Costa Rica head coach Rodrigo Kenton was fired today, the move coming on the heels of a poor turn of form for the Ticos that has them sitting in the fourth position of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

After flying high out of the gates and climbing to the top of the standings, Costa Rica's recent inability to score has them fighting for a place in South Africa next year. With the fourth place finisher in CONCACAF destined for a playoff with the fifth place finisher in CONMEBOL (currently Argentina), all is not well in San Jose.

Kenton's dismissal now leaves Bob Bradley (USA), Reinaldo Reina (Honduras), and Carlos de los Cobos (El Salvador) as the only head coaches in the Hexagonal that have led their teams for more than a calendar year.

Costa Rica, although in a significantly different position than their northern counterparts, has followed Mexico's lead in switching managers during the crucial latter part of qualifying. Meanwhile, despite vociferous opinions that he should be shown the door, American head man Bob Bradley has never been in serious jeopardy of losing his job. Barring a disastrous collapse in the last two matches of the Hexagonal and failure in the playoff (which is the worst place the US can finish at this point), there's no reason to believe that Bradley won't be manning the sidelines at World Cup 2010.

Results matter here, obviously, and Kenton hasn't been getting them. The same type of failures that led Mexico to let go of Sven Goran Eriksson happened much later for the Ticos, and the timing could be an issue. Costa Rica must now find a coach who can shepherd them to qualification despite taking the top post before the final two matches of the Hex and in the midst of a scoring drought.

While the American soccer mindset and lack of media heat means more stability in for the US head coach, the rabid and life-or-death nature of Latin American football means coaches like Kenton are always just a few losses away from losing their jobs.

Costa Rica's last two matches are home to Trinidad & Tobago (eliminated), and away to the United States. A win against the eliminated Soca Warriors would guarantee them at least the playoff spot; getting a result against in the US, who may need the match to ensure their own qualification, will be much more difficult.

I considered turning this post into a commentary on the different approaches of US Soccer and the Latin American federations, but thought better of it. If you would like to comment on the idea or if you believe Bob Bradley would have been fired if the US was as rabid a footballing country as some of our CONCACAF brethren, feel free.

This week on MFUSA, Jason and Zach discuss FIRE BOB!, the USL-1 breakaway, young Americans coming home to MLS, and the USA-Honduras TV issues.

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The US National Team's fan base is a conflicted bunch. While some are happy that qualification is close, more than a few are nevertheless disappointed with the way recent results have been earned. The Americans haven't imposed their will on their last two opponents, despite those nations being the two bringing up the rear of the CONCACAF Hexagonal standings. With that displeasure come the obvious heat on head man Bob Bradley.

It's a sporting certainty; when things aren't going the way people think they should, the head coach gets all the blame.

And so the internet soccer community is abuzz with criticisms and defenses.

On one side, "They should be better, it's Bradley's fault, we need a new man."

On the other, "He's done well with what he has, you have an unrealistic view of the team."

So who holds the high ground in this age-old debate? It's likely to follow Bradley all the way to South Africa, and the results there will ultimately determine his fate; but for the time being, while qualification is still not yet confirmed and the team struggles to beat the lesser lights of the region, the sniping and reactionary shout downs will continue unabated.

The last time Bradley's job performance was such a hot topic, the US had yet to earn their signature in South Africa at the Confederations Cup. I wrote on the subject, called for Bradley to resign, and gave some credence to the argument that perhaps the job was too much for the Princeton man.

And then the United States beat the top ranked team in the world.

Most of my reservations about Bradley, ones that still may be legitimate despite the late run in South Africa, went out the window; how could I, or anyone, suggest that Bradley should lose his job with a straight face?

Yet, here we are, only a few months later and after an up and down summer, and the shouting has resumed. To be fair, many of the fans who were calling for Bradley's job then were never really convinced despite the victory over Spain; they simply receded into the background for a time, keeping their opinions to themselves and waiting for an opportunity to return.

