Top Stories

Report: Klinsmann meets with Gulati

JuergenKlinsmann (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by ISIphotos.com  

A meeting that seemed inevitable since the end of the U.S. men's national team's run at the 2010 World Cup has taken place.

Juergen Klinsmann has met with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati to discuss the U.S. head coaching position, ESPN.com reported on Friday night. Klinsmann has been regarded as a leading candidate to take the job ever since he and Gulati failed to reach a deal back in 2006, when Gulati first pursued the German legend before hiring current U.S. coach Bob Bradley.

Gulati met with Bradley on Thursday to discuss the future of the position, which Bradley is contracted to hold until the end of 2010. The sides are no closer to a new deal, and the latest news of Klinsmann's discussion with Gulati, and his reported interest in the position, makes it clear that Bradley's return beyond 2010 is no sure thing.

With the United States scheduled to play a pair of friendlies in October, a decision on the coaching position should come in September. Whether it will be Klinsmann or Bradley, or some other coach is the question.

What do you think of this development? Hoping Gulati hires Klinsmann, or think Bradley deserves another contract?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m not againt BB…I think he did OK with the team, but I don’t think he should be kept around for another 4 yrs. I just don’t think any coach should do 2 cycles.
    I don’t know if JK is the right man for the job or not… but he would have a different perspective…about player & formations. I’m for giving him a chance.
    My personal prefferance would have been Gus H…..but since he’s already off the board…and I don’t see any other top flight candidates right now, it looks to be JK’s job.

    Reply
  2. If you look at the US results in the last few previous Youth World Cups and you see very little progression. Despite having teams loaded with perceived talent, the US crash and burns in the group stages or the quarters. I believe the root cause is systemic and need to be addressed that way.

    I believe it is time for a new approach. Remember, Klinsmann is no stranger to the US, having lived here close to 14 years. He is also tuned into Youth coaching having runs schools and camps here.

    If Klinsmann says he need more control over youth development, I think he should get a shot at it.

    I think the US will regress under another Bob Bradley term!

    Reply
  3. Hopefully US Soccer does the right thing and hires Jurgen Klinsmann this time. If he wants more say/control in developing players in the Under 21 and Under 19 programs- then by all means give him that and let him lead the team for the 2012 Olympic qualifications. Brazil had similar strategy a few years ago and it is one way for the USMNT Coach/Manager to observe and develop players for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. US Soccer needs Klinsmann more than Klinsmann needs the US!

    Reply
  4. I still don’t understand exactly what Klinsmann has accomplished that leads everyone to think he’s some sort of coaching wizard.

    He’s coached one international team, a took a team that is almost always to the semifinals to… the semifinals. Wow. If someone aside from Coach K took Duke to the Final Four next season, would it be that impressive? What if Florida ends up in a BCS game without Urban Meyer? These are successful PROGRAMS. “Leading” Germany to the semis doesn’t really seem like a great accomplishment.

    He’s coached one club team, and got fired before he finished a season, after “leading” the most talented team in Germany to what? 5th place when he got canned? Well, that’s impressive.

    Sorry. I just don’t see it.

    I’m not saying he can’t do well, I just don’t see how everyone thinks it’s a guarantee for success.

    Reply
  5. It is not that Klinsmann always wanted to be able to call up anyone he wanted, they let him take the same internationals to the Gold Cup, but he wanted to bring the “A” team to the Copa America, understanding that the competition would be fiercer than our Gold Cup. Gulati and MLS didnt care and said no. Is it also no surprise we have not been invited back to the Copa, it was a real slap in the face for us to bring a “B”/”C” squad. When it comes to Bradenton, i think USSF would be better spreading that money to MLS teams to develop talent, but they would have to work with MLS to allow teams to bring up more academy grads without hurting against roster size or money.

    Reply
  6. This is hilarious. All of you “Bob backers” were killing him when he was failing a few years back. Now you want him to stay over Klinnsman? Gimme a break.

    Reply
  7. SAF praised Bradley because that’s EXACTLY what you and every Bradley supporter wanted to hear! You obviously don’t know SAF very well. If the USSF keeps Bradley, more of the same means England/Britain can expect to win vs. the U.S. whenif they meet next. SAF is a MASTER of one-upsmanship. Nothing more to it.

    Reply
  8. This is horrible news. Keep him away. He’s going to have a hissy fit ala Ruud Gullit. Keep Bradley, SAF doesn’t give out praise so easily. I’m with Whiskey Nose, we need to renew with Bradley.

    Reply
  9. After watching the US vs. Brazil game and seeing the up and coming players they listed in Juan Agudelo; Conor Doyle, Omar Gonzalez, Jack McInerney; Adrian Ruelas, Omar Salgado and Brek Shea, I want to see them become solid all-round players not just good MLS players. Time for a change.

