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It took five years, but U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has the coach he's wanted all along.
Juergen Klinsmann was hired as coach of the U.S. men's national team on Friday, replacing the ousted Bob Bradley.
"We are excited to have Jürgen as the head coach of our Men's National Team," Gulati said in a press release. "He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program. Jürgen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field."
Klinsmann, who guided Germany to the FIFA World Cup semifinals in 2006, has been linked with the U.S. coaching job ever since Bruce Arena left the post following that same World Cup. When U.S. Soccer did not want to concede as much power over the national-team structure as Klinsmann wanted, Gulati turned to Bradley.
After the 2010 World Cup cycle, one in which Bradley guided the United States to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup title, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final, first place in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, first place in its World Cup group and a Round of 16 berth, Gulati again tried to woo Klinsmann to the job, but the two failed to agree on terms yet again.
Bradley was then handed a four-year contract extension but was let go on Thursday after an underwhelming start to the 2014 World Cup cycle, one that included a second-place finish to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup with a spot in the 2013 Confederations Cup on the line.
With a rematch against Mexico on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia, it will be Klinsmann manning the sidelines for the U.S. national team. He'll be introduced to the press in New York on Monday.
"I am proud and honored to be named the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team," said Klinsmann, who most recently had been a consultant for Toronto FC and is the first non-American U.S. national team coach since Bora Milutinovic in 1995. "I would like to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for the opportunity, and I'm excited about the challenge ahead. I am looking forward to bringing the team together for our upcoming match against Mexico and starting on the road toward qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup."
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What do you think of the hire? Think Klinsmann is the right coach to take U.S. Soccer to the next level?
Share your thoughts below.
Don’t believe you. Be honest. You know you are hoping Klinsi fails and at the first whiff of a set-back you will be attacking him mercilessly trying to convince the world that Bob Bradley was a great coach who did a wonderful job player pool that was not very good. Why are BB supporters so full of hate?
Klinnsmann Will bridge that gap from the u 20- to the Mens more Smoothly by picking the right staff that will acknowledge the goal he is trying to do, just like Reyna said Implement a system. I’ve played over sea against youth teams, they don’t care about the scoreline even though they do care about winning, they will single out a player for playing the system the club is known for and praise the kid, knowing the development is in the right way. Kllinnsmann will bring the philosophy of bridging the gap on how to become a better professional. I saw Justin Mapp play u20 or u23 when he was in spain, was killing it he was the captain and for sure i thought he was the next dude but that development is missing there’s a missing gap there. Look at other countries they are thriving from u20 to the full team. The last coach to help that development well was Clive Charles RIP. He was pumping out legit players after legit players for few years at the u 23 level.
Felix,
JK was instrumental in focusing on this aspect. He was the driving force for getting the focus to shift on youth development.
When does the ‘Klinsmann haters’ campaign begin
“Germany has a huge problem integrating immigrant communities in their national fabric. JK was able to do that by reaching out to the Eastern European Immigrants”
Easterm European immigrants are well integrated into German society and have been a part of the national team since the 1920s. Klose and Podolski started to play under Klinsmann`s predecessor Voeller. I don`t think Klinsmann put a special emphasis on players from immigrant communities.
In world football, Germany is the team to beat. If anybody knows how to beat them, it’s Klinsmann
I hope it works out, and all the Klinsmann Sycophants are proved right; But, I’m not sure there is any indication based on his past that he’s a better coach or talent evaluator than Bradley. I just hope he can at least have a Maradona like effect and inspire the players
Maybe he can get J Loew ala 2006 WC. I hear he’s decent and the German NT pretty much runs itself anyway.
I forgot not supporting a euro coach means you like them
europunk
Funny that you would mention all those but leave out “no chance of communication problems with Jones, Chandler or other German-born/raised players”. Just sayin’.
Was hoping for him to bring his flair to the Galaxy after Arena’s likely flame out, but just as happy to have him with USA.
NO !@#$%^& sherlock!!! It’s the Ajax system as I so clearly stated!!!
+1
Hah… you and the guy on the 10-day meth binge. I’ll jump on that one
He was the best choice, not saying much. It was time for a change and that’s the only reason we might improve. Jurgen wont improve any youth aspect unless he gets more inner city kids to like the game. The nt will improve with time when it gets more popular
Klinsmann didn’t “flame out” at Bayern Munich, everyone lazily assumes so because of the short time frame he was in charge. It doesn’t take much research to figure out he left because of differences with the club, Bayern on the field was pretty solid in his time, though they didnt win anything.
Our boys do good work across the globe, I’m sure we’ve got little dribblers running all around the world waiting to be found
ü°┴E╓≡▓♥£g#*ÜÜÜ╕<Ã…Qâ–²â¿
When you have the players Bayern Munich has in the Bundesliga, and you finish 3rd in the table, it is a failure. It’s that simple.
Kelly, first of all, it is Nowak. Secondly, he only has a domestic title as a player and he won this in a very sub-par league. Jurgen was finishing his last World Cup at the time and had played for top teams in almost every top league in Europe. He has won everything as a player and changed a failing German team that is still thriving because of his revolution.
Rongen, is there something wrong with you!? He couldn’t even QUALIFY for the U-20 WC. The guy has gotten by on “I’m Dutch” and “right place, right time” for far too long!
The only reason Jurgen has been out of work is because he takes jobs on his own terms.
Hookup with Corona Beer?
