By CAITLIN MURRAY
U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s inclusion on FIFA’s World Coach of the Year shortlist was a surprise to some soccer aficionados. Mexico coach Miguel Herrera seems to be in that camp, telling ESPN radio that Costa Rica’s Jorge Luis Pinto deserved it more.
“I don’t know why Jurgen Klinsmann is on the list,” Herrera said in the Spanish-language interview on Wednesday. “Maybe because he’s German.”
“That’s the only explanation we have, because he hasn’t done anything to be there,” Herrera added. “I’d say Pinto did more with Costa Rica.”
Mexico and the U.S. were both knocked out in the Round of 16 at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil, with El Tri finishing in 10th place while the Americans finished in 15th place. Costa Rica advanced to the quarterfinals and finished eighth.
Klinsmann, one of 10 coaches in his category, is the only American on the men’s shortlists. U.S. Women’s National Team forward Abby Wambach was nominated on the women’s side.
Other coaches in the category with Klinsmann include Jogi Low, who steered Germany to win the World Cup, and coaching legend Louis Van Gaal. A favorite seems to be Diego Simeone, who led Atletico Madrid to an unlikely La Liga title and spot in the UEFA Champions League final against other teams stacked with far more star power.
Three final candidates from each list will be named on Dec. 1 and winners will be announced at a ceremony on Jan. 12.
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What do you make of Herrara’s comments? Did Pinto deserve the nod more? Or is Klinsmann deserving of a spot on the shortlist?
Share your thoughts below.
Klinsmann doesn’t belong on the list, but last I checked, coaches don’t run political campaigns or advertise to get there. The notion that he was picked because he is German or because Fifa wants to pump U.S. soccer is about as provable as the statement that the committee picked him simply to troll everyone else into righteous indignation and/or give other teams bulletin board material.
Wow, a lot of you are overreacting to this and it’s sad. I bet people would still complain even if Klinsmann gets the team to the SF next WC.
Does any know the criteria to make the list, beside winning? Think about it!
I think hes right. JK does not belong on that list
I find this “OMG KLINSMANN INVENTED SOCCER IN THE US” mentality utterly annoying; and I believe that is the reason of his nomination. Sure he’s don a fine job, but it’s not a ‘before and after’ case.
About Herrera, what did you expect? he is a loudmouth.
The illustrious leader deserves NOT to be on that list. I think Herrera deserves it more than him, after qualifying Mexico to the WC, and losing in the last ten minutes of the quarters to the third place team. Also, they tied Brazil in Brazil with Neymar, a feat that the illustrious leader will never accomplish. And, now they sit comfortably higher in the rankings ahead of the illustrious leader’s team. Now, with the inclusion of Vela and the presence of our nemesis Gio, the 2009 and 2011 thrashings are all possible again.
Bingo +10
Herrera is right. Klinsman is a douchebag.
I am not surprised , Pinto is not there only because he represented Costa Rica and Costa Rica means nothing to FIFA …The US does and Klinsman is a German coach and all this is mafia stuff because fifa is a mafia and a joke. But I love the field because thats where things happen and the real truth is said and understood by the “fans” they know who is best and who doesn’t deserve things.
Probably the only time I will agree with the Mexican national team coach. The Ticos coach is way more deserving.
What did Klinsman do?
No more or less than you did, Herrera. Except for the fact your team wouldn’t have been there without JK’s team getting you in.
De nada.
Mexico qualified for the playoffs because they beat Panama when they had to. It is only Panama’s fault that Mexico beat them to the line. USMNT did not get anybody into the World Cup, but themselves.
Mexico supporters worshiping their Santo Zusi monuments would beg to differ.
Trying really hard to be outraged but he’s right on everything.
This is just one more of FIFA’s inexplicable decisions we complain so much about.
Not really, they had to fill the list with names people around the world would recognize and care about. He is not going to make the next cut. It really doesn’t matter except it seems to agitate our Mexican friends, which should make any US supporter happy.
THE WORLD QUESTIONS KLINSMANN SHORTLIST NOD
I don’t think he is wrong, I’m sure it’s hard to admit it since it’s coming from Mexico’s coach. Coaches that deserve a spot over Klinsmann: Pinto, Klopp, Jorge Jesus, Sampaoli…. honestly this could get long
sad that Herrera’s few minutes of ridiculous celebrations were much more entertaining than almost all of the US’s World Cup play
Just to confirm: You found little to no entertainment in the US’s World Cup run?
He’s right, but sit down and shut up. CR coach should definitely be on the list.
I wouldn’t say Herrera is wrong, Pinto did alot with CR in the World Cup – but its still a bush league statement.
Right, Costa Rica – what regional championship did they win?
This is not just based on the World Cup, Herrera. And yes, you are welcome for being in the World Cup and still being the coach. If it was not for the USMNT and JK, noone would know or care about you.
What championship has the US won outside the US? If all the Gold Cups were played in Costa Rica, they’d have 3-4 titles and the US nil. So, stfu.
