Soccer/Association football: Jürgen Klinsmann new U.S. coach

[jrthebassguy]

Juergen Klinsmann faces high expectations to improve the U.S. national team -- Jeff Carlisle -- soccer - ESPN

I'm kinda sad to see Bob Bradley go, but honestly a change of pace is/was needed, and Klinsmann is probably the best we could've gotten, for better or worse.

I suppose the question is - will the U.S. get the Klinsmann that took Germany to 3rd place in '06, or the Klinsmann that was disgraced out of Bayern Munich?


And yes, I'm aware this thread is probably relevant to 3 people on this forum.

[jp58]

Originally Posted by jrthebassguy

And yes, I'm aware this thread is probably relevant to 3 people on this forum.

There seem to be a higher correlation of Soccer/Football savvy folks on TB than I see in our general public. I have to stress the word "soccer" when I talk about the WC so that I ensure some dingus doesn't think that we've started an international American football league.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by jrthebassguy

And yes, I'm aware this thread is probably relevant to 3 people on this forum.

It means just as much to me as all the current NFL free agent signings, actually. I like the move, but maybe it would've played out better if it had happened one of the earlier times it seemed to be in the works.

[tbrannon]

Fantastic hire, IMO.

[WickedPissah]

I've been hoping for this.
Watch out world, the Yanks are coming.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by WickedPissah

I've been hoping for this.
Watch out world, the Yanks are coming.

+1

Honestly, we still don't have the ball handling skills that we need to be a powerhouse. I'm not sure what it is but our 'boys' don't seem to have them quite like other nations. That said, we definitely play with more heart and honor than any other nation. I don't think the term 'dive' is even in our vocabulary.

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

+1

Honestly, we still don't have the ball handling skills that we need to be a powerhouse. I'm not sure what it is but our 'boys' don't seem to have them quite like other nations. That said, we definitely play with more heart and honor than any other nation. I don't think the term 'dive' is even in our vocabulary.

The game is littered with managers, both internationally and at club level, who had outstanding playing careers. However, there are very few great players who go on to make great managers. In fact, most of the great managers were decidedly average players at best.

Klinsmann, at his best, was up there with some of Europes greats, even if he is more renowned for being a little bit over dramatic when having his delicate little ankles ever so lightly tapped.

As an international manager? Hmmm.

And regarding becoming 'a powerhouse', football is something that takes decades to master. The worlds most successful clubs and countries have traditions going back before 1900. It has to become part and parcel of the sporting ethos of the populace, the people's game. It saddens me to see how much our beloved English game has become nothing more than a playground for mediocre mercenaries, where the idea of honouring a contract is as outdated as the idea that you don't dive.

Whilst the US will undoubtedly grow as a footballing force, I cannot see them challenging the great European or South American nations for some time yet.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by jp58

There seem to be a higher correlation of Soccer/Football savvy folks on TB than I see in our general public. I have to stress the word "soccer" when I talk about the WC so that I ensure some dingus doesn't think that we've started an international American football league.

Just with being an international forum I'd suspect, with Football (soccer) being the most popular sport in the rest of the world

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Whilst the US will undoubtedly grow as a footballing force, I cannot see them challenging the great European or South American nations for some time yet.

+1

I just can't see them becoming amazing any time soon, and that isn't to try and make a dig. There are a lot of sports that, in theory, the US should do well at, but don't (ie Rugby! )

[caligula]

Originally Posted by WickedPissah

I've been hoping for this.
Watch out world, the Yanks are coming.

Anything I can do to prevent this?

Joking aside.
Re his Bayern München failure, you have to consider that Munich is probably the most "diva" team in the German Bundesliga, it probably doesn't get any harder for a coach. Lots of officials who interfere behind the curtain. So, I'd say Munich might not be representative.

However, re his 2006 success, some say that a large part of that was due to Jogi Löw's expertise.
Anyway, IMHO he's a very good choice.

[Longhair]

I have yet to hear of a fantasy soccer league pop up anywhere.

[EdHunter]

^We have a TB League going right now...

