State of the States | August, 2011

Summer has delivered a collective beating to the confidence of US Soccer fans. Mexico dominated the Gold Cup final, some of the big national team names are in transfer limbo, and MLS sides have received some severe drubbings at the hands of European opposition going through the pre-season motions. But, as so often happens, times of trial breed rampant hope for a messianic savior. Enter Klinsi…

The Klinsmann Era

Pretty much the entirety of US Soccer punditry seems to have settled on “the Klinsmann Era” as the moniker for this new age of renewal and hope that sees Bob Bradley replaced by Juergen Klinsmann. Despite decent levels of success with the national program, Bradley always seemed like he was keeping the seat warm for Klinsmann, who has flirted with Sunil Gulati since stepping down from the German top post after World Cup 2006. And it’s that World Cup success that the USSF (and US Soccer fandom in general) will be hoping he can replicate, energizing what seems a stagnant program and bringing through a younger, more flamboyant and stylish set of players.

Of course, much of Klinsmann’s success with Germany came from who he, an inexperienced head coach and self-admittedly more of a man-manager than a tactician, surrounded himself with. By all accounts, he’ll be auditioning folks for those jobs in camps and friendlies over the next couple of months. Will he dig up the same sort of supporting cast that worked so well for the German national team or will a Bayern-style disaster result? Certainly, the road to qualification doesn’t look like it will prove the sternest of tests, meaning friendlies may give us a better window on where the Klinsmann Era is headed.

First Test

Klinsmann’s first opportunity to stretch his wings and have a look at his new side will be a shot at friendly revenge upon Mexico, the classy victors over the US just over a month ago at the Gold Cup final. Indeed, while much of the side he selected looks familiar, there is a more distinct Mexican flavor to it, with the likes of Torres, Castillo, and Orozco Fiscal tossed into the mix, ostensibly as part of Klinsmann’s plan to more thoroughly integrate a Latin flavor in the US playing style, complementing young guns like Shea, Hamid, and Adu.

The other noticeable thing about the roster is that only two of the five listed forwards play primarily as forwards. Likewise, nearly all of the seven listed midfielders play in the middle. That says to me that Bradley’s 4-4-2 bucket is going to be cast aside in favor of something more modern and Continental: a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 of some variety. Given that Bradley’s flirtation with such a system did not pan out, it will be interesting to see what sort of success Klinsmann can have with it and if a more technical, possession-based game will result.

Major League Summer

While the national team hit a brick wall at the Gold Cup, MLS sides labored through the summer friendly season, undergoing several thrashings in the process. As a result, there are rumblings of a summer break next year that will allow MLS sides to field more competitive teams without the distractions of league play. Of course, if this plays out and MLS still competes during international fixture dates, rumblings of a much different sort may result. Who is MLS HQ packaging their games for: fans who regularly attend domestic league matches or those who only come out for the “big” tilts with powers from abroad?

In contrast with their record in friendlies, MLS encountered much greater success in the CONCACAF Champions’ League, hopefully a sign of a continuing trend that started with RSL’s march to the final last year. All three MLS sides participating the qualifiers advanced to the group stage, meaning five of the sixteen in that stage will be from MLS (though Toronto is technically Canada’s representative, not MLS’s).

Looking Ahead

And that sets us up nicely for a look ahead at the stories I’ll be following in August as summer peters out…

• The group stage of the CONCACAF Champions’ League kicks off in August. Will the qualification-stage success continue?

• The close of the transfer window is on the horizon, and several key (and potentially key) members of the US National Team are either unwanted by their current clubs or looking for permanent homes. Will they find them?

• Late summer is a critical time for MLS sides to begin ramping up for the playoffs. Who starts to look like the form team heading into the post-season?

And that’s where we part company this month. Thanks for reading, and check back next month for another roundup of what’s happening at the highest levels of soccer in the States.

Michael S. Hund is the creator of the Fullback Files, a blog covering DC United, the US National Team, and Major League Soccer.