Klinsmann, the BMW and the Bug

My first car, back in my college days, was a 1974 Volkswagon Bug. It had a funky black and gold paint job, a weird anti-theft system where it wouldn't start unless the fan button was pushed in, no radio, a balky clutch, no air conditioning and and a tendency to shake violently at speeds over 50 mph. 

I loved that car. It ran fine on the cheapest gas. I could push the side swivel windows to get a nice breeze on my face on a hot day. I never got a speeding ticket in that car. I would draft behind trucks on the freeway to minimize the shaking. The front space under the hood had plenty of storage. Parts were pretty inexpensive and some simple repairs and oil changes I learned how to do myself. 

My friends loved it because no one felt bad about getting beach sand in my car, a cooler would fit under the back seat, and they could hear/spot my vehicle coming from a considerable distance. They dubbed it MGD.

Mine looked like this, except with a black hood, and not quite as pristine.

Anyway, not all my friends at this time were broke artists. One had just finished medical school and celebrated by purchasing a beautiful BMW. Determined to keep it looking/running perfectly, he opted out of beach and camping trips, bought only the most expensive gas and got it washed and detailed regularly. 

He trusted me to drive it and I got my first speeding ticket in that car, partly because it traveled so smoothly I didn't feel I was going fast at all. 

On the other hand, he couldn't drive my car without getting incredibly frustrated. He'd forget how to start it, couldn't get a good feel for the clutch and would stall often, would panic when the shaking started, and broke the swivel mechanism on the driver's window trying to adjust it. 

But this was all the car's fault, always. "How can you drive such a piece of crap?" was his constant question. 

I'd just shrug. My car worked for me, I knew how to work with it, it got me places and it was mine. 

"Let's go in Andrea's car," my buddy Rachel said when we were planning a road trip up the coast with friends. "If we go in the doctor's BMW, he won't let us eat in the car or pull off the road for anything interesting." 

Anyway, that's my analogy for the USMNT. Clearly, the team is more like my Bug, and my argument has never been that the players are so good that they deserve a better coach than Klinsmann. It's more that because the team isn't that good, they need a better (more versatile, more inspirational, more creative, more tactical) coach. 

Me and the MGD, back in the day. 

Klinsmann is like the BMW-driving doctor, wondering why he can't coach the USA like he did Germany, refusing to adjust his approach and blaming the players every time things don't work, even when he makes a huge mistake (LD, the broken window swivel). 

I used to be pretty generous with my car. If someone needed to borrow the MGD for any reason, my only condition was that they know how to drive a stick shift. But after I fixed the window swivel, I barred the doctor from driving my car ever again. I realized I had to look out for what was mine, and if he wasn't going to be careful with it, I had to draw that line. 

He acted like it was no great loss, of course. Who would want to drive that piece of crap USMNT? 

Benny Drops the Mic on Jurgen Klinsmann

Benny at MLS media day

Benny Feilhaber lobbed some truth bombs on the USMNT situation with Jurgen Klinsmann today. Reporters who still cover the squad will no doubt have more complete quotes and analysis and so on, but personally, I agree with Feilhaber a lot (more so than with Wambach or LD's comments, for example). Anyway, here's what I transcribed from the MLS media roundtable session.

(Benny was asked about being in the LA area at the same time as the USMNT team, and how did he feel about not getting a look under JK)

For me personally, I’ve accepted the fact that Jurgen’s not going to call me. If I played the year that I played this last year and didn’t get called, I’m not getting the opportunity under Jurgen. That’s something I just have to accept. It’s - I wouldn’t say frustrating,  I’m almost sad, because I feel like I’m playing the best soccer of my career, but I don’t get the opportunity to play for my country. So yeah, it’s something that I’ve just kind of accepted. It just is what it is. It’s not going to happen with Jurgen as the coach.

Does that drive you at all? Do you use that as motivation?

Not really. A lot of people get driven by things that they don’t get.  I’m more driven by being able to do things, like more in a positive way, I guess. I loved winning MLS Cup with Kansas City, I loved winning Open Cup, I love performing at a high level every week last year, getting goals and getting assists. All that stuff drives me. The accolades that come with it are not the thing that I’m thinking of, but that’s nice, too. All those good things drive me to continue playing well and I’m hoping that I continue that way this next year and for however long I can keep playing.

Jurgen seems to have an issue with MLS – does that surprise you for the coach of the US national team?

I don’t know. I’m sure there are some other coaches that said some negative things about MLS as well, but – is it surprising? Not really. From what I see, I think that Jurgen takes some players in MLS and uses the fact that they’re in MLS to maybe not call them up or whatever. You look at some of the top players that played this year – you take a Sacha Kljestan, you take a Dax McCarty, you take a Matt Hedges, I’m sure you could go on and on, these guys aren’t getting an opportunity. So it’s not just me, there’s people like that. There’s people in Europe, too. I can’t name a lot of guys, because I don’t know some of the younger guys, but like an Eric Lichaj, he’s been playing well in Europe for countless years and he hasn’t really been given any opportunity either, so, you know, there’s guys in MLS and guys in Europe who don’t get opportunities with Jurgen for whatever reason. I think that a lot of these issues  - and maybe I’m going off topic a little bit, but a lot of these issues that some people have with foreign players getting called in – I have zero problem with that. I think FIFA allows national teams to get players that weren’t necessarily born in certain countries, and I think that’s an advantage that any national team coach of any team should take advantage of, but I don’t think that that Jurgen calls in the best players that are available to him. That for me is a problem.