And guys, don't kid yourself. Klinsmann will not lead the US to anything other then maybe a Copa America quarter-final. That's the way it'll always be, and not even Graham Turner would be able to turn that around...

[Tituscrow]

Pele, Beckenbauer, Best...if some of the worlds best players, admittedly well past their peak, couldn't spark the American sports fans enthusiasm for football several decades ago, I'm not sure how the future looks any better now.

Btw, do you mean Graham Taylor?

[EdHunter]

Nope, Turner:

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by EdHunter

Nope, Turner:

Apologies. Initially thought it was a reference to Taylors ill fated reign as England manager, for some reason.

Another Shewsy fan? I work with one. Wears his Derek Smalls shirt with pride! Still gives me grief about them knocking us out of the FA Cup in the days when Rooney was still pretending to be one of us.

[EdHunter]

I have a Smalls shirt, too. And I can remember Jemmo curling that free kick in like it was yesterday... (I was 9 at the time, so that kinda made my world)

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by EdHunter

I have a Smalls shirt, too. And I can remember Jemmo curling that free kick in like it was yesterday... (I was 9 at the time, so that kinda made my world)

Nine? Jeez...that's makes you what...sixteen? I have a pushbike older than you! Oh well. You wont remember Moyes playing for your lot then...

[jrthebassguy]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Pele, Beckenbauer, Best...if some of the worlds best players, admittedly well past their peak, couldn't spark the American sports fans enthusiasm for football several decades ago, I'm not sure how the future looks any better now.

Btw, do you mean Graham Taylor?

The MLS is much more popular than the league of yesteryear with those aging greats. My local team regularly pulls 10k per game, which of course is nothing compared to the teams of Europe, but is huge when you consider Pele and Best were struggling to get more than a few hundred people to show up to matches during their time in the US.

[EdHunter]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Nine? Jeez...that's makes you what...sixteen? I have a pushbike older than you! Oh well. You wont remember Moyes playing for your lot then...

Wait, I was 10 for that game, not nine (almost 18 atm). Moyes was a touch before my time, as far as being around for goes, but I am well aware of his brilliance

[crucislancer]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Pele, Beckenbauer, Best...if some of the worlds best players, admittedly well past their peak, couldn't spark the American sports fans enthusiasm for football several decades ago, I'm not sure how the future looks any better now.

There are several problems with soccer's lack of popularity in America, and it will take more then some of the world's best players to unseat other American sports in popularity. While soccer was becoming incredibly popular in other parts of the world, the States were focused on baseball. On the other hand, soccer's popularity does continue to grow here, but I think the only way it's going to become truly popular is to have a good showing in the World Cup.

Originally Posted by EdHunter

^We have a TB League going right now...

And guys, don't kid yourself. Klinsmann will not lead the US to anything other then maybe a Copa America quarter-final. That's the way it'll always be, and not even Graham Turner would be able to turn that around...

Maybe. There are some great players coming up through the U-17 and U-20 ranks that could certainly help give the U.S. team a good showing on the national stage, as well as some of the veterans we have. Having Klinsmann certainly will help, and I'm really happy that he's been selected as coach, though I hope his attacking style doesn't push to the side some of the problems we have with defense.

I have hope, though.

[crucislancer]

Originally Posted by jrthebassguy

The MLS is much more popular than the league of yesteryear with those aging greats. My local team regularly pulls 10k per game, which of course is nothing compared to the teams of Europe, but is huge when you consider Pele and Best were struggling to get more than a few hundred people to show up to matches during their time in the US.

One of the big problems with the old NASL was the fact that there was very little TV coverage. I remember as a kid in Anaheim, I would rarely hear about soccer, they never showed them on TV, and I only saw one match, which was also right around the time that the NASL started to fold.

Now, with ESPN, Fox Soccer, and so forth, there is more of a chance to catch a match on the TV and then perhaps entertain someone enough to go see a match in person. Also, I've been amazed with Seattle and Portland, both teams are selling out home matches and the fans go nuts.