After Almost 5.5 Years in Charge, Jurgen Klinsmann is Fired as USMNT Head Coach & Technical Director

After a wretched 4-0 loss in a World Cup qualifier last Monday night in Costa Rica, you had to wonder if Jurgen Klinsmann was done as both the USMNT head coach and technical director. U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati was non-committal after the match and after he had a week to think about it, today he made the somewhat expected move: Klinsmann was out in each capacity. By itself, this was disappointing enough but heap on the fact that LA Galaxy head coach (and former USMNT head coach Bruce Arena) is said to be returning once again so I can't help but feel like the U.S. Soccer Federation has lost its common sense.

I understand that it's quite possible many of the key players (Michael Bradley for sure) had begun to tune Klinsmann out, how else do you explain their recent form, but you'll never convince me that Arena or any other American for that matter will be able to match Klinsmann's all-World resume. He was a World Cup winner as a player with Germany and also coached their national team along with Bayern Munich (Germany), one of the most powerful clubs in the universe. Instead, they are at least temporarily going back to a guy that hasn't been in charge of the USMNT in a decade (1998-2006) and who has been coaching in lowly MLS (New York Red Bulls and Galaxy) since then. Ugh. Thanks to Klinsmann, the U.S. was able to bring in many Mexican-American and German-Americans (Jermaine Jones, John Brooks, Julian Green, Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler) who have become some of the top players.

The U.S. just doesn't seem to have a realistic view of itself or rather, they are completely mistaken for what is the proper way to go from a mid-tier country (their usual status) to one that can consistently challenge for major titles. Where is that outside the box thinking that brought them Klinsmann? This is all semantics since Arena is still the winningest head coach in USMNT history but Klinsmann is second (55-27-16) since he took over on July 29, 2011. He led the team to a program-record 12-game winning streak in 2013 and their 16 wins overall and .761 winning percentage in 2013 are an all-time record for a calendar year. They also advanced out of an extremely difficult group at the 2014 World Cup before losing to a far superior Belgium squad in the round of 16. Things seemed to have turned stale this year though as they finished a disappointing fourth in the Copa America on their home soil (losing a knockout game to Jamaica, come on) and they lost a heartbreaker 2-1 to Mexico in World Cup qualifying on November 11 in Columbus, Ohio.

The weird part is that the men's national team has never been more popular and therefore also more scrutinized in the United States than it is today. This is of course a good thing. With such easy access to games from all over the world constantly (featuring many of our brightest stars), we are much more knowledgeable when it comes to the beautiful game. Of course, the sad truth is that the men's team will probably never be an upper-echelon program simply because most of our best athletes play other sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc) that pay better and bring far more fame at least in the states. Non-soccer fans never quite understand why the USMNT isn't better but that is the main reason why. As technical director, Klinsmann made sweeping changes to the U.S. youth national teams and the fruits of that are already being seen with an amazing prospect like Christian Pulisic who rightfully got the hell out of the U.S. to test himself at a very high level (Borussia Dortmund).

Arena is just a placeholder, a lame duck coach that is said to only be around through the 2018 World Cup. I know we are all starting to get worried about even reaching that point but keep in mind that Mexico had to go all the way to a playoff (vs. New Zealand) to reach the 2014 World Cup and CONCACAF is still filled with numerous awful teams so the U.S. should bounce back in March when they finally reconvene to face Honduras on March 24 and go to Panama on March 27. The U.S. under-23 men's head coach and former U.S. star midfielder Tab Ramos is apparently a candidate further down the road for this job but he's not ready for it yet.

Even before Klinsmann took over, I've felt for a long time that the U.S. men's national team should have a non-American in charge in order to reach our ultimate potential. I believe it's the exact opposite thinking for the U.S. women's national team since they are the gold standard in their sport so why mess with their immense success? He gave us a certain amount of credibility globally that is suddenly gone and will never be replaced by the likes of Arena, Ramos or any other U.S. lifer that has yet to experience the highest levels of competition that the sport has to offer. I know that many bandwagon fans wanted to see this happen but I'm pretty sure this will be your classic case of buyer's remorse when the U.S. fails to really grow at all in the next few years. Honestly, getting to the 2018 World Cup won't be much of an achievement if they bow out in the group stage.

