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Should U.S. Soccer Reinvest in the Same Kind of Arena for the Future?
(FourFourTwo online)
“Patience is a virtue.”
True, but staying with it two-and-a-half years past its boiling point was beyond any logical comprehension.
The Big News: Jürgen Klinsmann was fired as the head coach of the USMNT (United States Men’s National Team).
About.Damn.Time.
Many will speculate that this decision was driven by the recent and shocking opening group losses for the World Cup in 2018 to “That Team Down South” (Jimmy’s Daily Planet trademark pending) 2-1 in the “Dos-a-Cero” sanctuary known as Crew Stadium in the soccer capital of U.S. Soccer on November 11th, followed by an equally embarrassing and inexcusable 4-nil drubbing in Costa Rica days later.
Sure, but soccer fans paying close attention knew Mr. Klinsmann’s American soccer experiment had reached the insanity level years ago.
Bigger News: Regardless of performances on the pitch (fair, mostly bad and worse), nothing changed. The same roster was compiled with minor, predictably ineffective alterations. The same core group of players were given multiple (yes, multiple) World Cups to define and showcase their talents in leading the USMNT. And yet, each World Cup (again, that’s plural) in 2010 and 2014 revealed nearly identical staleness regarding vision, creativity and results.
Precise and purposeful ball movement that is adaptable, whilst breaking down the complexities of the opponent’s defensive apparatus? Nope.
Kick the ball up top and then hope for the best. Yup.
Not only that, but the 2014 World Cup roster for the USMNT with newcomers Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, Matt Besler, Geoff Cameron, Timmy Chandler, Brad Davis, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Guzan, Jermaine Jones, Graham Zusi and Chris Wondolowski achieved…
Do you know? Nothing comes to mind. What sophisticated, fluid style did they enact on the pitch? Again, my mind is blank.
That’s quite a feat, considering that the only place for the USMNT to go is, well, up. And this is why Mr. Klinsmann’s American soccer experiment is described as insane above, which is that the same ineffectual roster with the same non-existent strategy (micro and macro) was used for the past several years and the end result was a wasted 2014 World Cup by not bringing in the youngsters to lead a daringly exciting and innovative team of the future. The names that come to mind are Julian Green (Bayern Munich, 21), Mix Diskerud (NYCFC, 26), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund, 18), Aron Jóhannsson (SV Werder Bremen, 26), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew, 23) and Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal, 19), to name just a few.
To be fair to Mr. Klinsmann, he played Julian Green against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup and Mr. Green rewarded Americans with a goal against those Belgians.
Imagine that…
Let’s not forget that some of the best players in the world have to work their entire careers with the best clubs to earn the honor to represent their country is just one World Cup. U.S. Soccer claims to mimic the rest of the world in order to catch up to their level in Europe and South America. Fair enough. However, U.S. Soccer has neglected to include the same standards as the best national teams in Europe and South America.
Why did Mr. Klinsmann select the right dual-citizenship players and then refuse to develop them through natural growing pains?
The Biggest News: I have been writing on many, many occasions about these very concerns and about how Mr. Klinsmann should have been fired a long, long time ago. So, while I am very happy his tenure as USMNT manager is over, the next question is who will replace Mr. Klinsmann? Conventional wisdom and hearsay points to former USMNT head coach Bruce Arena. This is a double-edged sword. Yes, Mr. Arena coached the last great USMNT in 2002, but he also knows the system. And there’s the key phrase: “the system.” That leads me to believe that Mr. Arena, if appointed, will not change the system, but merely tinker within it. Odds are high that hiring Mr. Arena for a second go-around will look and feel more like a band-aid rather than a creative overhaul for the future that’s desperately needed and available at the next manager’s finger tips.
The quality on the pitch has to improve (after Mr. Bradley and Mr. Klinsmann, it’s damn near rock bottom), yet it appears as though the status quo in the starting eleven and call-ups will remain mostly the same. Landon Donovan will likely return, along with a few other familiar names to American soccer fans.
Just what American soccer fans are yearning for right now: Something familiar.
The USMNT will be better, but the revolution of selecting the best American players in MLS and leagues around the world based on talent, shared philosophy and individual fit within a cohesive collective unit without great concern for name ID and not simply choosing the most familiar or “tested” athletes, whatever that means anymore for players deemed “inexperienced” with the USMNT, will be put on hold in all likelihood. An unwillingness and fear of the unknown by known personnel at the top and within the U.S. Soccer family to venture into a brave new world will prevent the grand opportunity for dynamic innovation with a bit of exhilarating mystery attached and, instead, very likely opt for the reliably non-flashy, safe approach led by Mr. Bruce Arena.
On the one hand, Mr. Arena did select Brian McBride, Brad Friedel and John O’Brien for his 2002 World Cup roster.
On the other hand, Mr. Arena did select Jeff Agoos to start in his back line for the 2002 World Cup.
The risk/reward with Mr. Arena guiding the USMNT to its promised land is a coin flip at 50/50.
News That Needs To Happen: It’s time to fire Sunil Gulati, the U.S. Soccer Federation President.
Mr. Gulati, and his business partners at U.S. Soccer, hired and then fired Bob Bradley and Jürgen Klinsmann. Clearly, he doesn’t have the intelligence, vision or basic understanding of the beautiful game to lead U.S. Soccer at the highest level. Why should Mr. Gulati be trusted to hire a third head coach of the USMNT? He’s been disastrously 0-2 recently. That’s around a decade of bad judgement.
