The United States Men’s National Team is, if nothing else, much like the old cliché about the weather in New England — don’t like what you see, wait a match or two.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s team closed out 2014 with a dispiriting 4-1 loss to the Republic of Ireland. 2015 began in similar fashion, losing away to an under-strength Chile 3-1. In March it got worse — the U.S. lost to Denmark with Nicklas Bentder of all players morphing into an erstwhile Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the second half. Barf.
Fast forward to Wednesday and the USMNT sits on a three-game winning streak with victories over Mexico, the Netherlands and Germany, the latter two on the road. International soccer friendlies are among the most difficult games in all of sport to accurately quantify for significance. If we can agree on that, we can also agree beating those three opponents is about as good as it gets for friendlies. Whatever qualifiers you want to attach, coming back to beat the Netherlands 4-3 in Amsterdam and following that up with a 2-1 win over the defending World Cup champions in Frankfurt is pretty, pretty good. Watching as the U.S. reverted back to its old form of grinding out late goals and results in the second half instead of doing the exact opposite (as seen post-2014 World Cup) is even better.
That said, somehow, every U.S. match has morphed into a referendum on the status of Klinsmann, if not the entire future of the sport of soccer in America. I tend to doubt that these two June results would sway the anti-Klinsmann crowd or vice versa. All U.S. Soccer observers, fans, media, players, administrators, etc. can probably agree they’re more excited about the Gold Cup next month right now than they were a couple days ago.
Everybody in agreement? Good. Let’s get angry immediately: Bobby Wood — unknown until last Friday and now the hero vs. the Netherlands and Germany — isn’t included on the provisional 35-man roster for the Gold Cup.
Let’s take another moment to enjoy this awesome finish with the left foot again, shall we?
Perhaps there is time to make changes since Wood delivered in both matches, while the much more hyped (I’m guilty here too) Aron Johannsson didn’t, at least in the goals department.
Other Observations & Questions:
* Speed: In DeAndre Yedlin, Gyasi Zardes and Jordan Morris, the U.S. once again can lineup players who cause mismatches and break defenses with their speed. Without rehashing it too much, perhaps what the U.S. missed most from Landon Donovan in Brazil last year was his pace, because without him the team tuned out to be rather plodding. Yedlin and Zardes — assuming he doesn’t play as a striker in front of goal — offer Klinsmann some genuine attacking options going forward on the flanks.
* Welcome back!: DaMarcus Beasley might not be able to contribute a ton on the field in 2015 for the National Team, but consider me happy Klinsmann invited him back for the Gold Cup. Any time you can call on a veteran of four World Cups who’s played at both the highest level in Europe, MLS and Mexico it can only be an asset trying to build a squad.
* Welcome back?: This will develop into a storyline, if it hasn’t already but how does/will Klinsmann utilize both Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore for the Gold Cup? The U.S. didn’t lack for attacking options and chances in the second halves of either game this month without the two veterans. Recency bias says kick both to the curb and forget their 67 combined international goals, but it’s never quite that cut and dried, is it?
* Competition: Speaking to the previous point about Altidore and Dempsey, cutting 12 players from the provisional Gold Cup Roster to the final 23 for the tournament isn’t going to be simple. Perfect example: Graham Zusi. As of today is the 2014 World Cup veteran a shoo-in for the Gold Cup? Go through the list of 35 and come up with 23 yourself. These are the only names I feel confident penciling for the final 23: Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando, Yedlin, John Brooks, Michael Bradley, Fabian Johnson, Mix Diskerud, Zardes, Dempsey, Morris and Altidore, if healthy.
Often a lot of what Klinsmann says about soccer in America gets distorted. One underlying thought he’s had since taking the job in 2011 is pushing his players and expecting the best, avoiding complacency along the way. Klinsmann continually harps that in the pressure cooker of top-level European soccer nothing is taken for granted and there’s always someone pushing behind you in training looking for your spot. It’s taken close to five years but he’s created a situation with this Gold Cup roster where nothing is guaranteed or assured to anyone either for making the squad or starting.
* Lightning Rod: Post-2014 U.S. fans have forged bold, binary opinions on Michael Bradley. My only thought is there are thousands of questions that pertain to U.S. soccer at any given moment in time. Wasting one of them on the the play of Bradley is a little foolish. Bradley could line up in Serie A, the EPL, MLS, the Toon Squad, etc. and still churn out a solid, consistent 90 minutes in the U.S. shirt
As a reminder, here’s the finish to the first U.S. goal …
The build up is nothing to dismiss, either …
* Utility man: On where his team finished in 2014-15, nobody in the U.S. setup put together a better campaign than Fabian Johnson at Borussia Mönchengladbach, which placed third in the Bundesliga and qualified directly for the Champions League. At the club level, Johnson played mostly in the right or left midfield, but with the other options available and the still-unsettled right and left back positions, where will Klinsmann use him? Whenever the always-adaptable Johnson gets forward for the U.S., good things generally follow.
* The big question: The U.S. opens the Gold Cup on July 7 vs. Honduras. That’s less than a month away. I don’t think anyone from myself, to fans, to Klinsmann himself knows at this exact moment what the U.S. defensive line will look like that night in Frisco, Texas. Cross your fingers…
* U-S-A: Tip of the cap from across the Atlantic to the audibly loud and vocal U.S. supporters at the Rhein Energie Stadium today.
[Photos via Getty]
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