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U.S. Women's National Team Names Tom Sermanni Its New Head Coach

After much deliberation and a search that reportedly included 30 male and female candidates, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced today that they had hired Tom Sermanni to be the seventh head coach of the U.S. women's national team.

Sermanni is 58, he's Scottish but he's been the head coach of Australia's women's national team for 11 years (including 3 World Cup appearances) total and most recently since 2004. He will officially start work on January 1, 2013 meaning that U.S. Soccer Women's Development Director Jill Ellis (who was the temporary head coach for the Germany matches earlier this month) will also be in charge for the last five matches of the Fan Tribute Tour. The U.S. meets Ireland in Portland, Oregon (Nov. 28) and in Glendale, Arizona (Dec. 1) then Sermanni will observe the last three matches of the calendar year which should be announced in the near future.

The biggest differences between him and Pia Sundhage-the women he replaced-is that he's a man. It's a new dynamic but one that shouldn't be that strange since many women's national teams are coached by men. The fact that he's a foreigner when I was hoping that they'd hire an American likely won't be much of an issue either. There won't be the same language barrier that there was with Pia except for the regional dialect he picked up in Scotland and Australia.

If we're being real, the only way we'll judge Sermanni is how he does in World Cups. Sundhage had a nice run including back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics but her team lost in penalty kicks in the only World Cup she appeared in (2011 vs. Japan). The U.S. women are the No. 1 team in the world and as such, they have higher expectations than anybody else. Australia is always competitive which is impressive given their location but clearly, this is a huge step up for Tom. He won't be judged on wins and losses, since you could probably put almost anyone on the bench and they'd rack up gaudy win totals. This is all about what he does in the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Judging by the instant reactions of some national team members on Twitter this afternoon, they seem enthusiastic about a fresh start.
"Really pumped about @TomSermanni being the new uswnt head coach!!! Welcome. #movingforward"-Abby Wambach (@abbywambach)
"Congrats to Tom Sermanni on being named our new #USWNT Head Coach!"-Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13)
I think by the end of Sundhage's reign, they were tired of the constant questions and speculation about when she was leaving to go home to Sweden. Now they've got a guy that is committed and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. This is a dream job if you're a women's soccer coach. Over time, we will figure out his style and tendencies but for now, it's an open book for the U.S. women's national team as they head into 2013 and beyond.

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U.S. Women Settle For Another Tie With Germany, 2-2 In Hartford This Time

If there is a team for the U.S. women's national team to fear in the near future, it's Germany who are loaded with young talent. For the second time in four days, the Germans tied the Americans on their home soil. Tonight, the U.S. blew another one-goal lead (twice) and had to settle for a 2-2 draw at rain-soaked Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT.

The U.S. moved to 23-1-3 this year and 6-0-4 all-time in games pitting the No. 1 and No. 2 FIFA-ranked teams. The U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to 18 games and they are now 17-4-6 all-time against Germany.

There is no doubt that the pouring rain hampered play so for that reason and others (not really in form), the first half was largely forgettable. That is until Abby Wambach pulled to within 10 goals of Mia Hamm with her 148th career goal. After Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe worked the ball through the midfield, Alex Morgan's cross was deflected by a German defender but Wambach was right on the goal-line for the diving header in the 44th minute.

Want to know the next superstar in women's soccer (that's not American)? It has to be Germany's Dzenifer Marozsan. The 2012 MVP of the U-20 Women's World Cup scored not once but twice. In the 48th she received a gift as U.S. defender Christie Rampone whiffed on a pass attempt and fell down at midfield. That allowed Marozsan to walk in alone on Hope Solo and finish into the low corner.

