Tag: USMNT

USSF to require players and staff to stand for national anthem or else…something, maybe

An ambiguous ruling clearly aimed at Megan Rapinoe

(Stu Holden/Twitter)

Sunil Gulati’s USSF presidency of avoidance continues with the addition of a new policy that should be called the “Please Don’t Make This Difficult For Us, Megan Rapinoe” Rule.

Revealed at the U.S. Soccer Annual General Meeting and shared by attendee Stu Holden, the policy, which was passed by the USSF board of directors last month, requires everyone representing the national team to “stand respectfully” for the national anthems.

In a follow-up tweet, Holden added that Gulati said there were no consequences for disobeying this policy agreed upon at this time and the board will put that decision off until someone violates it and forces them to.

This is clearly a reaction to Megan Rapinoe’s decision to kneel during the U.S. national anthem while representing the national team last year in support of a protest against the oppression of people of color started by NFL player Colin Kaepernick. At the time, the USSF released a statement indicating that the federation did not support Rapinoe’s protest, but since they had no official policy on the books about anthem etiquette, this was all they could do. The statement read:

“Representing your country is a privilege and honor for any player or coach that is associated with U.S. Soccer’s National Teams. Therefore, our national anthem has particular significance for U.S. Soccer. In front of national and often global audiences, the playing of our national anthem is an opportunity for our Men’s and Women’s National Team players and coaches to reflect upon the liberties and freedom we all appreciate in this country. As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the national anthem is played.”

During an interview with FourFourTwo in November, Gulati gave a mealy-mouthed indication that a new policy was in the works.

I think our board feels quite strongly that there is a difference between playing for your club and your country on this issue. And we’ll see how that all plays out. We have a board meeting next month. There’s a lot of misunderstanding about what the First Amendment actually says, in terms of freedom of speech. Yes, Megan or [Colin] Kaepernick or anyone else can’t get prosecuted for criminal charges for freedom of speech. That is not the case in any membership organization or any employment area or anything else. And so there is that point to start with. There is a right to freedom speech, she also has the obligations to putting on a national team uniform. And we think those are pretty strong when you’re representing the U.S. national team and wearing the crest.

By saying that punishments would only be decided as necessary, Gulati and the USSF seem to hope to avoid looking too authoritarian and leaving the policy as a desperate plea along the lines of “Come on, guys—just behave and let our sponsors use you to sell their products in peace…please?”

But the result here is damage to the respect they’re trying to preserve. By requiring people to “respectfully stand” and removing free will from the equation, the act of standing is no longer a demonstration of honor, appreciation or reverence, it’s just a hollow obligation under threat of mysterious retribution for everyone. It takes away the personal expression of both those who protest and those who don’t. And though stifling everyone’s voice in an attempt to eliminate the possibility of facing something they don’t want to deal with is within the federation’s rights, it doesn’t show much respect for America’s anthem or values.


https://upscri.be/16bb19/

Nike gave the U.S. a hand-me-down red kit

When you don’t feel like coming up with a new design the year before a World Cup

(U.S. Soccer)

Nike and U.S. Soccer unveiled a new all red kit at midnight Eastern Time on a Tuesday Valentine’s Night. And it seems more thought went into that release than the design of the kit itself.

If you watched Euro 2016 or Ligue 1 this season, it should look familiar because it’s nearly identical to kits worn by England, Portugal and PSG.

Nike must have felt that going to the trouble of creating a new design the year before a World Cup—when shirt sales and public interest will be at their peak—simply wasn’t worth it. And if the U.S. Federation was willing to accept their boring old design, then, hey, why not?

The U.S. Federation’s website notes that red is “a core color of the United States flag” as a lame justification for the unoriginal look.

They had to know that this decision would be criticized, though. There were already grumblings when it leaked last week. So the release has been buried in the dead of night…on a holiday…during the middle of the week.

The women’s team will be the first to wear it at the SheBelieves Cup in early March and the men’s team will wear it for their World Cup qualifiers starting at the end of March.

Christian Pulisic is thoroughly underwhelmed.

(U.S. Soccer)


https://upscri.be/16bb19/

Bruce Arena gets his first U.S. win in 11 years

…thanks to a kid who was 12 years old in 2006

(US Soccer/Twitter)

The U.S. beat Jamaica 1–0 in the second friendly of Bruce Arena’s second stint as the team’s manager, following a 0–0 draw with Serbia that was only slightly less drab than this victory. Starting the match with a line-up straight from the island of misfit toys, it should’ve been clear that this match, like the previous one (and every other January/February friendly ever played) wasn’t about the result. It was about getting a look at some different players before resuming the serious business of World Cup qualifying. And trying to stay awake.