Your insinuation is that the US has some type of home field advantage facing CONCACAF nations in the Gold Cup? Honest question: have you ever watched (or heard) a Gold Cup match?
Perhaps you’re referring to no games being played on turf?
stfu? Let’s have the tournament in Costa Rica before you anoint them champions 3-4 times.
If anything, having the tournament in the US is ideal because it basically provides neutral stadiums for everyone. With the exception of KC, Columbus, and Seattle, Mexico and UNCAF teams always bring at least (usually more) as many fans to games than the USMNT. Costa Rica just isn’t tough enough to get it done away from home, and squeaking out PK’s against the Greeks doesn’t undo that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE–yWohZro
In summary: STFU, Miguel. JK qualified two teams for the WCF.
To be fair, Germany was the host for the WC in 2006. This was his first trip through WCQ.
Mexico and the US for 2014 was the implication, not Germany in 2006.
Your honor, I withdraw the question.
How did Mexico come in 10th and the US end at 15. What kind if made up ranking is that.
Mexico won two games, tied one and lost one
The USMNT won one, tied one and lost twice’
it isn’t that hard.
I know I love when they do that. Soccer as a whole seems to have an obssession with how high you finished when you didn’t win it.
Cause they’re better then us….. we need more Germans
Dude takes the opportunity to stick it to Mexico’s rival. What’s the big deal?
Costa Rica is a bigger rival historically to Mexico than the US, I doubt that he would have praised Pinto and Costa Rica if he wanted to “stick it to Mexico’s rival”
Never actually seen a Mexican say that, and it certainly hasn’t been true in the last 20 years.
Most Mexicans don’t even know where Costa Rica is.
I mean it in they way that they absolutely don’t care about it over the US rivlary, not that their Geography program is faulty.
how many mexicans have you met? and I’m not talking about chicanos or mexican-americans. The cultures are different. Most people in Mexico don’t really consider the US a sports rival and actually enjoy all the american pro leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB) and respect the MLS and american players, same with the mexican press, they are always saying good things about american soccer, you can’t really say the same thing about the american press when they talk about mexican soccer.
Mexican-americans on the other hand “hate” the USMNT and everything related to it because they don’t feel welcome in the country and consider it the team of the “racists” that want them out.
how many mexicans have you met?
Based on your posts:
-You’ve met every Mexican
-You’ve met every person from “other countries”
The amount of people YOU’VE met and are able to accurately speak for them is fairly astonishing.
Of course, I guess American-SBI are an anomaly observing how often we disagree with one another. Must be nice to have a country unanimously agree on something, according to the scientific research of a single individual.
of course I’m not saying it like if was an accurate scientific research my good friend, just the conclusion I reached after meeting people from Mexico down there and online and reading the mexican media, I find it hilarious how our media and fans try to demonize the country and their fans and then find out that they barely care about us and when they talk about us (as in american soccer, obviously politics are a different subject) they usually say nice things, meanwhile here… well you don’t need me to explain what happens whenever Mexico is mentioned.
Reporter: so, what do you think about Klinsmann’s nomination as coach of the year?
Herrera: I don’t know what he did to deserve to be on that list. Costa Rica’s coach was more deserving. Maybe because he’s German?
SBI Chicken Littles: OMG!!!! Why does he have to be such a classless POS?
Got to give the man props for a least being honest.
Klinsmann would’ve found a way to tell a couple of lies in that situation.
Nah. If anything, JK’s German-ness behooves him to be blunt and honest to the point of sounding rude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE–yWohZro
That never gets old.
Ne
WE WUV U FOR EHVER AND EHVER
A lot of us were wondering the same thing. What is he doing on that list? It’s comical. And Pinto dos deserve it over him. As does Perkerman. As for what we “almost” did, a healthy CR7, a defnder doesn’t stupidly give up a last minute corner and we’re an embarrassment. (And Jonathan Wilson, dean of tatical writers said he didn’t see any Great Leap Forward and that the possession and mid field played better in 2010, which I think is unquestionably true.)
Whatever reason he is on the list, it wasn’t based on his actual coaching. Yeah, when Mexican national team coach calls it out, we may have a reflex to defend our guy and we may consider it classless. Doesn’t mean he’s not right
+1 Limey agrees with Quakeman as usual.
me too. well said Tony in Quakeland
Nicely stated.
Perfecto.
Of all the coaches from the world cup, I was most impressed with Algeria’s coach, Vahid Halilhodzic. The way he rotated his team and changed his tactics to effectively counter Belgium and Germany was impressive. They played both teams way better than us, and it was, in large part, attributable to coaching.
It is because of his name and nothing else. If an American accomplished the exact same thing there is no way he would be on that list. I don’t remember Arena getting accolades after taking us toe to toe with Germany in 2002 Quarterfinals.
The award did not exist in 2002.
Totally agree with your point.
That’s rich coming from Miguel Herrera.
