with the quick start, as Ghana dominated possession and play for most of the remainder of the match, to the point that it was almost inevitable when Ayew put in a late equalizer for the Black Stars. However, Brooks, one of the players whose selection was questioned, had a very simple answer to his critics:
We know the rest of the story from here: a heroic display against Portugal that almost resulted in a win that would have booked an early ticket to the 2nd round; a narrow loss to the Germans with the US showing little attacking intent but still qualifying; and the heartbreaking extra-time elimination at the hands of Belgium, in spite of a record-breaking goalkeeping display by Tim Howard that inspired its own meme.
Several questions now remain to be asked to fully assess the US performance at the World Cup and to determine what happens next.
* Was this a satisfactory performance?
On the basis of results alone, advancing out of what was arguably the toughest group in the first round and only losing by the narrowest of margins to a very good European team is definitely something to be proud of. The US also gained plenty of fans from pundits the world over with their general cohesion and team spirit, and showed that this is definitely a team whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
* What strengths and weaknesses were revealed?
Fitness was always going to be a concern for all the teams in Brazil this summer, and there were indeed some moments late in games where some of the US’ European-based players were clearly running on fumes. Overall, however, Klinsmann’s emphasis on conditioning preparation – one of the things that anonymous sources claimed was a source of friction in the training camp – showed clear benefits.
Special credit has to be given to the veteran leadership of Howard between the sticks. It was surely a boost to the confidence of US defenders knowing that he was in great form, which might have had a domino effect on the squad: some concerns had been raised about the US backline, but they played with a lot of discipline and helped the US cope with the well-reputed attacking options their opponents had available to them.
Much was expected of Michael Bradley this summer, but he will be disappointed at the inconsistency of his effort. While he covered a lot of ground and appeared tireless in doing so, there were far too many occasions where he gave the ball away easily, most glaring of which was the buildup to Portugal’s late equalizer. His issues very likely stemmed from being played in a more advanced position than he was used to for the US as Kyle Beckerman and Jermaine Jones settled in behind him in midfield, and it is perhaps here that the biggest weakness was exposed.
The ability to maintain possession is an area that Klinsmann will have to focus on moving forward. This showed statistically, and during the course of the matches against Germany and Belgium, the US’ lack of technique was very evident. This area is what will separate the US from becoming a true soccer powerhouse, as the modern game has placed a high emphasis on possession.
If the rebuttal of those concerns is that the US can rely on quality instead of quantity of possession, then the lack of depth up front must also be addressed if the quality of possession is intended to produce openings at the attacking end. The second Jozy Altidore pulled up with a hamstring injury against Ghana, Klinsmann was forced to use Dempsey in a more forward position than he would have liked to, and the US struggled to create opportunities.
Other bright spots for the US from this tournament will have been the play of Jones, Fabian Johnson, Yedlin off the bench, and the promising signs shown by fellow youngsters Green and Brooks.
* What does the future hold?
The future does look bright for the US, even as a core of players close to their mid-30s (Dempsey, Jones, Beckerman, Beasley) will fade out of the national team picture. Howard should still have at least a couple more years of top-level soccer left, and Brad Guzan right behind him will be hitting his career peak soon after impressing in the Premiership. Behind them, there are solid young goalkeepers like Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson waiting in the wings.
Defensively, the US should also be set through at least 2018, with starters like Geoff Cameron, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, and Johnson all on the right side of 30. The emergence of Brooks and Yedlin this summer also offers lots of promise and will provide depth on the backline.
Midfielders such as Beckerman and Jones may not be in the national team picture much longer, and no natural replacements are lining up behind them, so this is an area that Klinsmann will be looking to shore up before long. Bradley will be a vital piece of this puzzle, and other emerging midfielders like Green, Graham Zusi, Brek Shea, Alejandro Bedoya, and Mix Diskerud will be on hand to provide stability.
Altidore is still in his mid-20s, and will be eager to pick up the pieces after a disastrous first season in the Premiership. Among the favorites to partner him in attack will be Aron Johansson, Terence Boyd, and Juan Agudelo.
Outside of the names already mentioned, names like Cody Cropper, Joe Corona, Josh Gatt, Jack McInerney, Joe Gyau, and Gedion Zalelam will also be vying to become part of the national team picture. Barring injury, and if they are given the right coaching and allowed to develop, they will have more than a fair chance at getting the call.
There will be no time to rest on any laurels, as 2015 brings the Gold Cup and a chance to qualify for the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2016 will see the US hosting the Copa America Centenario, which will be a great testing ground for a new-look squad heading into qualifying for 2018.
* How does the US showing reflect on the domestic scene?
Along with the performance of the US, the MLS was also represented on other squads, and the league profile was definitely raised as a result of the World Cup. It is not yet a league that is on par with the Bundesligas, La Ligas, and Premierships of the world, but progress has been made in such a relatively short time that it is easy to forget that MLS competition is not even 20 years old yet.
The best thing that the MLS and USSF can do now is to unleash a barrage of promotional efforts across the country. Whilst not all states are represented in the league, there are enough teams to where regional fanbases can be cultivated. Furthermore, the American sports culture thrives on elevating select players to star status, and the league would do well to identify players to be the faces of MLS.
Bringing in foreign players helps with name recognition and mentoring younger players, but there needs to be a balance between promoting former superstars who are now over the hill and future stars.
From the standpoint of popularity, crowds across the country showed that the interest is there, and while there will be a natural dropoff without US national team involvement, the evidence of a growing national fanbase for the sport is there. In spite of some political commentary claiming as much, soccer is not just a sport popular among immigrants anymore. The key for anyone hoping to promote the sport in this country is not to appeal to those who count themselves as serious fans already – instead, the key will be to focus on those who developed a casual interest in the sport before and during the World Cup.
* What is Klinsmann’s future?
Having already indicated in his post-tournament interview that he would like to be around to see the US through the 2018 World Cup, it seems safe to say that Klinsmann’s position is safe. A lot can change between now and then, of course, but with a good foundation in place and now with the experience of what should rightly be considered two successful World Cup runs against the odds on both counts (Germany in ’06 and the US in ’14), he has to feel confident about his chances moving forward.
Photo credit: AP/Matt Dunham