I don't necessarily agree with them, but I reject the notion that their opinion is not worthwhile, or that they're overrating the team by supposing that another manager could have the US playing better. The grass is always greener, or so they say, and because the issues is a subjective one and their supposition inherently unprovable, it's equally as valid as the opposite viewpoint.

Why would accepting poor performances, wins or not, be okay simply because the US doesn't have "top talent"? The talent is good enough to compete with most of the world, certainly, as proven this summer. If the margins between great, good, passable, and terrible are so small, then the actions and abilities of the manager are absolutely crucial. We've seen Bob Bradley get the best out of this team, and so we know he is capable. But we've also see the team struggle when they shouldn't, or play poorly and look lethargic when there is no excuse; criticism should follow those lesser performances, whether the US is a world power or not.

It's a delicate balance. The US has talent, good players who can play great together, but lacks the extra quality that would allow for consistent play, even against the weaker teams in the final round of qualifying.

Does that mean Bob Bradley should get a free pass? I don't think so.

So yell away, FIRE BOB! crowd. I won't exactly be cheering you on, but I understand why you're shouting.

If you slept through Sunday, you missed a bit of excitement. If you slept though Sunday and you're a United States Men's National Team fan, then not only is there something wrong with you, but you're probably kicking yourself this morning.

If you did miss it, and I'm not sure how that's possible, the US defeated Egypt 3-0 in their final Confederations Cup group stage match, and with a little bit of help from Brazil, somehow made it to the semi-finals of the tournament.

Alright, enough with the review of fact that you should already know. Let's talk a little about the fallout.

This is how the story goes:

All of the people who were calling for Bob Bradley's head, all of those people who were vociferous in their displeasure with the direction of the team, have gone suddenly silent, been suddenly shamed into backing down, and suddenly no longer have a leg to stand on. Bradley showed his worth, so the haters should all go away, should all crawl back into the holes from which they came.

Bullcrap.

I'm sorry; although I'm not leading the "Fire Bob!" charge, I simply don't think that one game against an Egypt side that was clearly a shell of themselves buys Bradley a reprieve. One reasonably good performance out of three still doesn't cut it; if Bradley was as good a manager as yesterday's match makes him look, then he should have been able to put out competitive sides against Italy and Brazil.

Granted, Brazil look to be a juggernaut after the thrashing they administered to Italy, so perhaps we can forgive the US effort against them, if even just a little.

But I remain convinced that Bradley's tactics, team selections, and ability to convince his team that they can win is sorely lacking. One game won't change that, and the US still look like a side that will get beat in Azteca, stumble home in the second half of qualifying, then be three and out in the 2010 World Cup. While what I saw yesterday was encouraging and shows that this team does have potential, it also serves to shine a glaring spotlight on their recent struggles/failures, indicating that Bradley has done a poor job preparing them to play.

So I'm not yet backing down. If one game becomes two, and they play well against the unbeatable Spaniards, I promise to review the situation again. Until then, consider me encouraged but not yet convinced.

Let me know, if you were on the "Fire Bob!" bandwagon, if the win over Egypt has changed your mind. If you were a Bob defender, go ahead and crow; it's your right, and it's as good a time as any to state your case that he deserves to stay on.

A much happier post, one that focuses on the match itself and the great effort by the players with zero Bob content, should be coming later today.

The Confederations Cup to this point of the United States Men's National Team has been an unmitigated disaster. Two matches, two poor performances, two defeats. In neither game, first against Italy and then against Brazil, did the Americans show any glimpse of being a team that could threaten to make some noise at next year's South African main event.

In fact, things have been so bad to this point, and some inconsistent play in CONCACAF qualifying previous to the tournament hasn't helped, that Bob Bradley is now taking some heat from fans.

A strong performance today, preferably a win, against African champions Egypt would go a long way towards easing some of that pressure. While Bradley will not completely be let off the hook, an improvement over the last two efforts might give at least a small segment of the American soccer community faith that the man in charge has some idea of what he's doing.

