Klinsmann Takes the Reigns
On Thursday the 28th, Sunil Gulati, president of United States Soccer, announced that Bob Bradley will no longer be the head coach of the US men’s national team. Though Bradley still had 3 years left in his contract, after a 4-0 loss to Spain in June and a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the Concacaf Gold Cup final, Gulati decided that his time was up.
Bradley was criticized over his tenure as coach. Some thought he was too conservative, others thought that his favoritism towards certain players was detrimental to the team.
Despite the criticism, Bradley’s record was not terrible. A 43-25-12 record since 2007 isn’t something to be ashamed of, but some maintain that the team underachieved during his command. Gulati’s statement summed up the decision:
We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years. During his time as the head coach of our men’s national team, he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now was the right time for us to make a change. It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Since the announcement was somewhat expected, there was already speculation as to who would take the reigns. Some speculated that it would be another American, someone who understood the American mentality could better coach the team. Others hoped for a new perspective. Someone from Europe?
On Friday, Gulati put an end to the guessing and announced that Jürgen Klinsmann would take over. The former German player and coach is an accomplished addition to the team and is expected to advance the program, including a revamp of the youth development program that will potentially impact the future of US soccer.
Overall, it is an exciting change for the USMNT, but we will have to wait to see whether or not the long awaited acceptance by Klinsmann was worth the wait.
-HD
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