Jordan Morris finally rewarded fans dedicated enough to watch these last two matches in the 59th minute by finishing a sequence that would’ve made Arsene Wenger cry.

And that was pretty much the only thing worth mentioning.

The performances in these two matches probably wasn’t enough to give the team the jolt of confidence they need going back into qualifiers, but that was always going to be tough for a couple of winter friendlies to accomplish. So it’s probably best to just enjoy the goal and move on.


https://upscri.be/16bb19/

Tim Howard joins old guard in vilifying foreign born U.S. national team players

Abby Wambach and Landon Donovan have company in their baseless panic

Tim Howard has found his scapegoats for the U.S. losing their first two matches in the fifth round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and they’re a familiar one. Yes, according to Howard, it’s all the fault of those damn foreign born members of the team that recently fired manager Jurgen Klinsmann brought it. But Howard is confident that new/old manager Bruce “Players on the national team should be–and this is my own feeling–they should be Americans. If they’re all born in other countries, I don’t think we can say we are making progress” Arena will fix everything.

Howard told ESPN:

“[Arena] will bring an atmosphere where wearing the U.S. shirt will matter again. It will mean everything. And that’s always been our foundation. No matter how good you think we’ve gotten at football, our foundation has always been our hard work, our willingness to go down to places and put in a shift. I think we got away from that a little bit.”

And he told USA Today:

“I think it slips away because you bring in …,” Howard began, before pausing for thought. “Jurgen Klinsmann had a project to unearth talent around the world that had American roots. But having American roots doesn’t mean you are passionate about playing for that country.”

“I know there were players that came in that it didn’t matter as much to,” Howard said. “If you get enough of those players, one or two can get found out, but if you get enough of those players you lose sight of what you are all about. While it was a good idea in theory, it had its flaws. Bruce will 100% get that back.”

Fans of the U.S. have heard this before from Abby Wambach and Landon Donovan and the argument against foreign born internationals remains as absurd now as it was then. To repeat, foreign born players have been a part of the U.S. team and many, many others—from bad ones to World Cup winners—since the beginning of international football. This is nothing new, nor is it unique to the U.S. team.

But what makes Howard’s comments even worse than Wambach or Donovan’s is 1) Howard took a year off from the national team after the 2014 World Cup, so he’s in no position to question anyone’s passion for the team, and 2) Unlike Wambach or Donovan, who spoke out after retirement, he’s saying this as an active member of the team. In other words, he has to face the players he’s questioning in the dressing room. How exactly are these comments going to help the team handle the challenges they face in qualifying for the World Cup as a unified force?

If the response from Jermaine Jones, one of those foreign born members of the team, are any indication, they are already causing tension.

From ESPN:

“It’s dangerous stuff where you have to be careful what you’re saying,” said Jones, who signed with the LA Galaxy on Wednesday after spending half a season alongside Howard with the Colorado Rapids.

“With all the respect for Timmy, I feel it’s not if you’re half American or full-American. It’s more what you have in here [taps his chest].

“If you go on the field and you give everything for this country, then of course sometimes there’s a situation where you’re not playing good.

“But it’s normal. That can happen to everybody, and that’s what you have to understand.”

Howard has tried to muddy his very clear comments by saying that the lack of commitment is “not exclusive” to foreign born players, but that’s obviously not what he said in the first place and the damage has already been done.

Maybe the real problem for the U.S. team is mistrust and resentment of foreign born teammates (and maybe coaches, too) from those who feel they have more of a right to be on the team than others who have the very same right. Maybe Tim Howard and those who share his sentiment should worry more about improving themselves than questioning the arbitrarily defined commitment of others.

Why Jurgen Klinsmann was the best coach the U.S. ever had, by Jurgen Klinsmann

The unbiased truth from the man himself


You did it, America. You got me sacked and ruined the best thing that ever happened to your national football team. That’s right. I didn’t say “soccer”—I’m not on your payroll anymore, so I don’t have to use your words. It’s Fußball! Deal with it.