Benny back in his USMNT days

There’s players that are better than other players that he doesn’t get – that don’t get an opportunity with the national team. That for me is a bigger deal than anything else. Everybody points fingers at certain things, but for me, that’s the most important thing. I think the – I’m just talking now, because I know this wasn’t the question, but in regards to how a coach should approach a team, not just a national team, but just any team, there’s obviously two duties: One, that’s making the best team that you can possibly make with the players that are available to you and Two, try to continuously improve that team so that it doesn’t stall in any way and continues to improve. And for me, Jurgen seems to try to do the second one without doing the first one. He’d rather put young guys on the team who could potentially become important on the team and leave out players who can make the team  better right now. And for me, that’s the number one job of the national team coach – of any coach – is not to make the team as good as he can make it in five years, but to make it as good as he can make it right now and to continuously improve it for five years.  That he doesn’t do -  his job. Because there are players in the pool that do not get called in that have performed well enough on the field to get an opportunity. That is my biggest problem with how Jurgen selects his players. 

Alexi Lalas is Doing Fine, But What About Bob?

Just another day in the soccer-writing life, but now I suddenly have a few hundred more Twitter followers than before. 

It's pretty much Alexi Lalas' fault. 

So @soccercanales is in the midst of a long and interesting twitter dissection of @J_Klinsmann's tenure.
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) April 20, 2015

The man has a gift for garnering media attention, so perhaps he's in his best career fit as a sports pundit, but I remember well when his trajectory in sports management seemed unstoppable. 

Instead, Lalas was derailed when he became the ringmaster in the circus that was the LA Galaxy's colossal craziness in the early Beckham years. It's kind of a shame, given his energy and enthusiasm, but living by the propaganda sword means dying by it as well. 

Bob and Alexi Lalas

That's what happened to Lalas, but like the phoenix, he's risen from the ashes of that disaster to do quite well on television. 

Still, I wonder what happened to his little Yorkie, which I believe he told me was named Bob. 

Alexi would bring him to Galaxy practices sometimes. Maybe Bob hides in the TV studio or Alexi's office now. 






Update! Alexi says Bob is fine.

@soccercanales Bob is alive and kicking. He actually got me in trouble a few weeks ago. He says hi.
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) April 21, 2015

Living the Dream

I'm sure LD didn't intend it, as celebrities in commercials don't really get to pick the storyline of their scripts, but I think some junior ad person had a little fun poking at Jurgen Klinsmann with this new bank commercial. 

First of all, the entire premise is based on what Klinsmann famously did in 2003 - play for Orange County Blue Star under a pseudonym. Like so many things Klinsy, the story of why is a bit inconsistent - in one piece, Klinsy says the coach suggested the pseudonym (but why would the coach know or care to pick out Klinsy's home town as the last name?) - yet elsewhere, Klinsy has said he picked out his son's name, Jonathan, as his psuedo, but then wrote only the initial on the team sheet, leading everyone to call him Jay. 

Of course, even if Klinsmann had written his real name, many wouldn't have recognized him anyway. LD is far more recognizable in the USA than Klinsmann ever was as a player. The idea that the Latino player on the rec squad here wouldn't recognize LD is pretty unfathomable. 

Then there's the subtle dig at the very end of the commercial. LD has been left on the bench (like JK famously left LD off the 2014 World Cup roster) and it's very much played to the "what an idiot coach!" angle. That's unmistakably a JK slight, at least in my opinion. 

Judge for yourself. 

How the Superbowl Destroyed the JK Myth

Also @YahooSoccer: Klinsmann's abidcation of blame for recent performances and deflection to the players is misguided http://t.co/C6u6GehXna
— LeanderAlphabet (@LeanderAlphabet) February 3, 2015

I blinked at the screen, and I still didn't quite believe it. The Seattle Seahawks, on second and goal with time ticking down in the Superbowl, despite having the running services of Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch available, had tried a passing play. 

It was intercepted. The New England Patriots won.

Like millions of others, my first thought was that coach Pete Carroll was an idiot. It wasn't a profound or original thought - the Internet exploded with similar thoughts. Not even the most ardent Seahawk fan thought their coach made the right call.

It never occurred to me that Jurgen Klinsmann would be at all affected. 

Frankly, I'd gotten tired and bored of arguing with JK defenders. Time after time, his lofty, tangled rhetoric notwithstanding, he'd proven he knew little about how to motivate and guide players to good results. 

Granted, I'd had hope back in 2006, when he'd been willing to shake up the established power structure in Germany. With Jogi Low to provide tactical nous, JK tightened up the squad's fitness, blunted the media demands on the players and helped them get to, well, about the same place as they usually did in the World Cup. Yet JK somehow took credit for it all when Low led the team to the pinnacle and captured the World Cup eight years later.

I'd given up on Klinsmann in late 2006 because his bait and switch approach of halfway accepting the USA job before pulling out showed he didn't have anywhere close to same respect for the position as he had for the Germany post. His turn-around led to an awkward transition to the man who deserved better, Bob Bradley. 

After 2010, I didn't think Bradley should get an extension, but not because I thought he'd done badly, just that fresh ideas were worthwhile. But by then, I'd heard enough about JK to be wary of his appointment. 

That culminated in his call to leave Landon Donovan off the 2014 World Cup roster. I was honestly not too surprised by this and instead more disappointed in the lack of backlash JK raised with the move. 

