Klinsmann and Bradley

The U.S Men's National Team got their (Ger)man. Juergen Klinsmann, Germany's successful player who led Germany to the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European title, and who, as a coach, led an un-fancied German side to a 3rd-place finish in 2006. The Summer of 2006 is fondly remembered here as a "summer fairy tale," and Klinsmann quit while he was ahead. Given he lives in California and understands American soccer, the U.S. has had him in his sites ever since.

The value of Klinsmann is obvious. He already has one successful World Cup run with much higher stakes (his own soccer-mad country on his home soil), and his prefers fun, attacking-style soccer. Success + Fun, throw in a little celebrity, and you get a great hire!

However, living in Germany, the land of skepticism, has taught me to view every situation with a critical eye (even if it is undeserving). Is Klinsmann the best man for the job? He's an exciting personality and was an excellent player. But many here think the brain behind the 2006 run was current German national coach Jogi Loew, who was Klinsmann's assistant before his promotion and has kept Germany's run of (alas, title-less) success going ever since. Meanwhile, Klinsmann's last coaching gig at Bayern Munich lasted just over half of the 2008-09 season. During his tenure, he brought in Buddha statues and wellness activities into the Munich training facilities without rallying Bayern's superstars to their expected success. After taking a drubbing from Barcelona to crash out of the Champions League competition, Bayern sent Klinsmann his marching orders and hired a replacement to pick up the pieces.

So, can Klinsmann coach the U.S. to success (at least a World Cup quarterfinal) without Loew? Also, it seems like the U.S. has a similar personnel to what Bayern had in the Klinsmann era. They just don't have the defensive horses to play attacking style soccer. Hey could be the spark we need for to go to the next level (World Cup semi-finals), but for these reasons, my enthusiasm is tempered.

I'm now going to do something that will probably expose me as "not a real fan" or a soccer doofus. I'm going to offer a defense of Bob Bradley. Sam's Army and the most rabid of U.S. soccer fans are howling with glee after Bob Bradley's sacking. They've wanted his hairless head ever since he had the temerity to start his son (never mind that Michael Bradley has been one of the consistent and reliable players over the last few years) or that, though he coached the team to an iconic win over Spain in the confederations cup, they blew a 2:0 lead to Brazil in the final (just the five-time World Champion/definition of a soccer country Brazil). Or maybe it was, after dramatically winning their group, the U.S. lost to Ghana in the round of 16 (never mind that Ghana was an excellent team playing a home game who literally got robbed of a spot in the semifinal). Or maybe it was that the U.S. got plastered by Mexico in the Gold Cup a few weeks ago (never mind that, after blowing it against Panama in the opening round, Bradley made all the right moves to get to the final, and that Mexico could be called the most-improved national team of the year).

Bradley's time may have been up, but I've always liked him, and I'm sad to see him go. He worked hard and held his head up, always knowing he was never the U.S. soccer federation's first choice. No, he did not reach the quarterfinal, and yes, Mexico is now #1 in North America (though I suspect this has more to do with the rise of some Manchester United quality strikers at El Tri and America's defensive deterioration than coaching competency on either side), and under his leadership, the U.S. boxed above his weight so much that I wonder if he buckled under the expectation he helped create. Maybe it didn't help him that, as ESPN Leandar Schaerlackens points out, he never went out of his way to charm the media or the public, but that's one of the reasons I liked him. I find it refreshing when someone, especially a public someone, doesn't feel the need to be a salesman.

But, whatever your opinion of the Bob Bradley, Klinsmann is the now the man, and I hope my skepticism is wrong, unfounded and just a result of living just East of the Rhine. I can only wish Coach Klinsmann well, and that he brings our boys to the next level of the beautiful game.