Anyway, your bitter, neophyte media all wrote the same article blaming me for everything from the Mexico and Costa Rica losses to global warming enough times that the USSF fired me before I could fully implement my top secret and totally perfect plan to create the United Soccer States of Jurgen Klinsmann. And now you’ll never know what it’s like to win a World Cup (or a European Championship, for that matter) like me.

While everyone else is busy pointing out what they wrongly interpreted as things I did wrong, I thought I would be generous enough to lay out all the good things I did in terms clear enough for a few of you to maybe understand.

I made you learn about tactics

When Bob Bradley or any of the other glorified high school gym teachers who came before him were in charge, you were just happy when they put more than eight players on the pitch and had them all wearing the same colors. But when I showed up, suddenly anyone who ever changed the default formation on a FIFA video game is Marcelo Bielsa.

The truth is, football tactics are like art. Where one person sees a 4–2–3–1, I might see a majestic steed galloping through a stream. Or a flash of colors and shapes too brilliant to put into words. There are no correct answers with this stuff. Tactics are one of the world’s great mysteries. Like algebra or the Tooth Fairy.

I challenged the MLS power structure that grips U.S. Soccer

While previous managers had their top players striving to test themselves in the best leagues around the world—the ultimate cathedrals of higher learning for our game—I had MLS paying them big money to do the equivalent of moving back into their parents’ basement after their freshman year of college.

MLS is trying to create a mediocre monopoly on the sport in this country that only benefits their owners and I tried to warn you about the dangers that presents for the national team. But you just called me a “Eurosnob” and watched as Don Garber ranted at me like a parent angry at the teacher for giving their perfect little angel who never does homework a C on a test.

Also, it’s very interesting that they waited to fire me just after a report proving me correct about the need for promotion and relegation and a 60 Minutes feature on the women’s team’s fight for equal pay came out. How convenient that in a moment they needed a distraction from two major issues they don’t like, I suddenly have to be fired. Open your eyes, sheeple. Don Garber puts fluoride in the players’ Gatorade bottles.

Oh, and it definitely wasn’t a coincidence that they surrounded the announcement with Landon Donovan ads. This was a vendetta.

(USsoccer.com)

I strengthened a depleted player pool with a wealth of dual nationals

By pure luck, Bruce Arena had probably the best U.S. team ever in 2002 and when I came on, I inherited the last of that group at the tail-end of their careers. Since this country treats player development as a privilege for rich kids in need of extracurricular activities to round out their college applications, I had to get creative to replenish the player pool. So I used the respect everyone outside this unappreciative country has for me to attract a group of dual nationals that Bruce “Players on the national team should be—and this is my own feeling—they should be Americans. If they’re all born in other countries, I don’t think we can say we are making progress.” Arena never would have brought in.

So if you think we were bad even with these players, think how much worse the team would’ve been without them. And if you’re wondering why I couldn’t completely overhaul the country’s youth development system and produce a team of Leo Messis in the two years I was technical director, well I’m sorry I never mastered the ability to bend the space-time continuum. Maybe you should hire Dr. Emmett Brown and his time traveling DeLorean to replace me.

I got results when it mattered most

Not to go all Tim Sherwood on you, but I had the second most wins and second best win percentage of all U.S. national team managers. Sure we lost some games we should have won, but when it mattered most, I got results. And that’s what international management is all about. Total wins and losses don’t matter. Just results in major tournaments.

I won the 2013 Gold Cup (and was named the 2013 CONCACAF Coach of the Year), got out of a very difficult group at the 2014 World Cup (which included eventual winners Germany and Euro 2016 winners Portugal) that none of my small-time predecessors would’ve gotten out of. And I won our group and got us to the semifinals of the Copa America Centenario just five months ago.

So what if we didn’t win the 2015 Gold Cup or reach the Confederations Cup? No one important cares about either of those tournaments. Plus, what do you want me to do—win everything? That would be greedy.

The losses to Mexico and Costa Rica, a.k.a. our two toughest opponents in this round of World Cup qualifying, were unfortunate, but ultimately not as important as people pretended they were. Just because they happened to be the first two matches of the (long and forgiving) qualifying round, the media had an opportunity to spin this as the U.S. being at risk of missing out on a World Cup and salvage a bit of traffic from the international break. Good luck getting my successor fired during the next slow news week, too.