Wambach had two chances for another strike but she failed both times. One-on-one with Germany's goalkeeper, her chip was terrible and later, a header went wide. Morgan once again was the catalyst with her 18th assist of the year (4th all-time for a year). She went to the end line then played it back in the middle to Lloyd. She couldn't connect but Tobin Heath of all people was there to blast in her seventh international goal in the 67th minute.

Solo made a bunch of diving saves and it looked like her team might escape with a 2-1 win but Marozsan had other plans. She scored an absolute highlight reel goal in the 85th minute with a left-foot blast from outside the box to the top corner. Solo had no chance to stop it.

Interestingly enough at halftime on NBC Sports Network, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati indicated that the next women's head coach could be named by November 1. I'm sure that date is fluid but there is little doubt that whomever that person is will make their national team debut November 28 (their next game) when the U.S. plays Ireland in Portland, Oregon. The Fan Tribute Tour (3-0-2 so far) continues with two games against Ireland, the other is December 1 in Glendale, Arizona.

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Our Dream Has Come True: Jurgen Klinsmann Is Finally The Head Coach Of U.S. Men's Soccer

When you're an adult, it's very rare that you have any dreams anymore let alone ones that come true. Cynical? A bit but I think it's also realistic. With that out of the way, I will admit that there's not much in my sporting fandom that I wanted more than what just transpired with the U.S. men's national soccer team in the past 24 hours.

Yesterday, Bob Bradley was fired after five years on the job. Today, former German star and coach Jurgen Klinsmann was appointed as the new head coach.

Klinsmann had a distinguished playing career, highlighted by winning the World Cup in 1990 and European championship in 1996 with Germany, but has had only fleeting spells in management, first with Germany and later Bayern.

He has also lived primarily in the United States since retiring from playing, and has frequently been linked with the national team job and vacancies in Major League Soccer.

"I am proud and honoured to be named the head coach of the US Men's National Team," said Klinsmann, who will take charge of his first match on August 10 against rivals Mexico.

"I would like to thank the US Soccer Federation for the opportunity, and I'm excited about the challenge ahead.

"I am looking forward to bringing the team together for our upcoming match against Mexico and starting on the road toward qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.''

Klinsmann enjoyed an outstanding playing career that lasted 17 years and included spells with Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Monaco, Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

He scored 47 goals in 108 appearances for Germany and West Germany, and retired from playing in 1998, and took his first management job with Germany in 2004.

He led them to third place in the 2006 World Cup on home soil, but stepped down from the role after the tournament. Two years later, he took charge of Bayern, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but left after one season.

Shimer and I have been having wet dreams about this juicy rumor since it almost happened last summer. Klinsmann truly is the ideal candidate for the U.S. Not only has he experienced the game at the highest level as a player (with Germany and numerous European clubs) but he has also coached the German national team (one of the world's best) and Bayern Munich-a German club that is one of the most respected in Europe. Finally, don't underestimate how much instant credibility he brings to Europeans and South Americans who are quick to make fun of the U.S. team.

Before any zenophobic U.S. fans start to fret that he's not an American so he won't get us, don't worry. He's lived in California for years so the language and cultural barrier should be minimal. Most importantly, players respect guys that have been there before. Klinsmann is better than any U.S. player in history, he's on the younger side and he is all about building a program (rather than just being a taskmaster like Bradley).

No details of his contract with the United States have been released.

"We are excited to have Jurgen as the head coach of our men's national team,'' said US Soccer president Sunil Gulati. "He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program.

"Jurgen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field.''

Klinsmann will be introduced at a press conference in New York on Monday.

If he fails, so be it. There was no better candidate and props to U.S. soccer president Sunil Gulati for getting this done so fast. Klinsmann will fittingly make his U.S. coaching debut against their biggest rival-Aug. 10 in Philadelphia against Mexico. Tickets for that match had to be hard to come by in the first place and now it's a historical moment for U.S. soccer fans.

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