"Trust JK, trust the team!" was the idea I heard from many fans and media, most of whom avoided even challenging JK on the reasoning behind his choice. JK saying he saw other players "a little bit better" than LD was accepted far more than "We don't want to waste a running play" was from Carroll. Both made little to absolute no sense. But the complete hubris and ego involved was also similar. 

At least Carroll took the blame for his call.

What I didn't expect is others to see that, too. Sure, for years I've been skeptical of JK and his tactics, but even the recent losing streak didn't seem to sway his supporters. "MLS sucks, and USA MLS players suck" was the blame for the lack of wins and poor play, again and again. 

But there isn't any NFL Europe to look to as the fairy-tale solution for a U.S. coach's failings. The criticisms of Carroll seemed to suddenly wake people up to the idea that this is what Americans do - those who love sports are unscathing in demanding better from those who guide their favorite teams. In order to push a squad to glory, one can't accept losses or bad calls with lame excuses. 

Not from Carroll. Not from Klinsmann. Not from anyone. 

Maybe it's coincidence, that so many are now looking at JK more skeptically and unhappily. Or maybe it's just that when eyes get opened, even if looking at a different sport entirely, they stay that way. People trust their eyes now looking at the USA play poorly, and they wonder, rightly, why JK, who is so good at taking credit, won't take any blame.

Jurgen Klinsmann's recent criticisms ring hollow after four years leading the #USMNT: http://t.co/oIxXkiiHso pic.twitter.com/emiOUkXDIU
— TopDrawerSoccer (@TopDrawerSoccer) February 3, 2015

Jürgen Klinsmann's rhetoric is agonizing. So many great ideas, so little execution. #USMNT
— Diego Pinzón (@PinzonDiego) February 3, 2015

It would be refreshing to see you point the finger at yourself sometimes, Jurgen. #CantAlwaysBlameThePlayers #USMNT http://t.co/k05BrkxQRN
— Jimmy Conrad (@JimmyConrad) February 3, 2015

Klinsmann suggesting that fitness is/was to blame for the Chile loss is embarrassing for him & a slap in the face to fans.
— Matthew Tomaszewicz (@shinguardian) January 31, 2015

@soccercanales Even worse is he goes public with these comments, doesn't help team morale. He thinks he's infallible.
— Kevin (@90_kev) February 3, 2015

Then there's this. I'll leave it here without any comment. 

Good luck to my good friend @PeteCarroll. Go @Seahawks !! #SB49
— Jürgen Klinsmann (@J_Klinsmann) February 1, 2015

Sad, But Not Surprising

In the wake of the retirement of USA veteran defender DaMarcus Beasley, I immediately thought of Robbie Rogers and his sterling play at left back for the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

It's well known also in SoCal soccer circles that Rogers knows J. Klinsmann from way back. Klinsmann helped guide Rogers at various points in his career, including recommending him as a player to the coach of Leeds in England back in 2012. Rogers, for his part, returned the favor in Klinsmann's debut as coach, scoring the lone USA goal to ensure the JK era did not begin with a loss.

I'm not the only one thinking that Rogers deserves a national team look at left back, either, if the word of that other Robbie - Keane - carries any weight. 

Truth is, though, JK wasn't very encouraging of Rogers' chances to get back on the USMNT squad when it was first announced that he would return to play with the Galaxy. He said Rogers "wasn't in the picture". 

Yet with the lack of depth at left back on the national team level, Rogers should merit consideration, I thought. I was gratified to see that Soccer America seemed to think so as well, ranking Rogers as a viable possibility. But the final sentence of the blurb assessing his chances brought me back to earth with a thud. 

Kill the Ghost. Let It Die So LD Can Live in Peace

I have a soft spot for this blog, but Twitter is where it's at with all the cool social media kids these days. Communication in short bursts has both benefits and drawbacks, as I found out in a recent dust-up over the medium. 

.@soccercanales Landon is the greatest What If in US soccer history. Arguably greatest of modern era, but had potential to be so much more.
— Phil Schoen (@PhilSchoen) November 14, 2014

I like Phil, he's a great guy, but this tweet drives me crazy. Landon is not a What If. 

A What If is the sad song of a career cut short before it ever got a chance to flourish, due to injury or some other tragic occurrence. People shake their heads, remembering the youthful talent that never reached maturity. Len Bias is a What If. Or this guy. Or Steve Snow, if you need US Soccer-specific examples. 

Landon, Unfiltered

Here's a partial transcript of the media questions for LD on Tuesday about his farewell international match. I didn't post them earlier because I didn't want to put out quotes that people needed to write their articles, but most of these have now been published. Landon talked for a while longer, so I might post that later. Landon is, as usual, very candid, which is why I tend to trust his honesty over people who dodge press questions. Incidentally, I did not ask any of these questions. I asked a few towards the end.  

What are your emotions before the game? 

Emotions? I'm excited. It's going to be different for me. I'm not going until Thursday, so it's not going to feel like a normal camp, but it's going to be really nice. This summer, obviously, was tough, not only for me, but for my family. So, then we'll all have a chance to enjoy a national team game again. It'll be nice. You don't want your last memory to be getting cut from a team and my family didn't, either. So this will be a nice way to hopefully put a ribbon on my career. I'm excited to have the chance to say goodbye to a lot of people who have been supportive of me. 

I don't believe US Soccer has ever done this before. 

I don't know. 

I mean, it says something about the magnitude of the honor. 