I demanded more

Ultimately, this was my only sin. I believed the U.S. could achieve great things in this sport. I believed you would have the patience and maturity to let me lead you on an incredible journey. I believed the sport should be held to a higher standard in this country. And I thought you were starting to see that. But, in the end, the only person you wanted to hold to a higher standard in all of U.S. Fußball was me. How tragic. For you, but also for me. But mostly for you.

Maybe one day the U.S. will win a World Cup, see the shameful error of your shortsightedness, and thank me for my genius like Germany did after I built the foundation for their success. Or maybe you will slide backwards, eventually giving up on a men’s team entirely after I refuse to forgive your grievous misjudgment and return to save you. Either way, you will miss me.

P.S. That’s a nice new Premier League job you’ve got there, Bob Bradley. It would be a shame if I took that one, too…


https://upscri.be/16bb19

Deloitte report suggests promotion and relegation would be good for U.S. soccer

Well reasoned backing for a major overhaul of the U.S. system

(Ben Fast)

In a report that could vindicate the ardent, grassroots support for promotion and relegation in U.S. soccer that has often been met with eye rolls from the gatekeepers to the American game’s top levels, Deloitte has laid out the benefits and dangers of implementing promotion and relegation in the United States.

With long-standing questions about public interest and the financial health of American soccer leagues, the promotion and relegation system seen in many other parts of the world has been ignored in the U.S. in favor of closed leagues, as seen in more established and American-centric sports. New franchises in top-tier MLS are now paying eight to nine figure buy-in fees to gain entry to a single-entity format that guarantees first division play for as long as the league stays afloat. Naturally, fears over changing the terms to these agreements and suddenly adding a great deal of risk to investors has prevented promotion and relegation discussions from going beyond the realm of hypothetical fan theories. But this new report from accounting and professional services firm Deloitte—the company behind the annual Deloitte Football Money League—might change that.

In a press release, Dan Jones, Head of the Sport Business Group at Deloitte, says:

“U.S. soccer has a major opportunity to capitalize on the nation’s growing interest in soccer. We believe the introduction of promotion and relegation into the existing league system could have numerous long term benefits, including increased attendances, increased broadcast audiences, improved commercial revenue and a positive impact on both elite players and grassroots participants.

“The current closed system has served MLS well in its early years, but as it matures it is reaching member capacity, preventing further expansion. Other challenges facing the current structure include growing fan interest in overseas leagues such as the English Premier League and a stagnation in the number of players annually registered with U.S. Youth Soccer. The number of registered players has barely risen since 2000 despite vastly increased rates of participation in high schools.

“Though the U.S. soccer league system may not be ready for such a move immediately and its implementation may not appear urgent, the topic is worthy of greater exploration and debate. U.S. soccer should properly consider the merits of introduction of promotion and relegation and a transition plan for its successful introduction in order to drive U.S. soccer forward.”

Though promotion and relegation would present challenges—especially since it would have to be implemented into a pre-existing structure—Deloitte says that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. First, to address the biggest hurdle, they suggest instituting a phased introduction (playoffs to determine if a club goes down or remains) and parachute payments for relegated clubs, as the Premier League does, to mitigate risk for owners. Added regulations and minimum league standards would also be necessary, according to the report. The English Football Conference and Korea’s K-League are given as examples as once closed leagues that have successfully transitioned to a promotion and relegation format.

The stated benefits of promotion and relegation are far reaching. From increased fan interest and broadcast friendly storylines that, in turn, drive up commercial values, to an increase in owner motivation to succeed, improved player development (increased competition at all levels leading to more aggressive investment in coaching and training facilities), and infrastructure lending itself to natural growth.

(Deloitte Analysis of Promotion and Relegation in the USA)

A companion survey of more than 1,000 U.S. fans conducted by Deloitte demonstrates that there is an appetite for promotion and relegation in America. A whopping 88% of respondents said promotion and relegation would benefit the U.S. and 50% said they would be more likely to watch matches on TV if it were introduced. This increased interest would even extend beyond the club level to the U.S. national team, if this survey is to be believed (which could be a big “if”).

(Deloitte U.S. fan poll)

Another interesting potential benefit to promotion and relegation, according to Deloitte, is the possibility of reinvigorating the country’s stagnant youth player registration. Over the last 16 years, growth in this area has dropped off significantly and increasing competition would also increase demand for and investment in youth development.

