Two losses in a row. For this, Bob Bradley would have met his untimely demise on twitter. Calls for his head, for major change, for a certain German out of California. A coach’s favorite has been downright unimpressive in back to back games. But now this German is here, and he is in control. Yet two losses in a row?! HireBobBradley has already popped up on twitter. Robbie Rogerstein has shown what most MLS fans have known to be true for years. So do we panic yet? A certain president promised change, and we rallied behind him and hope. What most people forget is that true, long lasting change takes time and effort. Especially when you are rebuilding the core beliefs of a system from the ground up, which is what Jürgen Klinsmann is currently tasked with.
Many of you remember World Cup 2010 as we watched an American team full of promise
A US soccer fan's life in the past was spent on the edge
win their group for the first time ever at the World Cup. What many people forget is that to get there, the US came through a brutal stretch of qualification where they did not dominate games against opponents that needed to be and should have been dominated. The US played very reactive soccer, mastering the ‘Bend but do not break’ defense and slicing and dicing opponents with killer counterattacks. The US was known for their steely demeanor, an incredible will to win and the ability to capitalize on mistakes while minimizing their own. That and Tim Howard’s sheer beastmode ability made them a threat to beat any team on a given day at the international level. Spain likely remembers this quite well from the Confederations Cup. However, they were never a team who would come out and tire you out by pinging the ball around, probing and possessing while seizing up small gaps with incisive passes and perfect runs. If you were facing the US you did not need to plan around the US attacking strategy, as they were constantly defending and reacting. Out of this rose no real attacking style or identity, and although they were fun to watch, every game was full of tension. You never knew if the US would score as no true offensive game plan leading to consistent, good chances surfaced. Certainly Charlie Davies injury changed the ability of the US to impose the game on their opponent, but the true definition of a good team is depth. Leading up to the World Cup it was amazing how many people pointed out the large number of irreplaceable parts the US had. You could point to almost half the starting eleven where the drop off in talent between the starter and sub was immense. Could a team really compete on the international stage consistently without an identity and with so many breakable parts? As we saw after Steve Cherundolo’s injury in the Gold Cup final, it was clear they could not. But certainly losing games against mediocre opponents isn’t the way to reconcile these problems is it?
The difference between the USMNT losing two games in a row under Bob Bradley and losing two under Jürgen Klinsmann is the fact that Jürgen is taking the team in an entirely new direction. The US is beginning to produce talent that can compete at the highest level. Clint Dempsey is the best player on an EPL team. Tim Howard is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Going forward, the US will be producing more of these skillful, creative players that make an impact on the world stage. As a result, the national team must be shaped to allow them to play to their strengths and talents. Do not be surprised when Chelsea has an American in the starting lineup. Guys like Brek Shea will become the norm instead of the exception as more young Americans win starting eleven spots across Europe. This sort of player never fit into Bob Bradley’s system. How often did Clint Dempsey look frustrated after a teammate quickly turned over the ball after defending for five minutes, or when he made a long mazy run that beat three defenders to find that he was by himself up top with no support from his center mids? The USMNT’s game under Bradley had always been taking decent to good players, fitting them into the system well and playing to the overall strengths of the system. Tactically the system was never built to dominate games, to hold the ball for long stretches, and to create tons of opportunities. As a result, two losses under Bob meant something wasn’t working. Something was broken and needed to be addressed. Two losses against beatable teams was much more then results, it was a catastrophe of Brek Shea’s hair stylist proportions.
