- Jason Davis

The theme most prevalent thus far in Jurgen Klinsmann's tenure as USMNT head coach - all month and change of it - is the movement towards integrating America's abundant Latin soccer influence into the team. In part because Klinsmann has made it his cause cause célèbre (in concert with imbuing in the team a more attacking, fluid style - more on that in a minute), we can't go more than a few hours without a new piece waxing on about it, without the Paul Gardners of the world bellowing "FINALLY!" at people on the street, or without the overarching generalizations that are part and parcel of sweeping soccer-style speak.

There are only so many ways to describe the possession-based, pass heavy, high pressure, attack-minded style of play that Klismann is intent on imposing on his new team. Barcelona and Spain play the celebrated "tiki-taka", and are the undisputed champions of the modern standard. On this side of the world, it's called the "Latin style" due to the regional influence of Mexico, where possession is valued from the youngest levels of the game all the way through to the national team. Forgiving a nuance here or there lost on 95% of the soccer-viewing public, they're essentially the same thing, an idealized way of playing that embodies more of the "beautiful" in "the beautiful game" than any other style. Hence the appeal, and why Klinsmann's experiment has bought him patience on the part of the USMNT fan base. It a seismic shift. Those only happen slowly, with plenty of upheaval.

- Jason Davis

I'm struck today - after my maudlin ramble last night that was mostly down to putting fingers to keyboard at halftime and then changing course mid-stream - by the thing on which so many people are focused after the Americans managed to salvage a draw against Mexico last night in Philadelphia. It's not any perceived change in philosophy, or the play of any individual player, but the attitude of the new head coach. Jurgen, he's ebullient, and people are smitten.

- Jason Davis

You're a rational person. You understand how this game works, with its subtle interminable nuances and unruly moving parts. You understand that change is rarely quick, is never easy, and doesn't happen merely because you wish it to, and particularly not on this level with its stop-start nature. Executing a fundamental shift in approach and philosophy is a like turning around a speeding vehicle going 100 mph; if you want to do it without putting yourself in the hospital you have to do it gradually, and with patience.

When news broke earlier in the week that Sunil Gulati had finally ceased his near teenage girl obsession with Jurgen Klinsmann and finally awarded Bob Bradley the contract extension he deserved, I let forth a fist-pump and an exclamatory “all right!” Following a four year cycle that saw the once caretaker coach lead the U.S. Men’s National Team to a Gold Cup trophy, second place finish in the Confederations Cup, and a round-of-16 match in the World Cup, Bradley met all reasonable expectations thus far in his tenure. Dumping Bradley at this juncture would only undue the progress made under his tutelage and leadership.

When the news "broke" that Sunil Gulati had met with Jurgen Klinsmann, a wave of deja vu washed over the USMNT fan base. Thursday meetings between Gulati and Bob Bradley yielded no resolution on the current coach's future, and word that the Fed is bringing the German legend back into the mix is sign that Bradley might be on his way out. For Bradly-haters and Klinsy-lovers, the development was welcomed enthusiastically.


But word of the Klinsmann meeting almost certainly emanated from US Soccer itself, bringing into question the reason for the leak. That Bradley has made googly eyes at European clubs like Fulham and Aston Villa while his status as National Team manager is unsettled can't sit well with Soccer House, and though Klinsmann's candidacy in 2006 and stated interest in the US gives meetings with him some weight, it's possible both sides are just playing games. The ultimate significance of the Klinsmann meetings is mitigated by the origin of to the story and the outlet that reported it first (ESPN). It definitely seems like US Soccer was looking to to make a point through the press from here.


Which Bradley surely received, though it's difficult to know if it hit its mark as Gulati intended. As long as Bradley remains on the job months after the World Cup and meetings end without resolution, any noise about a successor should be viewed with a skeptical eye. The Klinsmann star has dimmed a bit in the intervening years since '06, and while that might make it easier for US Soccer to bring him aboard without repeating complications, it might also have soured them on giving him the control he demanded. If Bradley is done, then Klinsmann is a logical choice to replace him; but this meeting wasn't much more than Gulati and Klinsmann getting reacquainted and glad-handing a bit. Maybe Gulati talked to Klinsmann about taking the job, or perhaps he just asked the German his opinion on the program, Bradley, and how to take the next step. We certainly know Klinsmann has opinions.


Even if much of the haranguing between Bradley and US Soccer is just an issue of money, Klinsmann will cost more than Bob. Maybe that's not an issue, but if the choice is down to bringing back a proven, if decidedly un-sexy, commodity at a slightly higher cost than before or bringing in an unproven (at least in the US job) and much more expensive option, the the Fed's calculated leak might not be anything more than a negotiating ploy. Each side is working to expand their leverage; Bradley has largely missed with his plays for English interest (Villa effectively eliminated Bradley with their statement over the weekend), but the message that he's looking for a new challenge is clear. US Soccer's salvo, timed conveniently with Gulati's meeting with Bradley is their message that they do have other options.


In the end, the effectiveness of these ploys is questionable at best. As mentioned, Bradley has no return interest from major clubs abroad to give him significant leverage with US Soccer. Unless he is open to a return to MLS, he may not have a ready-made landing spot. For their part, US Soccer has drummed up no vocal interest from any name candidates, and look to be falling back on a sympathetic, and local, standby for their own bit of push back. The longer this saga goes on, the more it appears that neither side has viable Plan B.