Yeah, he’s a real stud. Its a good thing we picked him up now, cause every big club/NT in Europe were knocking down his door……………………………………………. (dripping with sarcasm)
Thank You…Not only Germany, but Munich and Toronto as well. And he is familiar with US superstar Donovan.
This is the ideal move
über cool
That started before Klinsmann, around 2000 after the Euros to be exact. Slow down.
Dude, whaaaat? As any RSL fan can tell you, Fast Rob was most effective brought in as a 60 or 70th min sub to run at tired defenses. His stats when he starts vs when he comes off the bench is staggeringly different. Findley may have pressured Kreis to start him in RSL games in ’10, but Findley didnt have any leverage with the Nats. Put me in coach!
Not happy. This guy will not take us ANY further than BB did. Guus Hiddink or another coach like that would have been a good foreign choice. Otherwise, I would have preferred an American coach.
euro****
Let’s get Timmy Chandler back in the fold.
I lived in Germany post 2006 World Cup. Juergen Klinsmann is given a lot more credit than we seem willing to give him here. While the current coach is given credit for being the tactical mind of the team, which is accurate, comparing anyone the two is a bit like comparing Bill Belicheck to Bill Parcells. Both are great coaches in their own right, and you’d be happy to have either.
JK deserves credit for overhauling the entire system, as a head coach/manager should. Not all Head coaches in the NFL or College are the best X’s and O’s (tactics) on their staffs but the team is still successful.
JK was known for overhauling the German system to introduce constant motion one of the building blocks of success that the Dutch Teams and Barcelona have built upon.
In addition JK included many of the immigrant communities in the “national team system”. Germany has a huge problem integrating immigrant communities in their national fabric. JK was able to do that by reaching out to the Eastern European Immigrants, Turkish immigrants (Turks in Germany are very Similar to Mexicans in the US) and other immigrants in Germany.
There is no reason to assume this coach won’t incorporate the immigrant groups (hispanics) into his team.
Finally JK himself is an immigrant to the US. He chooses to live here with his american wife and children. We should embrace him as an american coach.
Screw Nike, this would be a perfect time to move to Adidas and rebrand to USA with new kits and logo.
well the bar isn’t set very high currently with Mike Sorber and Jesse Marsch … neither of whom were great players with top level Euro experience and neither of which had one whit of top level coaching experience before becoming USMNT assitants. Sorber was a career MLSer and an assistant for the U of St Louis (wow, spectacular) and Marsch was also a career MLSer with ZERO coaching experience prior to being hired by Bob.
so whoever Klinsmann picks can’t be worse than what we’ve had.
This move will placate all the idiot fans who think this overrated coach will bring home the glory. He’s done nothing for TFC, he’s done nothing for Bayern Munich and the brains behind the ’06 semifinal run has shown to be Joachim Low, not Klinsi. But he’s going to turn the USMNT into superpowers and revolutionize the youth system and we’ll be producing Messis and CR9s in no time.
Instead of pushing for manager with a sound plan, good tactics, and charisma to lead and inspire, we got Klinsi. Way to go idiots.
Rongen couldn’t even handle the u-20’s. Nice try.
say, that ALT thing is a pretty cool trick…Copy+Paste also works like a charm 🙂
hmmm. and who hired Joachim Loew? oh, yeah … that would be Klinsmann.
and who worked with the German FA and the Bundesliga to conceptualize and implement an overhaul of a stale and stagnant German Youth Development System? oh, wait … that was Klinsmann too.
and who brought ground breaking new consultants in fitness and sports psychology into the GNT fold transforming the team into the fitest team at two successive world cups and improved what was already a good winning mentality? you guessed it … Klinsmann too.
and ran Bayern into the ground? i think the clusterf**k of egomaniacial ex-Bayern players around Hollywood FC was doing quite a nice job of that before and subsequent to Klinsmann being there …
He’s coming from the US soccer league
I was on the Sampson II bandwagon.
+1
is this beavis? fire!..fire!.. fire ’em!
YES! Looking forward to having Klinsmann aboard!
Bayern also
LOL!
Loew was regarded as the tactical genius behind WC 2006 because he played 10 men behind the ball against Argentina and managed to beat them in the penalty shoot-out. Loew himself has never coached a big club and his standing is solely based on his time as Germany`s coach. And it was Klinsmann who installed him as his assistant. And it was Klinsmann who was committed to attacking football. Loew has massively benefitted from young players who came up over the last three years. But as a coach, Loew is IMO overrated.
I’m really looking forward to his line-up selections over the next few friendlies. I’m also excited to see his choices of younger players that are coming through the ranks. Where does this leave, Bornstein, Feilheiber, and some of the other Bob regulars who were always questionable selections? What about young Michael Bradley? What about our new crop of German-Americans who are starting to blossom? This is going to be exciting, something that Bob unfortunately never was.
I like the hire but I fear that the fan base already has this idea that the USMNT will suddenly become a top 10 team in the world. I hope the expectations aren’t so high that they become an impediment to the team’s progress.
If he starts calling up his son SO HELP ME GOD!!
jk
Guardiola was given the job after getting Barcelona B promoted to the second division and his promotion to senior team manager was immediate. Jurgen’s main managing achievement was 5 years ago and he hasn’t done anything but take away from it since, bad spell at Bayern and a consulting job for Toronto FC?
What I am saying is Gulati has kind of had Jurgen blinders on for 5 years. He would have been an exciting appointment 5 years ago but looking at his body of work since is less than inspiring.
they can’t be any more spectacularly unimaginative and unimpressive as Mike Sorber and Jesse Marsch so whoever they might be it will be an improvement.