Today, two losses for team USA right now is nothing more then growing pains. This coaching change has not only brought a new coach to the team but new players and an entirely new style of play. This style is meant to give the team an identity, something to build around. Yet this concept of ‘identity’ stretches much further then the team itself but to the American public. Jürgen wants to give the country a team that has style and substance based on its people and its fans. Something exciting, some enjoyable to watch, and something that could hook the general populace into engaging with US Soccer. He has tasked himself with doing something that ESPN and US Soccer have failed at so far, making the USMNT relevant all the time, making it something the common American person relates to. The only way to do this is to play the beautiful game in a way that is enjoyable and fun to watch. Chamo and I briefly talked midway through the Costa Rica game and I mentioned that for the first time in a long time I was really enjoying watching the game. I enjoy every US game but this was different. They held the ball, made good passes and smart runs, and were constantly playing with a purpose and a picture of what they wanted to do on the field. It was something where you could see the beauty in the movement and the passes. Proactive instead of reactive. This excited me because this is what will get other people hooked on the USMNT. I’m already hooked but if US games are fun for people to watch on TV, it will draw fans out to stadiums to see the team play as well. More US fans generates a better atmosphere for the players, for the fans there, and for those watching on TV. This rapidly becomes cyclical and viral, and spreads the beautiful game across my beautiful country. If nothing else, Americans love things that captivate them, that keep them entertained. Bradley’s tactics for the US that consisted of quick punches after long periods of holding their ground never captured the imagination of the public. Klinsmann’s ideas of controlling the ball, attacking offensively and creating chances actually has a chance of doing this. So if it takes some growing pains to develop a style that is based upon attacking and possessing the ball, I can deal with that.
The other key is that Klinsmann is trying new players while sticking with his game plan on the field. When people scoffed at seeing Orozco-Fiscal on the field, I was encouraged. Sure, he and Castillo might not be the answer for the back line or even be with the team for World Cup qualifying. But they were at least given a chance to show what they bring to the table. This bite of the pie should push them to improve by keeping the national team in the back of their minds. It also shows young Mexican-American players that Klinsmann will take a look at them and give them chances. Look at Jose Torres. After being capped in the early part of World Cup qualifying, his two main appearances in a US shirt were against Costa Rica away and Slovenia, both times in formations the US had not relied on previously. That could not have been encouraging to any young player, much less any young player who might possibly be choosing between the US and Mexico. Get cap tied, then be used sparingly and blamed for the team’s failure in the games you were part of? No thanks. Now you see Torres playing consistently and getting a legitimate shot at showing his value going forward toward World Cup Qualifying. Whether or not he ends up being a key cog in the team is irrelevant, because guys like him, Shea, and Rogers are getting ample opportunity to play and not be cast off at the first sight of a mistake or poor game. It’s better to find out now that Robbie Rogerstein isn’t what Klinsmann hope he would be on the wing then in him disappointing as the US draws against T&T in qualifying. It’s better to see Timmy Chandler get a run out at left back now, then have him be forced into that spot when someone gets injured before US-Mexico in the Hex with no experience there. It’s better to see Maurice Edu get a legitimate look at holding midfield then leave him on the bench for a more proven player. It helps remind everyone that no spot belongs to them. That the guard has changed and the coach wants you to prove to him that you deserve to even wear a shirt, much less have your name on it.
Now is the perfect time not only to test new players but to let everyone on the team feel out the new formation and strategy that Klinsmann intends to play. A majority of these players have been part of Bradley’s team and for many that is the only national team strategy they have ever known. They have played the ‘Bend but don’t break and counter hard’ for the past 4+ years. Suddenly shifting to an offensive mindset is not a change that takes place in two games, especially not when you have minimal time to train before these games and you are playing with players who you are likely not very familiar with. This massive shift in mentality and style may take up until World Cup qualifying starts to really take hold, as the US has very limited practice time each time they go on international break. The key is that every time the players come together, the system that Klinsmann wants to play is clearly defined, that they play it throughout each game, and that each player is a part of it. Constantly reinforcing that players should be creative, should take chances, should go for goal is a big part of how Klinsmann can help move the players of the national team out of the past and into the present. So far, so good.
Klinsmann’s start has been far from perfect in the results column, but he has begun to make a drastic change to soccer in the US, not only for the national team but for the fans and the overall style of soccer in the country as well. That is the only result that truly matters, and to see results there, it will take time. Fortunately he and the team have plenty of it and Mr. Klinsmann has used it wisely so far.
One Response to “A Drastic Shift for Team USA”
I totally agree with you about it being nearly painful to watch the USMNT under Bradley. It was hard to fault his results in tournaments because the team’s fighting spirit helped them to meet the low expectations that we all hold for them. But now, though the results aren’t what I’d like them to be, it’s nice to see some attacking soccer for a change. As long as the results turn before qualifying, I don’t mind if it takes the team a while to get the results that we expect.