Sure. Obviously, I give Sunil a lot of credit for making the effort to make this happen. He made sure that this was something that was going to happen. I'm glad that he did. I was very unsure at first. He did a good job of making everything come together so that this could be possible.  I think it's going to be a terrific event and I'm very excited for it. 

Without him, does it not happen?

I don't know for sure, but I'd say that's a safe assumption. 

Have you heard from Jurgen? 

I have not. 

So, the first time you'll talk to him is when you show up on Thursday? 

Perhaps, yeah. 

Have you guys talked at all since Palo Alto? 

No. 

Are you disappointed that you haven't heard from him, leading up to this?

Disappointed? No. 

Surprised? 

No. 

Frustrated? 

No. 

Happy? All of the above? 

I don't give it much thought, to be honest. 

What will you expect from this? 

Part of it is a little tricky because I've so far approached it as a nice event and a chance for me to say goodbye and a chance for the fans to say goodbye, but the reality is that it's a Class A international game that means a lot to a lot of people, so this week I've turned my focus to make sure that I don't just go and soak up everything - that I go and help the team any way I can. That's important, too. I owe that to everyone who is playing in the game. I want to make sure that I have that attitude. Other than that, I don't know what to expect. 

This is an old picture, but same dude, same field where interview took place.

What do you remember about your first game against Mexico in the Coliseum (Los Angeles)? 

I remember it was crazy. I remember there were a lot of Mexicans in the Coliseum. I remember not expecting to play. Within minutes, with Chris Henderson going down, just not having time to really think about going into the game. From there, obviously, it was a dream come true in every way. It's a game I'll never forget. 

Did Bruce tell you anything? 

Honestly, I don't remember. It was just surreal to be there, as a starting point. I didn't know any better. I was just too young and dumb to even know what was going on. I just ran around and it all worked out and it was great. 

Did you feel, "I'm a national team player now" after that?

For guys my age, we didn't grow up with MLS. The ultimate goal was to play for the national team. That's all you saw on on TV. Kids now think, "I'd love to play for the Galaxy. I mean, I want to play for the national team, but I also want to play for the Galaxy." For me, it was the only goal, because I didn't know anything different. So this was truly my dream come true. It was just - I didn't know if I'd ever play again. I was ecstatic to be there and play. 

And to do it at home made it more special. 

Yeah, my whole family got to be there. It could not have been more perfect in that way. 

A lot of people say that you, especially have been part of expanding that dream, where kids now have other dreams. 

I think a lot of us in this generation have and a lot in the generation before have. Sports are - it's a long process to make a sport popular. It's not five years or ten years or even twenty years. The NFL wasn't always what it is today. The NBA wasn't always what it is today. There's a lot of guys who played - and girls in women's sports, that paved the way to make things the way they are. We're doing our part. We sort of came in at a point where the sport was very much fluctuating between whether is it going to stay or not. It was an interesting time to be a part of it and I think we get a lot of praise for it, but the reality is, without the people that came before, we wouldn't have been there, either. 

Landon's Final Words, Part II

Other names on list that were surprising?

There’s a lot of arguments that you can make for everybody. Decisions are tough. It’s a good thing that we have tough decisions to make. In past World Cups, you probably knew the 10 to 15 guys who were the best players and the other ones weren’t up to snuff, but now we have a good group of many, many players who are in their own way deserving of being there. So that’s a good sign for US soccer.

Mystified?

I’m disappointed. I’m sad. I’m human and I wanted to go. I really wanted to go. I’m at peace with it. I respect the decision. I just feel in my heart that I deserve to be there and that’s the pill that’s hard to swallow.

Random Becks question

Beckham’s going to the World Cup? There’s a lot of discrepancies between me and Beckham. I don’t know. I can’t speak to that.

Sabbatical affected choice - if you had it over?

I would absolutely do the same thing. My performances and my stats and the way I played since my sabbatical speak for themselves. I actually think I’ve been a much better player since I came back.

Motivation for MLS season?

I’ve never been a guy who has been motivated by the negative. I don’t operate that way. Some people do, but that’s not my way of doing things. I’m excited to be back here. I certainly didn’t want to be here under these circumstances or this soon, but I love these guys. These are my teammates, this is my home. I will not let this affect me going forward.

Landon's Final Words on Klinsmann Cutting Him from World Cup

Reporter questions here are shortened down, Landon Donovan's responses as close to exact as I could get transcribing. 

How do you move on from this disappointment?

To be honest, the support I have received has been really overwhelming, and I think it’s helped me understand the sort of impact that I've helped have. It’s been really nice and so at the end of the day, although it’s surprising and disappointing, this is my job and all the guys out here (indicating Galaxy players) are depending on me and I want to continue playing and enjoying myself, like I have been.

Did you have a feeling or indication of exclusion?

No, quite the opposite, actually. Based on my performances leading up to the camp, based on Based on my preparation for the camp, based on my fitness, based on my workload, based on the way I trained and played in camp, I not only thought I was a part of the 23, I thought I was in contention to be starting. That’s why this has all been pretty disappointing.

What is your level of anger in this decision?

I’m not angry. I’m disappointed. I’ve spent most of my adult life and the majority of my life in general, dedicating myself to the sport in this country and representing my country. So, I was really looking forward to the opportunity to play in another World Cup and to help this team. Having been in camp for ten days, I really thought I was going to contribute in a big way, probably bigger than I had expected going in. From that standpoint, I think it’s disappointing. I think every one of my teammates would probably echo those same words.