We are living in the era when people feel (rightly so in many cases) that institutions of all varieties are failing them. That’s actually a false assumption. It’s the people leading the institutions that are failing. Just like the pitch, it’s way past time for the next generation of soccer professionals to lead U.S. Soccer into a promising future. The right players are ready to work and thrive and USMNT fans are ready to cheer and make the United States a soccer nation (see Columbus, OH if you have any concerns with this notion). Incredibly, the United States may have flashes of a golden generation of sorts in the wings.
However, if the next USMNT head coach doesn’t shine a bright enough light (or any light) on these aforementioned players, then we’ll see yet another major American soccer investment in fool’s gold.
Three’s a Crowd
I want to wish everyone a Happy Veterans Day!
2-nil Dos-a-Cero is pretty perfect, isn’t it?
Admittedly, 2-nil is the worst lead in soccer (there’s a legitimate psychology to this). However, for whatever reason, this scoreline has evolved into a magical anomaly in the beautiful game when the USMNT (United States Men’s National Team) and That Team Down South meet in Ohio’s capital city at Crew Stadium. And yes, I’m fully aware that the first soccer-specific stadium is now called MAPFRE Stadium, but it will always be Crew Stadium to true Crew/US fans who’ll never forget the legacy of the late Lamar Hunt who delivered the MLS team and stadium to our city.
Hopefully, every member of the USMNT coaching staff and players walk by the statue of Mr. Hunt at the main entrance of Crew Stadium tonight and pay their respects to the man responsible for bringing professional soccer to Columbus, OH.
Talk about a great photo opportunity and image for US Soccer.
There have been four Dos-a-Cero games in Columbus, OH for World Cup qualifying:
- February 28, 2001
- September 3, 2005
- February 11, 2009
- September 10, 2013
There have been other notable Dos-a-Cero results between the USMNT and That Team Down South (one of which was during the 2002 World Cup in South Korea), but tonight spotlights Crew Stadium’s unrivaled assembly line of delivering the prized scoreline in Columbus, OH for World Cup qualifying.
As it has been written about many, many times on Jimmy’s Daily Planet, I am not a fan of the roster that’s been continually produced by USMNT Head Coach Jürgen Klinsmann, his tactical decisions (or lack thereof) or why he’s still managing the team. That aside, I am above all a fan of the USMNT and will be cheering for the Stars & Stripes to deliver a fifth-consecutive Dos-a-Cero! The pure magic of this game can overcome the aforementioned concerns for one night.
OH, that first night…
It’s amazing to have the USMNT back home in Columbus, OH:
THE Soccer Capital of the United States of America.
GO USA!
That 2nd (Well 2-0) Degree Burn
Dos-a-Cero: Enough said.
Okay, here are a few more words.
THE soccer capital of the United States of America will feature the Stars & Stripes vs. That Team Down South (trademark pending) for the fifth time tomorrow night. The forecast for Columbus, OH is projecting weather in the lower 40s on November 11th. Hopefully, it will be the coldest, most uncomfortable 40-degrees in recorded history. Why? Because the visiting opponent/hated rival Mexico That Team Down South hates the frigid weather of a particular Midwestern capital. For the first Dos-a-Cero match on February 28, 2001, the players from That Team Down South refused to warm-up due to the slightly chilly weather (in the teens).
More will be written about the unrivaled history and significance of Dos-a-Cero in Columbus, OH in tomorrow’s post. For now, let’s all enjoy (in the warm comfort of our homes) a throwback this Thursday to this legendary 2-nil series between the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and, you know…
Again, a Jimmy’s Daily Planet trademark is pending.
Fun Fact: Josh Wolff is currently an Assistant Coach with, yes, Columbus Crew SC.
Hopefully, USMNT Head Coach Jürgen Klinsmann asks Mr. Wolff to give the forwards (and, cough cough, the bench players) a pep-talk before the game tomorrow night.
Cleveland’s Celebrity Curveball
The Cleveland Indians or the Chicago Cubs?
I was born and raised in Columbus, OH. I am a fan of many teams from my home state, around the country and all around the world for various sports for various reasons. I have written about the Indians and the Cubs qualifying for the World Series through a pop-culture/movie lens throughout the past few days and the fact that rises above all this jubilant chaos occurring in Major League Baseball is that we’re currently living in a Bizarro World. The Cubs are in the World Series for the first time in seven decades and the Indians could potentially win their second professional sports championship in the same calendar year, leading to a city-wide identity crisis.
What is happening right now?
The one thing I do know is that I will be cheering for…
Tom Hanks may have said it best last night.
Go Cleveland Indians!
If Tom Hanks is not shown on national television sitting at a World Series game in Progressive Field (definitely a catchier name) with a typewriter, while wearing an Indians hat and jersey or t-shirt, then we’ve officially entered a new dimension of the Bizarro World. Indians organization: The “Wild Thing”/Charlie Sheen and Tom Hanks are handing you pop-culture TV gold on a platter…take it and show it to everyone!
Otherwise, that’s what those in the baseball biz call a strikeout K – (open parenthesis, SIT DOWN…backspace, backspace, backspace, Shift 8, ”’, close parenthesis).
Jimmy's Daily Planet 