Juergen Master

There is a new Sheriff in U.S. Soccer and he's German! Juergen Klinsmann, undoubtedly one of the all-time best strikers in the world, takes on perhaps his biggest challenge as the head coach of the men's national team.  He comes into what appears to be a largely win/win situation. If he pulls U.S. Soccer out of this dead spin, he should get a lot of credit.  If he cannot, then, if you read between the lines, he's doing the best he can with what he has. In taking near dictatorial control (at least what is commonly expected) Klinsmann is prepared to fight not just a battle to right the direction of this present squad, but also a war to alter the direction of soccer in this country.

Klinsmann has noted that what separates U.S. Soccer from the rest of the world in terms of development is a grass roots street culture for the sport. Europeans play soccer the way Americans play pick up basketball. Soccer, like basketball, is a sport that lends itself to individual creativity.  Here in the U.S we have  Dwayne Wade while in Europe its Lionel Messi.

Youth soccer here is almost exclusively structured by local leagues and overseen by overzealous parents and politically correct coaches. Individuality and creativity is stifled for the benefit of the hive. God forbid little Timmy be labeled a "ball hog" or a "show off".  Soccer is a tool for teaching; a means to a more socially valuable end.  We sign up kids to learn the value of teamwork, fair play, and sportsmanship. If they learn how to pass a ball off their head along the way, great. The fact that the sport is soccer seems to be rather irrelevant.  If AYSO started Quidditch leagues, how many kids would rather play that?

Everywhere else in the world, soccer is the lesson.  You play to be the best player not the best teammate.  In Europe and Latin America the best players aren't the fastest or the biggest, they're the ones who can dribble around defenses without any help form their teammates or drill free kicks over the heads of the other eight year olds.  Kids that have the "touch". Those kids get spotted and placed into soccer academies run by the pro clubs.  Now no one is saying that we have to sacrifice Soccer in this country to the alter of competition.  However, for this country to be competitive we have to find our talented players and put them into an environment where that talent is the norm and not the exception.

Can Klinsmann change the nature of this suddenly lifeless team? Absolutely.  Can he change the nature of soccer in this country? I guess we'll see.