Style and Substance

Grant Wahl has a nice piece here about Jozy Altidore living up to his potential (finally!). Now, of course, Jozy has been a prodigy for a long time, but he's been up and down, too, and it has taken him a while to get used to Klinsmann's style.

Frankly, Jurgen Klinsmann is different. He can seem easygoing, with a veneer of California casual (I'll bet he wears flip-flops a lot of the time), but he's also got German grit and toughness to him. It's too bad Frankie Hejduk's days with the team are done, because he would have gotten Klinsy. Frankie was all surfer-boy style, but deadly serious about playing and getting results, even while having fun and building team spirit.  Klinsy believes the US team can be great (that's the sunny optimist in him), but he knows how far they have to go (because he's seen the top of the mountain with Germany) and he won't mince words in telling Altidore or anyone what they have to do to get there.

In contrast, Bruce Arena is, and was, while coach of the national team, more New York understated cool, with a bonus chip on his shoulder about how the USA was often disrespected by the soccer world at large. Truth is, a former lacrosse player-turned-one-national-team-game goalkeeper wasn't ever going to get the respect Klinsmann receives by virtue of having been one of the world's top strikers, so Arena's bitterness is understandable, if tiresome. While in charge of the USMNT, Arena cultivated among the players an us-against-them mentality that gave the US resolve and temerity. But that influence wore off somewhat when more American players evolved to be soccer citizens at large - meaning, they worked and played internationally, and had other priorities than just the USA team. Remember Claudio Reyna refusing to participate in US qualifiers? 2006 was a disappointment partly because it was clear that Arena wasn't getting through to his players as he once had.

Princetonian Bob Bradley was less sardonic than Arena, yet more serious about soccer. His emblem was about work, work, and well, more work.  He reminded me of Animal Farm's Boxer, whose mantra was: "I will work harder." That's an inspiring form of leadership - for a while. It can get exhausting, though, because frankly, while work rate is very important, so is working smarter and better. Plus, the inherent awkwardness in the family connection of having father manage son on the national team level took a toll on all three elements involved - Michael, Bob, and the USMNT. Some long-time readers might think I dislike Bob, or Michael, but that's not true. I do think they are better off on different teams (Go Egypt!).

Back to coach Klinsy. I think of when Jerry Brown, in his first stint as in charge of California, was nicknamed Governor Moonbeam for ideas that were perceived as too progressive and weird. Klinsy could be Coach Sunbeam for similarly shaking up the status quo of the national team with his willingness to experiment and tweak. It hasn't always been smooth sailing, but I think the results are beginning to prove positive.

Three Games In

It's finally over. This two-game-in-five-day stretch for the US national team has come and gone, and the team now has a full three matches under Jurgen Klinsmann.

How far along has the team come under Klinsmann? What progress has been made?

Despite the less-than-stellar record - the U.S. is 0-2-1 under Klinsmann - progress has been made. New players have come in and done well while old players have been cast aside as the team is being molded in Klinsmann's image, to his liking.

This is a process that probably would have been much better to undertake right after the World Cup but that ship sailed, so Klinsmann is doing what he can now to sort things out.

Some off-the-cusp thoughts...

Gaping Hole: The biggest area of need is at left back. Edgar Castillo and Timothy Chandler played at left back and seem to be the two frontrunners for the position. Is one the answer? Who knows, but there is hope here with both. While the favorite among US supporters is clearly Chandler, Castillo has loads to offer. Castillo is as fit as any player on the squad and can run for days. This is not something to take lightly as Klinsmann's system demands high levels of fitness. Castillo plays in Mexico with one of the biggest clubs in the Western Hemisphere, also something noteworthy. There is pressure every day to succeed with Club America. These may not seem like much but they are factors in Castillo's favor. Also, since he plays in Mexico he is very familiar with not only the Mexican style of play but the style of play the US will see throughout World Cup qualifying.

Chandler has qualities of his own and will surely get more looks in the coming matches. In Castillo and Chandler, Klinsmann has two young players who could help stabilize the position for years to come. Throw Heath Pearce in the mix and the semblance of depth in a spot that has been a gaping hole is suddenly there.

Standouts: Jose Torres and Brek Shea aren't exactly unknowns but neither was a good fit in Bob Bradley's system. Torres was most certainly a square peg in Bradley's round hole and would not have been able to work his way into a starting spot. Shea had one chance to show his worth and who knows if he would have gotten a shot to claim a spot under Bradley. Now, the two are the focal points of the midfield and are players who Klinsmann will likely rely heavily on. This is a good thing.

Torres has great vision and a dangerous foot. Shea has the ability to take over games and is an influential player. The two will have plenty of time to hone their skills but it seems as if they are locks for future rosters.

Forward Movement? Guess there's no real standout forward on the US after all? Juan Agudelo is still quite young and could develop into a star while Jozy Altidore has shown promise with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. Perhaps by the time World Cup qualifying starts these two will be more honed and will fill the nets with more regularity.

The lack of goals under Klinsmann is alarming, however. Actually, you can go back to the World Cup to realize just how poor the U.S. forwards have been. Now, I still hold firm that if Edson Buddle had played more in South Africa, things would have been different but he didn't and they're not. Nobody has replaced Charlie Davies, who burst onto the scene in 2009. Aside from his brief time as the team's forward stud, though, there hasn't been much to highlight with the unit.

