Post-Gold Cup, What Is The State Of The USMNT?
I never like owning up and eating crow quite as much as I do insisting that I was and still am right about something. That being said, allow me to do a little of both.
First, a little context: I had never really been an ardent follower of the US Men's National Team until Jürgen Klinsmann came aboard, and thus, was probably always more of a Jürgie fan than a USMNT fan. That's not to say there hasn't been any holdover of fandom from the Klinsmann Era; the majority of players I began to have a vested interest in from 2011-16 are, after all, still suiting up for the national team. Still, I was angry and disheartened about Klinsmann's firing last November, particularly when Bruce Arena was announced as the replacement in a move I (and many) found regressive.
However, I need to face the facts and admit, in the wake of USA's Gold Cup triumph a few weeks ago, that the quick turnaround under Arena has been impressive. When Bruce took over in December, the US were 0 for 2 in World Cup Qualifying matches; a home qualifying loss to Mexico for the first time in over 30 years was followed by a 4-0 humiliation in Costa Rica. Now, they stand in 3rd place, in position to qualify for Russia 2018, as should be expected. Amazingly, the USMNT have not lost a match under Arena, posting a 9-0-5 record that culminated with a trophy in late July. Perhaps most importantly, the team chemistry, motivation and positive clubhouse culture that was noticeably lacking towards the end of Klinsmann's tenure appears to be back.
So, well done indeed. I do, however, still hold frustrations and concerns that this impressive run has done little to assuage. Bruce Arena is not only a career MLS coach, but also oversaw the USMNT during the 2002 World Cup (which, to be fair, was probably the greatest American World Cup run ever) and the 2006 World Cup (which was arguably one of the biggest letdowns in American World Cup history). Thus, as much as one could argue for the benefits of a coach that knows the American game and American players, one would objectively also need to recognize that such a hire does virtually nothing to change the status quo. Say what you want about Klinsmann's reign as manager and technical director-- and it's true, results were all over the place --but two facts are nearly impossible to dispute:
In the two major international tournaments he was coach, the US overachieved-- progression out of a Group of Death in the 2014 World Cup, and a semifinal run in last year's Copa America
There was an uptick in investment in domestic academies and in interest from skilled dual-national players in suiting up for the USMNT
I worry about that 2nd point reverting to the mean; the mean being losing those kinds of players to the likes of Germany and Italy, and not developing any sort of infrastructure for future generations of soccer players. I don't think the impact 'Klinsmann The Figurehead' had on those facets can be understated. I also worry that under Arena, the US will revert to a style of play they have performed for decades: beat up on smaller opponents and against better opponents, be content to sit back and absorb 90% of the possession and pressure before desperately trying to snatch counterattack opportunities.
The USMNT's success in 2017 has been fun to watch, but the matches themselves have been more of a struggle to enjoy. Save for a 6-0 demolition of Honduras in World Cup qualifying, flashes of creativity in attack, cohesion in midfield and stability in the back have been few and far between. How, then, have the US managed to go unbeaten this year, you say? Look at the opponents: the only nations the States have faced this year that are ranked higher than 50th in the World were #14 Mexico (in which USA managed to salvage a precious draw despite conceding 75% of the possession), #21 Costa Rica (a nice 2-0 win), and #42 Serbia (a listless 0-0 draw). In other words, they've been able to get away with less-than-impressive performances, but I worry greatly that the kind of play we've settled in to will not hold up in major tournament play.
Is this all one big pitch to bring Klinsmann back aboard? Of course not. There were issues, and perhaps, if the rumors are to be believed, the spirit of the locker room made it a necessary firing. I just mean that for every head-scratching loss against Jamaica and Guatemala, there was a win over Italy, Germany or the Netherlands. Sandwiched around the dreadful, almost lifeless 2015 Gold Cup display were thrilling runs in the aforementioned World Cup and Copa America, the former of which especially contained some of the most exciting, impressive play we've ever seen from a US Men's National Team. Things were not all bad, and my hope is that the powers-that-be for US Soccer will maintain much of Klinsmann's vision and grand plan, even if there are perhaps superior options at manager to put those into practice.
None of my skepticism or pessimism is intended to take away from the USMNT's recent form and Gold Cup victory. It is not at all a bad time to be a fan of the Yanks, and I will be fullthroatedly cheering for them leading up to and in Russia. Let's all calibrate our expectations a little, is what I'm saying, as the unfortunate truth is that we appear to be every bit as far away from being a global power in 2017 as we did in 2011.