USA Men's Soccer Changes Its Leadership

U.S. Coach Bob Bradley was probably unfairly dismissed as US Soccer's Men's coach, precipitated by the team's dismal showing against Mexico, and with three years to go until the next World Cup. Jurgen Klinsmann, a talismanic striker who proved himself in the top leagues in Germany, Italy and England has taken the job, after turning it down once before.

The reason for his first refusal was instructive. He wanted total control over all U.S. Soccer operations. In our corporate model of organization, President Sunil Gulati couldn't create a position like this. Is Klinsmann a control freak or a megalomaniac? Not at all. He understands the U.S. issues all too well.

Bob Bradley, like all the U.S. coaches before him, didn't have a wealth of players to choose from to form a team which can compete at the highest international levels, plain and simple. Relatively few of our players go abroad to star in England, Germany, Italy or Spain. The MLS has improved its level of competition significantly, but it has diluted the domestic talent by expansion and by the occasional binges of importing over-the-hill foreign players.

The U.S. team has always suffered from a dearth of out and out strikers, who are not glorified midfielders. Clint Dempsey has proven to be a top class striker in the English Premier League, but on the U.S. squad he suffers for a good partner and for good service from the wings. Landon Donovan is a fine player who has turned into a good team leader, but he cannot carry the team on the field. The U.S. defense is aging and inconsistent. The midfield is a revolving door.

Our youth and Olympic Development Program are not well coached, well directed, and have not been a great feeder either for the league or the US team. Most of the youth teams that I seen and coached against are glorified "kick and rush" sides with iron lungs and great physicality. Occasionally, you see teams that pass to feet, pass backwards, switch sides and maintain possession, but these are rare. Very, very rarely do you see lethal strikers who can make a shot out of nothing. In other countries and leagues, they are common. Why?

Klinsmann, in his own words, has said publicly that the U.S. has not found its soccer identity and it may take years to do so. He cited our university system as being completely disassociated from professional player development, which is different from many countries. Klinsmann, because of his German pedigree from Stuttgart and Bayern Munich, has immaculate technique and great vision and field sense. Can he help the U.S. define its style? Can he work with limited talent, without the control over any of his feeder systems? His coaching tenure at Bayern Munich ended in mutual frustration after one year. I hope he does well for our country, and I think that Bob Bradley did a very fine job and fielded a team that wore our colors well.

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