By Charles Boehm – WASHINGTON, DC (Jul 15, 2016) US Soccer Players – Life moves fast in international soccer. Two weeks ago, Roy Hodgson was England manager. One ignominious resignation later, and the speculation links USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann with that job. What at first seemed like a concoction of the English tabloid press has grown into a legitimate story.
Jurgen Klinsmann might bolt the US National Team to take the England job.
Let’s take a moment to let that sentence soak in.
For what it’s worth, Klinmann to England still seems unlikely. Reports link the Football Association with Sam Allardyce. He’s a conventional candidate, he’s English, he’s safe enough. Safer than a foreigner with a reputation for revolutionary instincts. In other words, someone like Klinsmann. So hedge any bets.
What we do know from those media reports is Klinsmann is on a shortlist. That means he’s likely to interview. Some outlets put even more weight on that.
The chatter may rumble on for weeks to come. The FA is determined to do their due diligence in the selection process. That’s despite public pleas for a swift resolution from Allardyce’s current employers at Sunderland.
Beyond that, we’re left to guesswork for the moment. That’s due in large part to the deafening silence from Klinsmann himself.
He’s said nothing about this matter. His recent social media posts are no help. Klinsmann usually saves his media duties for camps. There’s not another one of those until late next month. That limits the opportunity for anyone in the media to pose questions to the coach about this on a deadline.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen reports of a new job on offer for Klinsmann. Although then he took a different approach. Spurs came calling in 2012. Back then, Klinsmann’s publicist gave the Daily Mail a firm denial. “The timing isn’t right”, affirming that Klinsmann was “totally committed” to the USMNT.
US Soccer has made no official statement. A spokesman confirmed to USSoccerPlayers.com that as of Friday, there’s still been no formal request from the FA to talk to Klinsmann. This would seem to undermine the speculation in the English press. Then again, big fish like England often see such courtesies as mere formalities. They’re boxes checked off later in the process.
“Big fish”. That term is an apt hook to take us back to the meat of the matter at hand. Does the courting of Klinsmann tell us anything about US soccer?
Perhaps. It’s a compliment. The English interrupt their traditional patronizing of the American game to poach a coach? Then again, the “Klinsmann among the savages” depictions of his tenure here don’t help.
What about the coach himself? Klinsmann seems comfortable here. He seems devoted to a role he helped create. He’s American soccer’s revolutionary, the technical director of the entire program. He’s also local, a literal helicoptor coach. With so many activities based near his Southern California home, Klinsmann often gets to work in his backyard. His son Jonathan is a US youth international who just began his NCAA career a few hours up the road at Cal. He’s alluded to his work as less a job than a calling, speaking of his love of and devotion to his adopted homeland.
“It’s a bigger puzzle in the United States than in other countries, and it’s not perfect yet. That’s what makes it so exciting; we’re building something great here,” Klinsmann told “Soccer without Borders” author Erik Kirschbaum earlier this year. “Here in the United States, building that infrastructure is still important. That’s what’s so fascinating and rewarding about this.”
Does this kind of move even make sense? Klinsmann talks a lot about players pushing themselves. He encourages them to make the tough moves to bigger clubs. He stresses the challenge. Does that apply to him? Not as much when he’s already done it as a player and a coach. Yet, something doesn’t quite add up in all this. Is the USMNT just another rung on his ladder, or the job of a lifetime?
The money is probably better with the Football Association, but the lifestyle? Does someone like Klinsmann want a return to that level of scrutiny? He’s said he would like that type of media pressure here, but that’s not the same thing. Remember, he insisted on commuting halfway around the world when he coached Germany. Does anybody think the English would put up with that?
Most importantly of all, the England job is the definition of a “poisoned chalice.” It’s a difficult working environment for several reasons. Even the most accomplished managers have left the post with their reputations battered. Would Klinsmann leave one epic task for another? There’s less upside turning England into a winner. That job comes with more pressure.
Retired USMNT legend turned pundit Alexi Lalas expressed the feelings of many fans when he addressed this situation on air. Lalas spoke at halftime of last weekend’s Sporting KC vs New York City FC match on FS1.
“It’s interesting how these things always come out after Jurgen Klinsmann comes in for a little bit of criticism. In that sense, my congratulations, my respect, my kudos to the people that are orchestrating all this,” said Lalas. “This tells everybody that Jurgen Klinsmann is of value. Whether it’s perceived or not is irrelevant … This is good for Jurgen Klinsmann, this is good for Sunil Gulati, and this is good for US Soccer.
“But when it comes right down to it, Jurgen Klinsmann can stop all of this. Jurgen: Do you want to continue coaching the US National Team? You know where to find me. Let’s go, let’s get on with it. Because if you do, there’s work to do. If you don’t, we’ll get somebody else.”
Like Lalas, the rest of us eagerly await Klinsmann’s response.
Charles Boehm is a Washington, DC-based writer and the editor of The Soccer Wire. Contact him at:cboehm@thesoccerwire.com. Follow him on Twitter at:http://twitter.com/cboehm.
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