(Deloitte)

The potential drawbacks, however, do not seem insurmountable. As previously mentioned, Deloitte recommends that promoted clubs would have to meet minimum organizational requirements to ensure competition, and player costs would likely skyrocket, as they have in Europe. What Deloitte repeatedly stresses, though, is that despite all the theoretical benefits, U.S. soccer might not be mature enough to handle such a transition just yet, especially with the question of fairness to those who have already invested to wide-ranging degrees.

(Deloitte Analysis of Promotion and Relegation in the USA)

And that’s been the primary reason behind American soccer’s most powerful shutting down the conversation in the past.

“We play in a country where the major leagues are really successful,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber at the Soccerex convention in 2015. “There is no promotion and relegation in hockey and basketball and they work really well. It is not happening in MLS any time soon.”

“We have a structure that intrigues the rest of the world, the idea that owners can come together and be partners off the field and try and beat the heck out of each other on the field has worked really well in the U.S. in other sports to make some of the most valuable leagues in the world. It is attractive, it allows for some ability to plan and invest over a long period of time.

“How does America benefit? Massive investment in bricks and a league that will be around in 100 years from now. It has become more of a seller’s market. There is more interest in investing in MLS than there are teams available.”

USSF president Sunil Gulati has also said that implementing such a system would be “frought with peril” and would require “very long discussions with many people with high LSAT scores [i.e. lawyers].”

At this point, it should be noted that Deloitte’s report was commissioned by Silva International Investments Ltd.—a company founded by Riccardo Silva, president and co-owner of one-year-old Miami FC in the second-division NASL. Surely these findings will be music to his ears, even though they present a less than iron-clad case, especially as the NASL’s future is once again looking less than certain.

https://whatahowler.com/tampa-bay-ottawa-voluntarily-relegate-themselves-from-league-without-relegation-d6e47ef9da00

Even with this report to fortify the argument in favor of promotion and relegation in the U.S., nothing short of a movement amongst MLS owners—the people with the most money on the line—is likely to bring about change on this front. And that would require a level of financial bravery that they seem both unlikely and unable to possess.

The full report summary can be viewed here: [MidfieldPress]


https://upscri.be/16bb19

U.S. Soccer’s biggest problem isn’t Jurgen Klinsmann, it’s Sunil Gulati’s indecision

The USSF president is failing to deal with more troubling matters than whether Klinsmann stays on as manager

Gulati attempts to hide

It’s easy to point fingers at Jurgen Klinsmann right now. The U.S. have lost two consecutive matches of significance and he seems to be doing everything wrong. This is a problem. But the U.S. federation has a bigger problem. Namely, USSF president Sunil Gulati.

If U.S. Soccer was a horror movie, Gulati would be the character that hides under the bed, hoping the undead axe murderer gets bored, goes home and starts a new life as a tax attorney. His method of leadership is to provide no leadership at all. And it’s causing a growing number of embarrassments on both the men’s and women’s sides of the game.

The Klinsmann situation is a comparatively minor concern in the grand scheme of issues facing the USSF. World Cup qualification is still a strong possibility and though he isn’t getting results at the moment, Klinsmann has brought a number of promising young talents into the mix that beget optimism for the future, whether Klinsmann himself is part of it or not.

Still, the losses to Mexico and Costa Rica and the avalanche of calls for Klinsmann to be fired that ensued demanded a show of leadership. Either sack him now, since time is of the essence in the middle of a World Cup cycle, or confidently back the manager in an effort to quiet the unrest both outside and inside the dressing room. Instead, Gulati has given the equivalent of a verbal shrug.

 

If it’s decided that Klinsmann must go now, Gulati, who isn’t up for re-election until 2018, will be on the hook for the considerable expense that decision will bring to the federation. After all, he was ultimately responsible for offering Klinsmann a four-year contract extension shortly before the 2014 World Cup that also gave him the broader role of technical director.

Meanwhile, the issues on the women’s side go far beyond wins and losses, though they too are coming off a shocking quarterfinal loss to Sweden at the Rio Olympics. The women’s team has been actively fighting for equal pay for months and several members of the team filed a lawsuit against the federation back in March. When asked about this by Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl, Gulati proved that he is more comfortable in his role as an economics professor at Columbia University than as the leader of a non-profit organization.

