5 Challenges That Juergen Klinsmann Will Face in Rebuilding the U.S. Soccer Team

Bob Bradley needed firing.  The U.S. soccer team has basically been on a downward slide since it beat Spain in June 2009.  Since then, Bradley yakked on a 2-0 halftime lead against Brazil to lose 3-2, drew with the likes of England and Slovenia, and lost to Ghana and Panama.  The straw that broke the camel's back was the 4-2 beatdown that Mexico put on the U.S. in the Gold Cup finals in California last month.  

U.S. soccer fans are deliriously happy that he is finally gone, and with the news today that the German Juergen Klinsmann, formerly both player and coach for Deutschland, has been hired, there will be even more celebrating in Sam's Army.

But Klinsmann faces a very difficult rebuilding task, and not much time to get it done.

5. Age

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is three years away.  Assuming the U.S. qualifies (and after our recent international showings, that's no slam dunk), team captain and defensive stalwart Carlos Bocanegra will be 35.  So will Steve Cherundolo and keeper Tim Howard.  Jay Demerit will be 34, Clarence Goodson and Landon Donovan 32.  So one of the biggest challenges the next coach will face, generally, is getting some youth into the lineup—in a hurry.

All of these guys might have one World Cup left in them, but putting a 35-year-old at the outside-back position and asking him to stop a man 10 years younger is a prescription for disaster. 

4. Outside-Backs

Jonathan Bornstein.  Enough said.  That's like waving a red flag in front of Sam's Army.  The guy never should have put on a national team uniform.

But the fact that he has speaks to the paucity of defensive talent.  A whole parade of players have been tried and dismissed at outside right- and left-back.  Those that can defend seem unable to get forward and assist in attack.  Those that can get forward seem unable to defend, particularly against speed.  Right now the preferred options seem to be Cherundolo and Eric Lichaj, but one is old and the other is very young.

Klinsmann played the wing for Germany, a speedy and dangerous forward, so perhaps he has some insight into how to improve the position he used to relentlessly attack.

3. Striker

A terrible car crash almost killed the best U.S. striker in years, Charlie Davies.  He is trying to play his way back to form in the MLS now, and fans hope against hope that he can make it back.  In the meantime, the only force in the forward position is Jozy Altidore, who has four goals in 16 international appearances since 2010.  By way of contrast, Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan has nine goals in 22 appearances in the same time period.  

The U.S. absolutely must get more scoring from its front line.  Again, Klinsmann's international experience and familiarity with scoring should help.

2. Creative Midfield

Bob Bradley's son Michael has been linked with his father's incompetence (and he smiles about as often as his Dad does, too).  But in my view that is unfair.  

Bradley is a solid, defensive-minded midfielder, a "destroyer" in soccer terms.  His job is to break up attacks before they get started.  And he does it well.  He deserves and has earned his jersey.

The problem is, the U.S. has plenty of "destroyers," including Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones, but no true creative midfielders.  Both Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have creative flair, but both are more comfortable out wide.  Donovan in particular needs space and seems to loath the physical contact required to play in the middle of the park.

Creative midfielders are the key to scoring.  Players like Andres Iniesta and Xavi make the passes that provide Lionel Messi and David Villa with their scoring opportunities. 

The issue with creative midfielders might be cultural.  Countries that bring up their players to be cautious, systematic and team-oriented have difficulty producing creativity at midfield.

Paraguay is an excellent example; they recently made it all the way to the Copa America finals without winning a game in 90 minutes, only managing to draw or advance with penalty kicks.  Their defense was awesome, but they simply didn't have the creativity in the middle of the field to stay with Uruguay in the finals.

Which leads us to the final point....

1. Youth Development System

Claudio Reyna, one of the best international players that America has produced, is now in charge of soccer development for the USSF.  Barrels of ink and untold gigabytes have been spent on what is wrong with youth soccer in the US.  

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world primarily because it is cheap.  All you need is a ball, and you can play in the dusty fields of Africa, in the marketplaces in Algeria, in the streets of Mexico City. 

But somehow in this country, we have found a way to make it expensive.

I have a friend whose 10-year old daughter has some talent in soccer, and she was recently invited into the "challenge" soccer system, which is a step up from the "recreational" level where most players start.  It is a traveling team, and between league fees, uniforms, cleats, reimbursement for coaches' travel and other miscellany, my buddy wrote a check of more than $1,000 for one season.

Do you know how many young people are priced out of this system?  How many of our best athletes pick another sport, or stay home, simply because they cannot afford to play soccer?  Football, basketball and baseball are all run through the public school systems, and are virtually free in most places (yes, save your emails, I know "free" really means "subsidized by taxpayers").  How have we managed to make the cheapest sport in the world one of the most expensive in the country?

Mr. Klinsmann, welcome to your biggest problem: reforming the player development system.  If you can get that done by the '14 World Cup, you will have indeed earned your salary.