Klinsmann has options though. Aside from Altidore and Agudelo, Klinsmann has Herculez Gomez who is playing well with Estudiantes Tecos and ready to help out the national team once more. Teal Bunbury is another prospect who needs some fine-tuning and perhaps some maturity to become productive. I'd also like to see Bunbury's club teammate, CJ Sapong, get a look with the national team.

Still, the biggest hope remains Altidore who if he continues to do well with AZ should hopefully translate that into success with the U.S.

Vets Still Carrying Load: For all the talk about youngsters and new players, some of the same old faces are still around doing their stuff - Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo, Tim Howard. These guys will all be older than 30 by late 2012 and who knows at what level they will be in come 2014 but they form the spine of the team both in terms of talent and leadership.

Perhaps having such a strong and talented group of players around gives Klinsmann the freedom to throw in players like Castillo and Torres and Shea to see what they can do.

Results Mean Jack: Don't be fooled by the results. No wins in three games would mean as much as three wins in three games. Of course nobody likes to lose but when it comes down to it, friendlies mean nothing. They really don't. What matters from friendlies is the chance to see players and how they perform at the next level.

Criticizing Klinsmann for lack of results right now is ludicrous. If the U.S. does not get victories come World Cup qualifying, fine, open season then but for now, results mean nothing.

Predicting The Unpredictable

On Friday, the US national team will play its first match in Southern California under Jurgen Klinsmann. It wasn't Klinsmann's idea to play this match here of course but it is a great chance for the locals to get familiar with their locally-based national team manager.

Klinsmann, who has long resided in nearby Orange County, will trot out a host of new players as the U.S. plays Costa Rica.

Wait... new players? Has the lineup been announced?

Hardly. I'm just taking a guess here. I know it's fun to try and sort out a lineup, whether you're a sports writer or a die-hard fan. You think you know what the manager should do and dammit, there's no convincing otherwise.

Well, the only thing I'm certain about the lineup we'll see on Friday is that it will be unpredictable. Probably what many think will happen won't. Probably some of the players we expect to see in the lineup won't be.

I've come to expect nothing but the unexpected from Klinsmann. Why? Because he's not like any coach the U.S. has had. It grew easier and easier to fill out Bob Bradley's lineups, and it was similarly the same with Bruce Arena. Sure, Bradley threw us an Adu-esque curve every now and then but any casual fan could guess his lineups and expect 70 percent accuracy, even in friendlies.

Klinsmann... I just don't see him as the guy who will field the same 11 match after match, at least on in friendlies and least of all now, for his second and third game as national team manager. He's going to want/need to see new players and going to want/need to see young players. The veterans he's seen but how will they mesh with each other under this new scheme?

Having said that, Klinsmann could start any player on the roster and make a valid reason why that guy should be starting. I suppose that speaks to how wide-open spots are right now. If Bradley would have started say Jose Torres or Brek Shea in the midfield, you knew they had no chance of playing with Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones ahead of them in the pecking order.

There is no pecking order now. Yeah, you have Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and other strong talents on the squad (LD only for Costa Rica, Deuce only for Belgium) so those guys aren't going anywhere, but mostly there are spots up for grabs.

So predict away but just don't be disappointed if... *when* your prediction comes up wrong.

My wrong prediction...

Howard; Castillo, Bocanegra, Orozco Fiscal, Chandler; Rogers, Torres, Shea, Edu, Donovan; Altidore

I hate to use alignments as in this being a 4-5-1 because that's pretty rigid and I see this as fluid. Edu could serve in the holding midfielder role with Rogers and Donovan on the wings and Shea and Torres in the middle but I wouldn't be surprised to see all those given freedom to roam, to the point that where they go wouldn't really resemble whatever formation they came out in.

Anyway, that's what I've got. I like the backline because of the youth and versatility and overall there is a lot of youth. This is progression, folks. The kind of progression we should have seen right after the World Cup.

Klinsmann Roster, Take Two

Jurgen Klinsmann's second roster is out, and I've fired off some initial off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts here for you. First the roster which will be used for games against Costa Rica (9/2, at Home Depot Center) and Belgium (9/6 in Belgium), then my ramblings.

Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid, Tim Howard

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Edgar Castillo, Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Clarence Goodson, Zach Loyd, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Heath Pearce, Tim Ream

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson, Sacha Kljestan, Jeff Larentowicz, Robbie Rogers, Brek Shea, Jose Torres

Forwards: Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, Teal Bunbury, Landon Donovan

Surprising Omissions: This is a new manager of course so what went on beforehand should not necessarily be followed through by this regime. Case in point - Michael Bradley. The young Bradley was an absolute lock to start and go 90 under the previous coach but his role was lessened, other midfielders were given more responsibility and a new midfield began to sort itself out against Mexico. Now, Bradley is not part of the squad. Neither is Jermaine Jones. These are two guys who started in what will be the United States' most important game from the end of the World Cup until qualifying begins in 2012. And now they're gone.

Maybe they're not gone for good but this team is going to continue without them. The likes of Brek Shea, Jose Francisco Torres and Kyle Beckerman - each of whom did well for himself against Mexico - will continue to progress forward in the new-look midfield.

