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Nothing works for a coach like success; nothing eats up a team like failure. This has been illustrated perfectly in the recent spate of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. On the one hand, Jurgen Klinsmann, who, until very recently, was rumoured to be falling out with the players, has suddenly become the best thing since sliced bread. All of this has happened on the “strength” of some very ugly one-goal victories. During the same spell, arch rivals Mexico have dominated all their games, but the Gods who guard the goal have conspired to keep them out. While the Mexican press, nay, the entire country, has been wringing their hands about the sudden impotence of El Tri, US commentators at the Confederations Cup have been indulging in a smirk-filled orgy of schadenfreude at the expense of our southern neighbours.
More than any style of play, it looks like Klinsmann is working on team composition. He has put his neck on the line by chopping the most sacred cow on the team – Landon Donovan. However, he did it using a very rational argument – if you aren’t getting minutes on the field with your club, you won’t be on the team. Donovan’s sabbatical gave Klinsmann the excuse and Donovan’s struggle to return to form since his return has kept that decision intact. One has to wonder if this is strategic, since US teams with Donovan have modelled their play around him.
If the Klinsmann era team has been accused of being more German than American, the accusation does have merit. Start with the infusion of German born players – Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, and Terence Boyd. That only scratches the surface. The more insidious Germanization of the team is to have Jermaine Jones as the principal playmaker in the midfield – a mistake that is actually crippling the US attack. More on that in a bit.
Looking at the team, I will start, as always, from the back. The US team has always been blessed with tremendous strength and depth at the goalkeeping position. Over the years, we have mostly had to debate over which of our two keepers should be starting – Meola or Keller, Keller of Friedel, Howard or Guzan. Being spoilt for choice is always a good thing when it comes to goalkeepers.
However, the biggest problem for anyone who has watched the US team since the late 1980s or so is the precipitous decline in the quality of our central defenders. There was a time when the US relied mostly on its stifling defence, with goals coming from speedy counter-attacks down the wing. We had people like Alexi Lalas, Eddie Pope and Marcello Balboa – players who brought solidity to the back-line. The present team had lately been struggling just to put two bodies in place.
Klinsmann seems to have found the answer in a very unlikely pair from the MLS ranks – Besler and Gonzalez. They may not quite be in the mould of the Serbian pairing of Vidic and Nastasic (ironically, with the US-born Subotic in reserve), but they have been growing well into the role. Besler, in particular, has made several of those last-ditch tackles, while Gonzales gives us an aerial presence on set pieces. The other glaring weak sister is Brad Evans; the sooner Cherundolo is back on his feet, the better. Evans is just too slow. With Fabian Johnson and Beasley, the other fullback spot is covered.
The US midfield has been blessed and cursed. Blessed by the seemingly endless line of capable, if not brilliant, playmakers. Cursed on two levels – one in common with the Gunners, a dearth of defensive enforcers; the other, a correctable deficiency, is the team composition.
Klinsmann’s effort to solve the first problem, coupled with his penchant for Bundesliga players, has resulted in choking the US attack. He has chosen to play Michael Bradley in the defensive midfield role, with the attack going through Jermaine Jones. Jones is a good player, but he only appears to be capable of looking for the long ball over the top to Jozy Altidore. This compels Jozy to play with his back to the goal and negates the creative potential of players like Dempsey. Bradley is an excellent defensive midfielder, but the best US attacks have come when he has made long runs at the opposition, as he showed against Mexico and Panama.
However, Jones is such a liability defensively that Bradley cannot risk going forward when paired with Jones. Can Klinsmann think outside his own box? Bring in Edu or Holden (when he is fit) for Jones, let Bradley run the attack, with Jones coming off the bench if we are behind. Zusi has been a pleasant surprise. I would hardly have dreamt that an MLS player would finally be the conduit that finally unleashes Altidore.
Jozy Altidore is finally getting the service he deserves
The front-line seems to be sorting itself out now that Altidore is getting some service. The poor lad faced a lot of flak during that goal drought; how can a guy score when he is trying desperately to hold off two or three defenders, waiting for a teammate to show up? With Johnson, Zusi and Bradley finally giving him chances to run onto the ball, Jozy is showing his abilities. Dempsey has been subdued, but I blame this on Klinsmann’s decision to play Jones. Dempsey needs the short passing game to really shine. The reserves on tap are not bad – Boyd and Gomez backing the big man; although there isn’t a very good backup for Dempsey.
With four qualifiers to go, conventional wisdom suggests 3 points would be enough to get a top 3 spot and go through. However, there are no easy wins in this lot – Costa Rica wanting revenge for being snowed under; Mexico, who usually wake up and get the results they need; Panama away – they beat us last year in the Gold Cup; Jamaica, perhaps the best hope.
Unfortunately, World Cup seedings do not depend on who wins the qualifying groups; instead, it is decided by historical results. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy when you think about it. If you get into the top two seeds, you get two lower-ranked teams in your group and stand a better chance of making it to the knockout rounds, thus padding your historical results. Meanwhile, the “have-nots” must get the better of superior opposition, not once, but several times, and hope one of the “haves” slips up, not once, but equally consistently, so that a spot opens up.
Klinsmann worked his magic on the German team. They didn’t win, but they had been completely transformed from the Teutonic style of the past. Joachim Low has kept that style and sought to improve it. This is a different challenge for Klinsmann – qualifying ugly if necessary, and then transforming a side with mediocre credentials into a viable contender for the World Cup. The promise of 2002 still remains unfulfilled for the true blue US fans. We want to see Klinsmann at least restore that dream, if not fulfil it.
