Why Jurgen Klinsmann Could Be Damaging the Future of US Soccer

Jurgen Klinsmann has been in charge of the U.S. men's national team since 2011. He's led the United States to a Gold Cup win in 2013 and guided them to the round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, his recent comments about MLS and the academies may impact the future of U.S. Soccer.

The critical comments toward MLS, per Doug McIntyre of ESPN FC, were the first of two incidents involving Klinsmann in just under one month:

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I made it clear with Clint [Dempsey's] move back and [Bradley's] move back [to MLS] that it's going to be very difficult for them to keep the same level that they experienced at the places where they were.

The reality is that both players making that step means that you are not in the same competitive environment that you were before.

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Reuters eventually interviewed Klinsmannafter MLS commissioner Don Garber responded to the U.S. coach's statement:

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It’s great to see that we have debates and public discussions like this because that shows that more and more people care about soccer in this country.

In Europe, in South America and in Mexico we’re all used to this, it’s part of people’s everyday lives – to have debates about different opinions. It’s just starting now in the United States and I think it’s pretty cool.

The World Cup transferred a lot of energy to the game here. This creates a lot of different opinions and also some misunderstandings.

I never meant to put anyone down in the MLS by saying we need the highest level possible for our players no matter where they play. It was just an attempt to explain that players need to always strive to the highest possible level.

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Klinsmann never apologized for what he said about MLS. He simply defended his comments and tried to deflect the attention away from himself.

The most recent comments have to do with MLS academies and the players within those systems. Klinsmann claimed that some of those youngsters could benefit with a move overseas, via Jeff Carlisle of ESPN FC:

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You have to look at every situation individually and help the player to determine what is best for himself.

There are a lot of parts to the picture, things like the player's ability, what his support structure is like, his past experiences, and his mentality and goals.

Some kids would benefit from the environment in Europe, while others are best suited to continue their growth in MLS. There's no one right answer that applies to all players, and each player's circumstances change over time.

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On the surface, this doesn't sound bad. Klinsmann wasn't referring to every player, just a select few. However, the MLS general managers and owners are taking offense to these latest words from the national team manager.

According to Carlisle, U.S. Soccer showcases some of the youth nationals so that scouts from overseas can take a look at those players. However, MLS teams are investing millions of dollars into their academies. If the U.S. coaches are advertising these youngsters to clubs abroad, then they could lose a lot of money.

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Klinsmann is not only the national team coach, he's also the technical director. He's responsible for seeing out the development of both MLS and the USMNT. It's not a given that these players will succeed overseas. Players, such as Landon Donovan, were able to settle in Europe at a young age, but they eventually found their way back to the U.S.

There will be exceptions, such as Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley. However, not everyone will be able to acclimatize to their new surroundings as well as these players and a few others.

Also, MLS has come a long way over the last decade. The league has more foreigners than ever before, per Scott Phillips of Business Insider, which has raised the standard on the pitch. These young Americans would be able to meet their potential and maybe make the jump to Europe in exchange for a fee that's similar to what DeAndre Yedlin was sold for this summer.

It will be interesting to see the landscape of the USMNT in a few years. Once players such as Dempsey, Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman retire, they'll have to be replaced by younger players.

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Some have been hit-and-miss so far under Klinsmann. John Brooks was average against Ukraine but solid in the World Cup versus Ghana and in the recent Colombia friendly. Bobby Wood has been brutal, Julian Green has been OK, while Miguel Ibarra, Greg Garza, Rubio Rubin and DeAndre Yedlin have looked good.

Most of the players mentioned above ply their trade outside of the U.S., so it brings some credence to Klinsmann's argument about Americans thriving in Europe and other continents. However, it doesn't help develop the domestic game if all of the promising talent leaves at a young age.

Much of the young talented players could find themselves on the bench or pulling a Freddy Adu and moving from club to club every year. It's tough to determine whether Klinsmann's methods are hurting the future of U.S. Soccer at this time, but there will be an answer once the veterans retire.

It will be up to Klinsmann to usher in the new era. If the U.S. wants to be a top nation, like they aspire to be, per their official website, the federation has to make sure the players are properly coached, developed and can start in competitive matches instead of sitting on the bench for a second-division team in France.

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The German World Cup squad contained 16 players from the Bundesliga, most of them are key starters for their clubs and almost all the members were in German-based academies when they were young. The U.S. team had seven MLS-based players who started some of the games in Brazil.

It took Germany 14 years to climb back to the top of the mountain, and it took a lot of hard work. It will be even tougher for the United States because soccer isn't the main sport, but it can get to that level.

As technical director, it's up to Klinsmann to help the development of American players in their own country. If most elite nations develop players in their own country, the U.S. can do the same.