Fabian Who?: Even the most well-informed US supporter may not exactly have been clamoring for Fabian Johnson to get a call. Johnson is a German-born defender/midfielder who is all of 23 years of age. He recently said he would consider playing for the US after having played for several German youth national teams. Johnson along with Timothy Chandler and David Yeldell and Jones as well are part of a growing batch of US national team players who were born in Germany. Perhaps having Klinsmann aboard will see that figure grow. In any case, Chandler and Johnson are certainly capable of staking their claim on the squad. Johnson gets regular minutes for Hoffenheim and has a lot of upside. He's likely technically more advanced than other 23-year-olds. His biggest challenge will be adjusting to players with whom he's not played with much or at all, but Chandler did well to acclimate himself quickly and Johnson could do the same.

Defensive Stars: I've clamored for Chad Marshall and Todd Dunivant in the past and neither are here. Am I disappointed? Not really. In part because I've accepted the fact that neither could get called on by Klinsmann for whatever reason, but also because this is a good and versatile group. Left back is a spot where I thought Edgar Castillo did well against Mexico. Sure he was rough around the edges but I like the new mandate by Klinsmann in that position. Castillo may have been neutralized because a lot of Mexican players were familiar with him but I want to see him play with the same intensity against Costa Rica and Belgium. Heath Pearce is also a capable player who has done well in league this year. I'm a fan of Michael Orozco Fiscal and I can see him growing in confidence and poise with each and every game. Clarence Goodson is someone who can step in immediately and perform and in Chandler and Tim Ream there is youth and talent, although I am not sold on Ream quite yet. I'd like to see more from him but he's caught many coaches' eyes. I guess I'm just glad that we aren't getting Oguchi Onyewu time and again, whether he deserved to get a call or not.

Larento...huh?: Okay, Jeff Larentowicz may be a bit of a surprise. Now, I'm not certain he's a lock to play but I will say that he and Kyle Beckerman were in the same class a bit, standout midfielders for very good MLS teams who did not seem like national team material. Beckerman took major strides towards disproving that and now Larentowicz has the same chance. And that's all any player needs, right?, a chance.

My Ideal XI: From this group, in a game that means something...

Howard; Cherundolo, Bocanegra, Orozco Fiscal, Castillo; Beckerman, Edu, Shea, Dempsey; Donovan, Altidore.

Altidore is in fine form right now and bursting with confidence; otherwise I might be tempted to toss Dempsey and Donovan up high and throw Torres in the midfield. I'm an advocate of playing Torres and Shea together since they can create so much.

The Fun of it All

As someone who knew Luis when he was very overweight, I've seen first hand his transformation and have gotten occasional glimpses into the effort losing so many pounds entailed. Of course, that doesn't mean I have a true inkling of how much blood, sweat and tears all of it took. I'm still working on my first marathon (hopefully in Luis' pace group) scheduled for next year. 

Yet as much as I respect Luis for putting in the work required to change his life to a healthier one, and as much as I believe Bob Bradley is an excellent ideal for the discipline that leads to effective results, I can't help but think there's more to the beautiful game than working hard. 

That's honestly what encouraged me the most about watching Klinsmann in his first USA game as coach. "Grinsy Klinsy" has been teased about his enjoyment of the sport and of life itself, before, but it's both an infectious and important reminder to see his enthusiasm for the game. 

Bradley's intensity was impressively intense. Then again, there's a reason why the word "tense" is part of "intense". 

I'm not saying there wasn't a lighthearted side to Bradley. He's human, and actually has a clever sense of humor. His moments of levity as a coach probably had more effect on the squad partly because something special is by definition a bit rare.

Yet Bradley was definitely all about the work, and that was the mantra he continuously preached to players. 

The reason that didn't always sit well with me is that I fell in love with soccer not because of love for the industry and effort the sport required, though I respect the running and stamina the non-stop action demands. But what I love are the creative, special moments. I marvel at the players who have the skill to dance with the ball, the intuition to find a teammate with a no-look pass, the precision to bury a cross into the net with one touch. I cheer for daring dribbling against multiple opponents,  fearless diving headers, bicycle kicks, slick rabonas, the Cuauhtemina, the Cryuff turn, the bending freekicks, the cheeky shots through the legs.

What most encouraged me about Klinsmann's debut in the USA - Mexico friendly was seeing how he simply enjoyed the game and communicated that to his players. Klinsmann didn't just nod at the USA players who came off the field, acknowledging their effort. His genuine enthusiasm communicated to each player personal affirmation, appreciation and a whole, "ain't this grand?" vibe.

I didn't see a cohesive, mature and disciplined USA squad versus Mexico, but there was energy, especially in the second half. Most of all, there was a freedom, an exploratory nature, to their attack at that point. Yes, it needs to be less random to be effective, but it was still encouraging to see. 

"Attacking, fearless, and fun" is what I texted to a former player who asked me what I'd seen to like about the USA in the match. 

"Fun is the key word" he texted back. 

I think it really is. Inspiration is too often overlooked as a coaching criteria. Soccer is a creative game, and to really play well, one must love to play and have fun with the ball. The USA isn't going to get better at the beautiful game simply by having more young players turn pro at a younger age. It's going to take more players kicking the ball around by themselves, trying crazy tricks and turns, dancing with the ball, taking almost-impossible shots again and again, putting in the work without ever thinking of it as work, learning and growing through the sheer fun of it all. 

Klinsmann fell in love with the sport like that, and he still retains some of that spark. Hopefully, he can use that spark to light a fire in USA soccer.

Klinsmann's Debut: Initial Reactions

Jurgen Klinsmann's US debut came and went and left behind a night-and-day performance and a 1-1 draw against Mexico.

So what can we conclude about the match? Well, I'm not one to draw major conclusions from a friendly, but since this wasn't just any other friendly, here are some things that jumped out at me.