Klinsmann might be a legitimate candidate, and maybe US Soccer really is ready to consummate the relationship they couldn't in 2006. But the nature and timing of the Klinsmann news makes it seem more like a calculated shot across Bradley's bow than an actual step towards a new USMNT manager.

Blank slate. Ramble time?


Or a Larry King-style stream of consciousness collection of random thoughts?


More likely neither, but let's see how a directionless late night post goes...


As a fan of American soccer always looking for a breakthrough moment, even as I intellectually know it's extremely unlikely to happen, I wonder if this World Cup can provide it. England. Charlie Davies (maybe). ESPN's full court press. A confluence of factors that could be a tipping point. But probably not. Won't change anything for most of us anyway.


Still burning brain cells on the issues brought up over at Nutmeg Radio about US supporter music. Is our soccer culture too fragmented to ever find a coherent voice, or is that range of influences a strength that will allow us to form something truly unique? I hope it's the latter, even though I imagine it will be a long, painful process of stops and starts. What do American fans bring to the table as a group? It just might be up to people like the American Outlaws to figure it out.


The issue of American "style" came up thanks to Jurgen Klinsmann's comments on our apparent lack of one. This discussion, and the accusation that American soccer is devoid of distinct character elicits a fairly visceral reaction in me. The object is to win the game, which means playing your strengths; for Bob Bradley and the men that came before him, that means relying on defending and counter-attacking almost exclusively. I guess that in and of itself isn't a "style". Bah. Do what you need to do to win, and style will evolve over time. Most nations given the honor of having a "style" by experts have been A) successful internationally or B) operating top-flight leagues for decades. The US has done neither. Where's the appreciation for the time it takes to develop?


Speaking of Klinsmann, his naming to the ESPN crew dredges up all of those raw nerves from the US courtship of the German legend. The man's coaching resume is fairly thin when you think about it, though he does have "German National Team" and "Bayern Munich" in bold, 24 point font on it. Sure, his World Cup run carries weight, and his Americanized sensibilities might have made him a good fit here on some level. But I'm doubtful, without being able to prove it of course, that he could have done any better to this point than the coach we ended up with. Say what you want about Bob Bradley, he's managed to pull some fairly impressive performances out of this team. Confederations Cup aside, I can't help but wonder what might have been in Azteca if Donovan hadn't been ill and beaten to the end line for Mexico's winning goal. Yeah, I know. It doesn't matter much now.


I'm reading (in fits and starts) Filip Bondy's book Chasing the Game. It's the telling of the US story leading up to the World Cup, with some additional background on high profile players and Bob Bradley. There's nothing special about it, and there are a few fairly obvious mistakes that footy fans would catch, but it's not a terrible read. If you been around for awhile, it serves as a trip down memory lane; if you're new to the game, the National Team, or the World Cup buildup, it becomes more of a primer. There's room for that, and I'm glad to see books like this appearing; but as Adam Spangler rightfully pointed out in one of the first reviews I've seen of the book, there's little to no narrative, and the information presented is in no way new. Oh, and bits of it are maddening for people who know and love the game. Take it for what it is and move on.


How Larry King managed to spit out those USA Today columns in one sentence/thought bites, I have no idea. Maybe I'm just too damn wordy.


Have a good weekend.

Jurgen Klinsmann is a man without a country. Fired from Bayern Munich with only a few matches remaining in the Bundesliga season, Klinsmann's "American" ideas always made him slightly distasteful to a demanding German public. Despite leading his country to a somewhat surprising third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann has simply spent too much time in the good old U. S. of A. for his countrymen to consider him properly German.

And yet, he's not really American either.

Many American soccer have a soft spot for Klinsmann, and on more than one occasion, I've heard staunch "the National Team should have an American coach" proponents back down from that stance when Jurgen's name comes up. Sunil Gulati's courtship with Klinsmann came to naught the first time around, and Bob Bradley stepped in. Bradley's done a good job to this point, through he naturally has detractors. Could we see USSF flirt with Klinsmann again?

My feeling? Maybe, and probably, but not yet. How's that for taking a position?

Let me explain myself. I certainly think that Gulati is desperate to hire Klinsmann. But as long as Bradley continues to have success, and as long Gulati lacks just-cause, the USSF's hands are tied. Bradley, as of yet, has given the federation no reason to let him go; as callous as the powers-that-be can act in this type of situation, I can't conceive of a legitimate reason to shake things up at this point at time.

Does that mean it won't happen? Of course not. Gulati will continue to drool over the only man on the planet with a significant pedigree and a solid managerial background that splits the difference between "foreign" and "American".

That's the draw. That's what makes Klinsmann's potential leadership of the Nats so intriguing. The man lives in California, has eagerly embraces American techniques, and has a good understanding of American players. What's not to like?

I don't know if Klinsmann will try to get back into management immediately, or if he plans to go back to California and chill his heels for a bit. I don't know if he has actual interest in any job, much less one in the United States. Conceivably, he could even be seen as a candidate for a Major League Soccer job if things continue to go poorly for certain clubs (LA Galaxy spring to mind). But let's pretend for a moment that he would take the USMNT job if offered: what's to say that Gulati doesn't give Klinsmann a handshake deal, one that will have the German replacing Bradley when the timing is right for a change?

A run of poor results, a bad showing at the Confed (or Gold) Cup, or just the conclusion of World Cup qualifying could all be used as excuses to make a change. I don't want to say that it's a foregone conclusion, and I could very well be made to look like an idiot when the Nats head to South Africa with Bradley still at the helm; I don't claim to know anything, it's just idle speculation.

But does any of it sound unreasonable?