Despite crisis, here's why Jurgen Klinsmann should not be fired as USMNT coach
Many don't love JK, but he is the man for the job as it stands
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4 min read
It's part of the American culture. We are so good at so many sports that we expect to be the best at everything. There's nothing wrong with that, really. It promotes motivation and demands excellence, but it also escapes reality.
The U.S. has finished with more medals than any other nation in five of the last six Summer Olympics. Our men's and women's basketball teams are sick, the women's soccer team just won the World Cup last year and we expect to be top dog at everything.
But when it comes to men's soccer, we aren't the top dog even in our region, much less the world, so it's time to lower our expectations and stop thinking that kicking Jurgen Klinsmann out the door is the answer ... at least right now.
Sure, the last week has been tougher for USMNT fans than Tony Soprano's therapy sessions with Dr. Melfi. It's been horrible. A 2-1 home loss to Mexico on Friday, the first home loss in World Cup Qualifying at home in 15 years, and then getting absolutely destroyed by Costa Rica 4-0 on Tuesday night wasn't what anyone expected.
The blame is always going to go on the coaches, but it's time to slow down that outbound train you want Jurgen on, and there are plenty of reasons why.
1. It's still really, really early.
We are just two games into the hex round of qualifying, and those games are two of the three hardest the U.S. will play in the round, with the third being the trip to Mexico next year. Sure, nobody expected the U.S. to have zero points from these two games and be in last place, but two bad results don't warrant letting Klinsmann go.
2. Sure, he's made mistakes but the talent isn't there.
Yes, the team played like garbage on Tuesday and for the first half against Mexico. He shouldn't have messed with the formation, DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson need to start on the sides of the backline, Jermaine Jones needs to not even be on the team, and Sacha Kljestan has to see the field more. He's messing around with the formation and personnel, trying to find the right recipe. He doesn't have the luxury of of the biggest soccer nations to swap out one $40 million dollar player with another. This team's talent level is good compared to the region. But compared to world powers, it's not even close. To think the U.S. has the talent and what it takes to compete with the best soccer nations is like saying you can beat me at a soccer video game -- don't kid yourself.
3. More good than bad overall.
But with all the negatives you have about Klinsmann, which also include the failure to contend at the 2015 Gold Cup and losing to Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup, there has been more good than bad.
Time and time again, when it matters most, Klinsmann has gotten this team going. At the 2014 World Cup, not many people gave this team a chance of advancing from a group that included Ghana, Portugal and Germany.
And what did Klinsmann do? Advance from the group stage and push Belgium to the limit in the round of 16, falling just short of a spot in the quarterfinals of the most important competition in the sport.
What about the 2016 Copa America, the biggest tournament in the Western Hemisphere? The U.S. was again in the Group of Death, getting Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay. And what happened? The team rebounded from the opening loss to Colombia to beat Costa Rica and Paraguay and then knock off a good Ecuador team to make the semifinals before losing to Lionel Messi and Argentina. No shame in that.
Time and time again he has proven to get this team going when their backs are against the wall. It always hasn't been the prettiest of play, but we have to realize that these guys aren't together but for maybe a month a year combined as they hope to gel and produce. It's a problem a lot of national teams that aren't loaded face, and even ones that have top talent sometimes can't put it together (Argentina, and to a much lesser extent England come to mind)
What has to happen next
When results are needed, Klinsmann has found a way time and time again. He has to do it again, this time in March with matches against Honduras and Panama.
Then, if he doesn't get at least three points from those games, you can warrant moving on. But not right now. Every team has ups and downs, and it's been a roller coaster. But nobody is coming in here to right the ship in just a couple of months.
Klinsmann knows what he has. He'll rely on Clint Dempsey if he returns healthy, and he'll need Tim Howard. He'll need to get the formation and lineup right, and he will have to move on from some of the aging players like Jones.
He's got four months to get it right. If the results aren't there in March, then fine, see you later. But don't count him out, because he has continually exceeded expectations when it matters most and I believe he'll get this team back on track if given the chance.
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