It's a tall order. Egypt has played exceedingly well in the Confederations Cup, first losing a back and forth match with Brazil 4-3, then defeating defending World Champions Italy 1-0 in a historic result. Just based on the eyeball test, American chances against a team flying as high as the Pharaohs would seem to be small. So small, in fact, that for many observers it's not a matter of victory, but more a matter of how bad the final margin of defeat will be.

One more chance with the "full-strength" squad to prove that he has a plan, one more chance to inject some flair and skill into a side that has shown none of either during their stay in South Africa; it's what faces Bradley today, with all USMNT supporter eyes on him. Many of us are convinced that the Princeton man has both lost his team and run out of ideas, and it will take an overwhelming turnaround against a nation that has played with and beaten two of the best teams in the world to change our minds.

If Bradley is worth his salt, if his defenders are right when they say that he deserves to stay on and see this World Cup cycle through, then the US will be much improved today. But if he is on his last legs as National Team manager, and the job is too big for him to handle, then we'll see another disappointing performance that will only server to increase the heat on him and rile up USMNT fans to even louder calls for his head.

For the players, it's all about pride. While they are still mathematically alive to advance in the tournament, the chances are so remote as to be laughable. As such, the effort is the focus. They'll certainly want to play well, and no one would suggest that they haven't done their best to win; but because the first two matches went so poorly (minus one solid half against Italy), there's extra pressure now to prove that they belong on the world stage of international soccer.

I have no idea what to expect. I'm not even sure that Bradley has been shocked out of his shell, and will actually try to put a team on the field that has a chance of scoring against Egypt. I worry that we'll see the same mistakes made today that we saw in the previous two matches; namely, players who have no business playing a significant role for the Nats standing on the field when kickoff comes (hi, DaMarcus), while players that have yet to be given an chance and that could add a new dimension to the American effort sit on the bench (hello, Jose). My faith has been eroded, and I can no longer bring myself to have hopeful expectations.

I want to know how you feel today, both pre- and post-match.

Ahead of the game, do you have faith that Bradley will shake things up or manage to get a full, cohesive effort out of the team? Will a strong performance persuade you that Bradley should stay on to see out qualifying and lead the squad to the World Cup next year?

Come by after the match and share your impressions, as we all attempt to put whatever kind of game they play in perspective.

No matter your position in the suddenly-hot debate over Bob Bradley's worth as US National Team coach, the movement advocating his firing (or resignation) is an interesting window into the soccer culture of America.

Without the mainstream media microscope of the more popular sports, soccer is left with a few paid journalists and a cadre of amateur soccer bloggers. This collection of blogs, no matter their narrower reach individually, has a reasonable influence as a combined community.

It's the weight of many voices being brought to bear that has me intrigued; putting aside for a moment my own feelings on the matter, I'm heartened to see an organization (US Soccer) that has too often been given a free pass by those in within the American soccer community's mainstream media be put on notice by bloggers across the Internet. Believe it or not, more pressure on US Soccer is a good thing; without a reasonable amount of accountability to those of us who truly care about the program and the National Team's direction, Sunil Gulati and those in positions of power can continue to act with impunity.

More than likely, the feelings of dissatisfaction and expressions of them by writers of all qualities and worth will mean nothing in the big picture. The full weight of thousands (roughly speaking; I have no idea how many there actually are) of bloggers is still only one straw on the back of US Soccer's camel. It would take many more straws from many more writers with more influence and higher profiles to create any legitimate pressure that might somehow affect change. But make no mistake; Soccer House knows we're out here, be we journalists, bloggers, or commenters. With every "FIRE BOB!" blog post and "It's time for a change" article, bloggers make an impact, no matter how small it might be.

And so, I'm encouraged. Soccer may not get the attention it deserves, or have the talking heads breaking it down here like it does in so many other footballing nations; but there are people speaking out, and doing so loudly and with passion, and in the end, that's just about all we can ask. It will take time for the head honchos of US Soccer to really be swayed by the winds of public opinion and the force of collective pressure. In the world of new media and direct access, it's bloggers and their readers who will slowly build to that crescendo; the time is coming, and today's backlash against Bob Bradley and a plateaued USMNT is only the first domino to fall.