“I don’t want to use the word deserve in any of this,” Gulati said. “I’d reverse the question: Do you think revenue should matter at all in determination of compensation in a market economy? If we look at the track record of teams, a lot of different things go into the compensation for the players … Part of it is based on revenue, part of it is based on revenues that accrue from international competitions, part of it is based on incentives and the performance of the teams. All of that goes into it. We think very highly of the women’s national team, we want to compensate them fairly and we’ll sit down and work through that with them.”

Gulati added that revenue generation is “absolutely part of the equation,” but doesn’t seem to entertain the possibility that maybe it shouldn’t be. Again, the USSF isn’t a publicly traded corporation. It’s a non-profit organization (then, so is FIFA) with the stated mission of making “soccer, in all its forms, a preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.” And equal pay seems like both a just and logical way of working towards that mission.

Instead, this battle has been allowed to fester. And when the USSF terminated Hope Solo’s contract after she called Sweden’s team “cowards,” it seemed a lot more likely that she was being cast off for being one of the team’s leaders in the equal pay movement than for being a sore loser.

This brings us to Gulati’s recent comments on Megan Rapinoe kneeling during the national anthem while on international duty.

Depending on how you read that quote, it’s either an indirect threat to Rapinoe and anyone else who doesn’t toe the line or it’s a mealy mouthed attempt to placate those offended by her actions. Or maybe it’s both. Whatever the case, it’s another example of Gulati hiding under the bed. He’s not punishing her and he’s not backing her. He’s hoping his word smoothie will be enough to get everyone to argue amongst themselves and leave him alone.

A clearer example of this desire was when a Senate subcommittee called USSF representatives to be questioned about the FBI’s crackdown on FIFA and the U.S.’s own confederation—CONCACAF—based largely on the crimes perpetrated and exposed by turncoat American FIFA executive Chuck Blazer. Gulati declined to attend and has remained steadfast in attempts to quietly distance himself from the corruption that has gone on all around him.

The problems of Gulati’s reign are not limited to the highest levels of the sport, though. They also extended down to the youth ranks, corroding the very foundation upon which U.S. Soccer is built.

The pay to play system of youth soccer in America predates Gulati’s tenure atop the USSF, but the lack of action to remedy it has allowed it to worsen and affect exponentially more children. And yet, the inescapable theme of avoidance holds true.

Obviously Gulati can’t be expected to fix all that ails U.S. Soccer by himself, but being a leader who leads, rather than someone who enjoys all the perks of his title while shirking its toughest responsibilities and facing no opposition to his crown would be a good start. And if he’s not willing to do that, it’s time to find someone who is. Hey—maybe Jurgen Klinsmann would be a better federation president than national team coach.

The U.S. hit bottom with 4–0 loss to Costa Rica

The Jurgen Klinsmann era appears to have run its course

(FIFA/AFP/EZEQUIEL BECERRA)

Losing in Costa Rica after losing to Mexico at home to start the Hexagonal round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying was always a distinct possibility for the U.S. Even with the “dos a cero” streak against Mexico and a 4–0 win over Costa Rica in the Copa America group stage last summer, both those teams are arguably better than the U.S. So it’s not the fact that they’ve lost to both of these teams in a matter of days that’s the problem. It’s the how that’s the killer.

In spite of a grievous tactical miscalculation from the start against Mexico, the U.S. could have come away with a respectable 1–1 draw…had it not been for a defensive lapse that allowed Rafa Marquez to score an 89th minute header for the win. Against Costa Rica, the U.S. conceded shortly before halftime, then completely lost control of all bodily function and allowed three goals in a span of 10 minutes after the break.

This was the first time they conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier since 1968 (the dark ages of U.S. soccer) and the result leaves them bottom of the table, having conceded more goals than Trinidad & Tobago. As Bobby Warshaw wrote after the Mexico loss, Jurgen Klinsmann is proving incapable of leading this U.S. team. These weren’t just losses, these were losses that demonstrated bad ideas, poor communication, and clear motivational issues.

Of course, these were only two matches and the U.S. has plenty of time to regroup and qualify for the 2018 World Cup. But the manner in which they reached this position is undeniably troubling and demands questions be asked as to whether a new leader is required to right the ship.

It’s entirely possible that a new manager does no better than the current one. I doubt anyone looks at this group of players and thinks they have the untapped ability to go out and consistently run the table (aside from Christian Pulisic, who is still just 18 years old) right now. But at this point it’s difficult to come up with an argument for keeping Klinsmann and not giving change a try.

