After Gold Cup Failure, Jurgen Klinsmann Faces Crucial October with USMNT

The United States' participation in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup ended on a depressing note Saturday as the Americans lost the third-place game to Panama in a penalty shootout. That defeat followed a 2-1 upset at the hands of Jamaica and came at the end of a tournament in which the U.S. played poorly overall. 

Despite these facts, the U.S. Soccer Federation has publicly backed coach Jurgen Klinsmann. But with a crucial sequence of matches starting in October, that support could—and probably should—be less absolute than it currently seems.

In six games in the Gold Cup, the U.S. turned in exactly one satisfactory performance. That came in the quarterfinals with a 6-0 victory over Cuba, which barely had enough players to field a team following a series of defections. In the group stage, the Americans labored to passable results with unconvincing performances against Honduras, Haiti and Panama. 

LM Otero/Associated Press

Throughout the tournament, the U.S. players looked out of sync with each other and often seemed confused about how to fulfill their roles in the team. Opponents regularly outshot the Americans by wide margins and, with only a few exceptions, individuals performed poorly.

The defense especially was a mess as Klinsmann insisted on playing the inexperienced duo of John Brooks and Ventura Alvarado together. Brooks was a liability in the air, and Alvarado appeared unready for a starting role in the heart of the back line.

Writing at American Soccer Now, Brian Sciaretta noted: 

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As the Gold Cup began, this pairing didn't have a solid foundation to build upon. Brooks had played just one game for the U.S. in an official competition. Alvarado had no international games beyond friendlies to go along with his limited career minutes at the club level. By default, Brooks was asked to be the leader of the backline—and he's just not there yet.

Klinsmann had other options. For example, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez have both played well at the World Cup, both have shown that they can win in CONCACAF, and both players are in their prime (Besler is 28 and Gonzalez is 26).

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Klinsmann left Besler out of the Gold Cup squad and used Gonzalez infrequently. In persisting with Brooks and Alvarado in the center-back positions, Klinsmann gave his side a shaky foundation at the back. Meanwhile, Timmy Chandler continued to disappoint at right-back, but Klinsmann kept his faith in the Eintracht Frankfurt man.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Further problems were apparent throughout the squad, but it is enough to note that the U.S. was simply not prepared well enough for the Gold Cup. After struggling through the group stage, the Americans were well beaten by Jamaica in the semifinals. Some blame should rest on the players for performing below their abilities, but Klinsmann must take responsibility as well.

Yet the German World Cup winner won't face an inquisition for his team's failure this summer. Speaking to reporters Saturday following the Americans' loss to Panama, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati backed Klinsmann unconditionally.

"Progress is not linear for anyone," Gulati said, per the MLS website. "There are bumps along the way. This is totally a bump. The team was certainly on a high in the spring. And today's a low. But those are the norms for everyone."

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Asked whether his opinion of Klinsmann might change if the U.S. fails to qualify for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup by beating Mexico in a one-game playoff in October, Gulati remained firm.

"No," he said, per ESPN FC. "Let's get past today. I'm not going to speculate on stuff that's three or four months away and we're not sure who we're playing or where we're playing."

Klinsmann's predecessor, Bob Bradley, lost his job in 2011 following a defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup final. Bradley, it should be noted, also won a Gold Cup, led the U.S. to first place in World Cup qualifying and reached the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup. Klinsmann's resume is remarkably similar, although he has also won a few high-profile friendlies, notably against Germany and the Netherlands in June.

David Goldman/Associated Press/Associated Press

But Gulati is unwilling to part ways with Klinsmann at this time, and it's not hard to understand why. The federation has invested heavily in Klinsmann, paying him $2.5 million per year under the terms of his first contract, signed in 2011. When he agreed to an extension in December 2013, Klinsmann became the federation's technical director, as reported by USSoccer.com.

The financial terms of his new contract remain undisclosed, but Steven Goff of the Washington Post indicated that Klinsmann received a "hefty raise."

All of that should shed light on Gulati's steadfast refusal to consider firing Klinsmann. But it should also give further ammunition to Klinsmann's critics. As technical director of U.S. Soccer, Klinsmann is responsible for the direction of the program. Based on this summer's evidence, the trajectory is currently trending downward.

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This fall, Klinsmann will have a chance to change that. On Oct. 9, the senior men's national team will face Mexico in a one-match playoff to determine CONCACAF's representative in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. A good performance and a win over El Tri would ease many of the disappointments of the Gold Cup failure.

In addition, the U.S. under-23 team will compete in CONCACAF's Olympic qualifying tournament the same month. The U.S. failed to reach the 2012 Olympics, and as Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated wrote, Klinsmann has prioritized this tournament "to give his younger players the chance to compete in an international tournament with pressure on them."

If the U.S. succeeds in both ventures, Klinsmann and Gulati will earn some vindication. After facing tough questions following a poor Gold Cup, both would deserve to reap the rewards.

But if the U.S. fails in both, Klinsmann could finally find himself on the hot seat. This is very much his program, and he must take responsibility for both its successes and failures.

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