* Brek Shea is good: Yes, the FC Dallas star is a pretty good player. I'd vote him as my MLS Most Valuable Player right now, and he continued his stellar game-changing performances against Mexico. Shea created the game-tying goal by finding space to slip a ball across the goal mouth to Robbie Rogers. Shea's play with FC Dallas has been screaming national team inclusion, and his play off the bench should help him gain a stronger foothold on the squad.

* Midfield madness: So many players saw time in the middle of the field on Wednesday. It was a good thing, don't get me wrong. It's just kind of difficult to digest all of them. For me, it was nice to see Jose Torres play as long as he did and also nice that both him and Shea were on the field at the same time. With Torres and Landon Donovan and Shea knocking the ball around to one another, there is potential there to create some offense and break down opposing defenses. Torres did better when Shea came in as he was allowed to play more centrally. It looks as if Torres could become a key figure in the middle of the field.

* Forward's struggles: Edson Buddle did well to knock bodies around but was unable to receive the ball too much. His replacement, Juan Agudelo, had some touches - some of them good - but had poor decision-making and was a hindrance more than anything. The forwards did not really perform well at all, but perhaps that was a difficult thing to ask considering how the team played overall in terms of where the buildup came from. Perhaps it would be best to play Clint Dempsey up top alone as his scrappy type of play may have come in handy on the field Wednesday.

* Solid D: Michael Orozco may not have been a first choice of many to start but Orozco did not look out of his league in the match. Quite the contrary, he more than held his own against Mexico. How much that has to do with his own ability and how much that has to do with the fact that he's seen most of those guys in league play is uncertain but what is for sure is that he is now in the mix to gain playing time in upcoming matches.

* Change is good: Change truly was a good thing for this team. There are a lot of areas that need addressing still and definitely some rough edges but that need softening but Klinsmann has had all of three days to work with the team and already it looked much different than the U.S. has looked in a while. It looked as if the U.S. players were ready to run themselves into the ground if need be. Donovan on one play showed some great determination when he darted around a defender on the left side of the penalty area and raced in towards the goal only to be knocked down and not receive a penalty in his favor. It may or may not have been a foul but Donovan sure did not look tired or winded while racing around the corner. And neither did any US players for that matter. There was a lot more energy and desire on the field tonight than there has been for a while.

What stood out for you the most?

Instant Reliance

What lineup will Jurgen Klinsmann use tonight in his USMNT debut against Mexico?

We'll all have to wait and see of course, and another thing we'll have to wait and see about is what players Klinsmann will rely heavily on during his time as US coach.

Might those players be on the field tonight against Mexico? It's not only possible but likely that some key players from the Klinsmann era will be on display from the start. Take a look at previous US coaches' debuts and you'll see some coaches who jumped right into it with some players who would be key in their respective cycles.

Bob Bradley's first match

USA 3:1 Denmark

at Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

USA: Matt Reis; Chris Albright (Bryan Namoff, 63), Jimmy Conrad, Bobby Boswell (Dan Califf, 89), Jonathan Bornstein; Pablo Mastroeni (Kyle Beckerman, 86), Ricardo Clark, Landon Donovan, Chris Rolfe (Heath Pearce, 74); Eddie Johnson (Kenny Cooper, 63), Nate Jaqua (Justin Mapp, 46)

* Both Bornstein and Clark would go on to play in the 2007 Gold Cup, 2007 Copa America, 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup. This was their first cap for the US.

* Donovan also did the same but he was already an established player.

Bruce Arena's first match

USA 0:0 Australia

at Spartan Stadium, San Jose, Calif.

USA: Zach Thornton, Jeff Agoos, Carlos Llamosa, Eddie Pope, Richie Williams (Chris
Armas 46), Eddie Lewis (Ben Olsen 73), Clint Mathis (Mark Chung 69), Joe-Max
Moore, Cobi Jones, Roy Lassiter (CJ Brown 90+), Brian McBride

* This was a radical shift, since this match featured only MLS players.

* Jeff Agoos, Clint Mathis, Joe-Max Moore, Carlos Llamosa and Cobi Jones went on to represent the US at the 2002 World Cup while Eddie Pope, Eddie Lewis and Brian McBride played for the US in both the 02 and 06 World Cups.

* Ben Olsen didn't make the US roster for the 02 World Cup but was in Germany for 2006.

Maybe it's too far to look back at this but just for kicks... (draw your own conclusions)

Steve Sampson's first match

USA 2:2 Uruguay

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

USA: Jurgen Sommer, Lawrence Lozzano (Zak Ibsen 46), Alexi Lalas, Paul Caligiuri,
Jeff Agoos, Cobi Jones, Mike Burns, Chad Deering (Ante Razov 46), John Kerr, Jovan
Kirovski, Ernie Stewart

Anyway, it might seem like there's an established hierarchy of players on the team that Klinsmann takes over from Bradley, with guys like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard *the* unquestioned stars of the team and their respective positions. And it might seem like youngsters like Brek Shea, Edgar Castillo, Michael Orozco, Tim Ream, Jose Francisco Torres, Bill Hamid and Juan Agudelo are perhaps too young and inexperienced to rely on right now.

Maybe, but the first group of players will all be well into their 30s in 2014. Someone's going to have to step up and fill those other roles. Klinsmann's probably well aware of it all, and maybe pegging some of these youngsters as key players right from the start.

It's not like it hasn't happened before.