It’s been six years since Klinsmann took charge of the team, which is an exceptional period of time for an international manager—or any manager of the modern era, for that matter. Even the most successful international managers see their command over a team unravel if they stick around long enough. And Klinsmann seems to have reached that point.

As Bobby mentioned in his pre-match Q&A session (watch the video below) and Grant Wahl later echoed, former U.S. coach Bruce Arena is a likely short-term replacement for Klinsmann just to get the team through the World Cup should a change be made. Obviously that’s not a step forward, but you have to bandage your head wound before you can put on a new hat.

The U.S.’s next qualifiers aren’t until the end of March, so if a change is to be made, this might be the last, best time to do it before the World Cup.


The legendary origins of Columbus’ demonic tifo for USA-Mexico

The first and best tifo to be based on a DT post

(Sam Fahmi/MassiveReport.com)

For US fans, the best part of Friday night’s 2–1 loss to Mexico was the fearsome tifo featuring Christian Pulisic hoisted in the America Outlaws’ end of Mapfre Stadium before kickoff. What made it especially incredible for Dirty Tackle readers, and myself in particular, is the fact that it was inspired by a spooky DT post from our more exclamation pointy days in 2013 about Columbus, Ohio’s “dos a cero” tradition.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/terrifying-mexican-football-legend-columbus-ohio-204636753–sow.html

The section of the tifo behind demon Pulisic reminding Mexico of all their 2–0 losses in Columbus with his fingers featured the words “tiny demon fortress” and stars of previous dos-a-cero matches Josh Wolff, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Bradley, and Landon Donovan—all of whom are referenced in “The terrifying Mexican football legend of Columbus, Ohio.” The phrase itself comes from this section:

They strategically placed Columbus, Ohio in a territory so nightmarishly bland that even They call it “flyover country.” It is a territory that only exists to make life miserable for Mexican footballers. And it’s there that They built their first “soccer specific stadium” — a term that loosely translates to “tiny demon fortress.” A David-like hovel that can only fit less than 25,000 people in a land of Goliath sporting cathedrals. Few Mexicans have been inside the Columbus Demon Fortress, but those who have say that it is a horrible place where the chants of “USA! USA!” penetrate the skull with their thunderous volume and maddening repetition. It contains rows of metal benches that offer terrible lumbar support and the scoreboard spews flames and black smoke when it has been too long since the last non-believer has been offered as a sacrifice.

(Sam Fahmi/MassiveReport.com)

The tifo was designed and brought to life by the extremely talented and admirably dedicated Columbus Crew fans at #TIFOSWEAT.

I’m pretty sure this is the first time a DT post has been turned into a tifo and I’m very sure this one will be hard to top. I couldn’t be more proud. And I’m glad the people of Columbus feel the same way about their tiny demon fortress.

Special thanks to Evonne Segall for bringing this to our attention!


Rafa Marquez scores late winner to end US’s “dos a cero” streak against Mexico

(Fox Soccer)

The US tempted fate with obsessive chatter about their active streak of 2–0 wins against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio that dates back to 2001 before the two faced off there in a Friday night World Cup qualifier. And in the end, 8,000-year-old Rafa Marquez made them pay for it.

Considering recent electoral happenings, the evening began pleasantly enough with the two teams coming together for a group photo.

Once the match was underway, Mexico struck first with a Miguel Layun goal in the 20th minute. This was followed by US goalkeeper Tim Howard leaving the match in the 40th minute with a groin strain, leaving the US one goal and one goalkeeper down at halftime.

In the second half, the US finally came alive and Bobby Wood equalized in the 49th minute. As the yellow cards piled up (there ended up being eight in total), the match seemed headed for a 1–1 draw. But then, in the 89th minute, Old Man Marquez emerged hopped above his walker and headed in what would be the winner.

Mexico’s Carlos Salcido was sent off during stoppage time, but it was too late for the US to take advantage and Mexico won 2–1, finally snapping the Groundhog Day-like repetition of their visits to Columbus and the US’s 15-year home World Cup qualifier winning streak.

Before the match, Marquez told ESPN FC:

“The good thing about football is that it gives you revenge,” Marquez said on Tuesday. “We’ve not done well here [in the past] and this is a new opportunity to trust in the group and the coach and get three important points.”

So if you’re wondering how a guy who has been around since man played bingo with the dinosaurs can still muster the big-time goals in big-time moments, the answer is revenge. The answer is always revenge.