    The US style of play needs a revamping as well. Currently, we are not a 4-4-2 anymore, at least not in talent. We have better mid-fielders and less talent at forward/striker at this time. Our backline is questionable as well. Point is we haven’t played our best overall players (a lot of talent in midfield didn’t play in World Cup much) in the last few years and its time we start developing our players better.

    Sounds like Klinsmann makes the most sense. I don’t know if it was Klinsmann or the recent German coach that got Germany to where they are now but if Klinsmann had anything to do with it, I’d like to make that move.

    Reply
  10. Talking to Klinsmann has NOTHING to do with negotiating vs. Bob Bradley. Bradley makes $600,000.00 a year!! What the F*ck is there to negotiate except a MASSIVE Salary reduction??!
    The USSF (i.e. Sunil Gulati) wants to know where Bradley expects he team to be in 4 years and how to get there AND wants to know Klinsmann’s plan as well. No mistery here at all. Anything more is fantasy.

    Reply
  11. giving Klinsmann credit for the German youth development system is just wrong.. the program was started in 2001 after Germanys disastrous EC performance in 2000.. Klinsmann was the first coach able to profit from that but not really responsible for it at all

    Reply
  12. Which is why Klinsman would be more valuable long term to the US in some sort of Technical Director of Football, with a wider scope than BB ever had.

    He’d be more valuable in moving towards solving the kind of problem you just described and pushing us in the right direction long term instead of just getting the team better for 2014. We should be thinking of sustaining the growth and looking at winning the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 whichever one we win the bid to host the thing.

    It’s important to remember the Germany Klinsi took over was not a second rate football power, even though they were in something of a rut at the time. He brought a new approach and a more positive attitude but most important of all he gave new players and new staff (Loew) a chance to strut their stuff. For example he brought in guys like Podolski (leading the Bundesliga in scoring at the time) and Schweinsteiger ( a regular at Bayern). If we have players like that waiting in the wings I’d like to know who they are. Klinsi can’t suddenly turn Benny into Xabi Alonso, Stuart Holden into Gerrard, JF Torres into Ineista, Edu into Michael Essien. He won’t have that quality of staff and player available to him here.

    I’d like to see Klinsman as more of a Technical Director with his own version of Loew ( BB or Kreis or whoever), handling the team directly and helping us develop our own stars.

    Reply
  13. That is where scouting has to come into play. Subotic (who now plays for Serbia) was noticed practicing at a park. So that is exactly it. These “organized” teams are currently not where we are going to find new talent. But you are right it is a tough job because the US landscape is huge. But Klinsmann seems to be convinced he has a plan. So why not let him try it? One thing I heard him talking about in regards to US soccer is that it needs to be one touch soccer.

    Reply
  14. As long as Klinsi does NOT set up Buddhas at the practice facility, I am all for him to be The One to bring us to the next step, a WC semi-finalist.

    Reply
  15. I disagree. Seeing Holden at Bolton tells me a 4-2-3-1, with Edu Bradley then Holden book ended by Landon and Clint would have beenvery viable.

    But Bradley never eventried it. His conservative approach dictated the style more than anything.

    Reply
  16. right, professional clubs. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the US doesn’t exactly have hundreds of Professional clubs running youth teams. there are more professional clubs in London (population 20 million or so) than in the US (population 330 million or so) This all costs absurd amount of money, and only a few US clubs (the MLS ones) have anything close to that to spare. and even if they all did, it wouldn’t come close to covering the population and area of the US. There are thirty million people within 50 miles of New York, and only one team, the Red Bulls, covering that ground. is NYRB going to start having academies with hundreds of players in them for every age group? starting at roughly the U-10 level? who was going to find Clint Dempsey in Nagodoches, Texas, 130 miles from Houston? or Jay DeMerit in Green Bay, 200 miles from Chicago?

    Reply
  17. I think Bob was good not great. He was a good option at the time. He steadied the ship and got the team back on track. But he rarely ornevrr uncovered gems or tactically beat teams. Sure he was above average stallwarting teams.. but he was also prone to head scratchers. Sticking with Clark v Ghana was obvious. Sticking with Sascha was obvious

    To take the US to the next level we need a world class coach.
    In a way Klinsmann living in LA is him falling into our lap we would be dumb to not give him a shot.

    Reply
  18. I tend to agree with those that say a fresh perspective is needed–both at the youth and senior levels. JK could be good, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him as our next coach.

    Too bad Guus isn’t available. (Turkey, by the way, are 33-1 on Sportsbook for the next Euros…book it?)

    Reply

Leave a Comment