Optimism surrounds Klinsmann hire
U.S. Soccer coach needs a concrete plan to help the team get to the next level
By Alexi Lalas
ESPN Insider
Jürgen Klinsmann is the new U.S. men's national team coach, which means I spent much of the day trying to figure out how to type an umlaut. But eventually I started to think about the implications for the team, the program and the sport.
Before the announcement, I felt a general malaise had descended over U.S. Soccer. It stemmed from an accumulation of disappointing results and missed opportunities over the last year, which included losing to Ghana in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, failing to secure a 2022 World Cup bid, the Gold Cup final loss to Mexico and even the U.S. women failing to win the 2011 World Cup.
While these do not all fall on Bob Bradley, they all combined to create an environment which left the U.S. Soccer brand demoralized and stagnant.
<OFFER>It is in this deflated environment that U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati chose to make his biggest move, and in doing so give an instant injection of energy and optimism into the program. He wanted -- and needed -- a rock star and he got it with Klinsmann.
But the excitement that comes with a popular change is fleeting; I think our country can attest to that.
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Eventually, results and visible progress are what people care about. Klinsmann isn't a miracle worker, but it's fair to expect big and bold actions from him. He is being paid handsomely and he will have most, if not all, the control he has craved. Expectations will be raised, and he will be under immense pressure to perform.
For him to succeed, he needs to surround himself with quality. It's business 101. He's the CEO, and his selections of the other execs, if you will, will go a long way to dictating his success, short-term and long-term. He needs strong voices and personalities that are comfortable challenging him without undermining him. He needs assistants that can make up for his shortcomings. And he needs assistants that can explain, echo and disseminate his message to the soccer community.
I'd actually like to see Klinsmann go out and get some of the same guys that were being talked about as head coach possibilities -- guys such as Dominic Kinnear, Sigi Schmid and Jason Kreis, to name a few.
I'm not going to lie, I'm excited about this change. For the first time in history, we have a national team coach who has not only played in a World Cup, but won one.
However, American fans should remember: Experience is one thing, a concrete plan is another.
At his unveiling Monday, I want to see Klinsmann clearly articulate how the team is going to play and what the structure will be to achieve that end. He doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, but he does need to improve on it.
U.S. Soccer coach needs a concrete plan to help the team get to the next level
By Alexi Lalas
ESPN Insider
Jürgen Klinsmann is the new U.S. men's national team coach, which means I spent much of the day trying to figure out how to type an umlaut. But eventually I started to think about the implications for the team, the program and the sport.
Before the announcement, I felt a general malaise had descended over U.S. Soccer. It stemmed from an accumulation of disappointing results and missed opportunities over the last year, which included losing to Ghana in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, failing to secure a 2022 World Cup bid, the Gold Cup final loss to Mexico and even the U.S. women failing to win the 2011 World Cup.
While these do not all fall on Bob Bradley, they all combined to create an environment which left the U.S. Soccer brand demoralized and stagnant.
<OFFER>It is in this deflated environment that U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati chose to make his biggest move, and in doing so give an instant injection of energy and optimism into the program. He wanted -- and needed -- a rock star and he got it with Klinsmann.
But the excitement that comes with a popular change is fleeting; I think our country can attest to that.
<!-- begin inline 1 -->
Eventually, results and visible progress are what people care about. Klinsmann isn't a miracle worker, but it's fair to expect big and bold actions from him. He is being paid handsomely and he will have most, if not all, the control he has craved. Expectations will be raised, and he will be under immense pressure to perform.
For him to succeed, he needs to surround himself with quality. It's business 101. He's the CEO, and his selections of the other execs, if you will, will go a long way to dictating his success, short-term and long-term. He needs strong voices and personalities that are comfortable challenging him without undermining him. He needs assistants that can make up for his shortcomings. And he needs assistants that can explain, echo and disseminate his message to the soccer community.
I'd actually like to see Klinsmann go out and get some of the same guys that were being talked about as head coach possibilities -- guys such as Dominic Kinnear, Sigi Schmid and Jason Kreis, to name a few.
I'm not going to lie, I'm excited about this change. For the first time in history, we have a national team coach who has not only played in a World Cup, but won one.
However, American fans should remember: Experience is one thing, a concrete plan is another.
At his unveiling Monday, I want to see Klinsmann clearly articulate how the team is going to play and what the structure will be to achieve that end. He doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, but he does need to improve on it.