For starters, let’s see where his national team resides through this round of qualification, assuming you survive it and aren’t fired. Spoiler Alert: It’ll probably be under USA (and maybe even Costa Rica). Additionally, Herrera should flat out thank Klinsmann for even having the opportunity to manage in the World Cup. Mexico stumbled, rumbled and bumbled their way to being gifted a spot by………Jurgen Klinsmann and USA.
“I don’t know why Jurgen Klinsmann is on the list,” Herrera said in the Spanish-language interview on Wednesday. “Maybe because he’s German.”
Maybe because he IS German and manages the US, Herrera finds it difficult to praise a non-Latino. There’s two sides to that xenophobic coin, after all. To clarify though, the only “list” Herrera should be concerned with is his national team pool listing and hope his team doesn’t implode, eat contaminated chicken or get caught with transvestite hookers and place the blame on two players instead of you: the manager.
The day a Mexican manager can actually achieve some success worthy of all the praise and talk Mexico and their players receive is the day he’s qualified to judge who is worthy and who isn’t worthy of “Coach of the Year”.
Until then, try and qualify this time around, Mexico/Herrera. Preferably without the US’s help.
“get caught with transvestite hookers ”
Was Herrera around for that?
Nope, he also wasn’t around for 98% of qualification either (i.e. when US finished tops in group).
Don’t be so damn dramatic. He said the same things we all did when the list came out. Klinsmann has no business being in that list and we all know it.
Yea, actually he doesn’t, Bill.
I haven’t made a single response (or given two thoughts) one way or the other about that list JK popped up on. I do, however, have a response to Herrera deciding he’d like to weigh in and I’ve followed suit.
I’m sorry it doesn’t reflect your opinion.
“we all know it”
Who is we?
C;mon, you know; us.
Yeh, but we are not his professional colleagues. Mexico (soccer team, not country) acts real classy.
Who is the “we” you speak of?
It’s rare for managers to take the road he has here, as you will see JK will not respond – probably even laugh it off just as well.
jesus you sound so salty, it is because fans like you that the rest of us are considered a joke by soccer fans from other countries.
I think your post was cutoff or ended prematurely. You were about to get to the good part and clarify how I make us a joke to other countries but stopped short.
Yes, I’m incredibly concerned about other countries perception and expect your post to be full of value since you’re also speaking on their behalf.
Please continue.
There’s no such thing as “soccer” fans from other countries. That’s why you are a joke.
As a soccer fan from another country, and I’ll speak for many countries here, I must say that I didn’t get the joke. But if you throw in Jesus and salty as well as football or futbol then maybe we can make a knock, knock joke out of it.
According to Ian:
Jesus, salt and shotguns. ‘MUUUURICA.
LOL
You just turned this into a racial thing, and Herrera did not praise Costa Rica’s coach based on race. Everyone knows that Europeans and South Americans are much more valued in the world of FIFA than say, central or north Americans. So yeah, you just went there, but no one else did.
First of all, Herrera said nothing about him being a better candidate or anything about Mexico. He just said that, based on achievements, there are plenty of other coaches who are more deserving and he gave the very good example of Pinto as a candidate that was unjustly overlooked. Leading Costa Rica to a penalty shoot-out away from the Semis is a real accomplishment, especially when you consider that Costa Rica had to navigate a group that was just as dicey as the U.S.’s, since they had to take on Italy, England and Uruguay… a group which they topped.
Your comment only served to expose your own racist and xenophobic beliefs. Good on you, Old School. Wear your colors true.
Why am I not surprised by Herrera’s comments? I bet he believes he should be on that list.
Well, I can’t strongly argue against Herrera, but this is just the kind of unclassy statement that you don’t tend to see coaches like Klinsmann making about other nominated coaches.
And at the same time, if 2 small things had gone in favor of the US–game called 30s earlier against Portugal & Wondo doesn’t miss against Belgium–an underpowered USMNT goes minimum of 3-2-0 in the WC and just as far as Costa Rica. And Klinsmann had absolutely zero control over those 2 things (unless you want to make the broader argument about roster selection and taking Davis/injured Johannson over Donovan/Boyd).
Now, I hate to be the guy that says “we basically almost beat Portugal” or whatever, but the point I want to make is that too much credit is being given to a coach’s actual impact on the outcome of every game.
And also, let’s not forget what an amazing record Klinsi has put up over the last 2 years of his tenure.
2 small things? And at the same time, we could have more easily been 0-2-1 and never made the Belgium game.
Wow that seems like faulty logic applied selectively. Applying your logic to Costa Rica and Pinto, they were even closer to the semifinals than the US was to the quarterfinals.
You have to admit Pinto has a better argument than Klinsmann for coach of the year just based on team results. Of course this is all about money. FIFA doesn’t care about smaller countries unless it makes them money somehow. Nominating the world-celebrity Klinsmann is an easy to swallow way to give a nod to the $ in the US market I would guess.
Piojo Herrera has a long history of making dubious comments. Shame.
The word ‘unclassy’ ‘ is well… unclassy except it’s not a word.