USA vs. Mexico: Jurgen Klinsmann and the Men's Soccer Team Show What's To Come

This Wednesday’s USA vs. Mexico soccer friendly promised to become a referendum on just how much can change so quickly for the men’s national team under Jurgen Klinsmann. 

Despite the game itself being a friendly, and some big names like Javier Hernandez and Clint Dempsey missing from the squads, the match—only a month after the USA vs. Mexico Gold Cup Final—came with plenty of attention. 

The previous game provided a clear “before” to compare with Klinsmann’s “after.”  National team fixtures such as Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley and Tim Howard were joined by new faces as players auditioned for the first time for Klinsmann. 

It would be foolish to judge a manager on a friendly played 10 days after his signing.  In today’s world of instant gratification, it’s also inevitable. Here’s what the first appearance of Jurgen Klinsmann’s national team did show us:

He’s enjoying himself.  Almost every time the camera cut to the sideline it caught a grin.  After Mexico’s opening goal, scored on a bizarre volley where Oribe Peralta wrapped himself around Bradley, Klinsmann shook his head at the oddity of the goal and was immediately clapping and encouraging his players back up the field. 

When the USA found its equalizer off the foot of Robbie Rogers in the second half, Klinsmann could be seen celebrating with fist pumps and a little dance on the sideline.  Klinsmann wasn't lying in his postgame interview when he said, “I had a lot of fun. I really had a lot of fun."

The clean slate business is for real. While it would be silly to assume Klinsmann didn't come to the job with preconceived notions about any of the players, he is serious about giving young players a chance to prove they belong on the squad. 

The second-half surge forward that led to Roger’s goal and several more chances came after the insertion of Rogers, Juan Agudelo and Brek Shea.  After a first half without a shot on goal, the change in energy was visible. 

Klinsmann didn't criticize any of his players after the match, instead praising the Mexican side, but don’t overlook his specific praise when asked about Agudelo and Shea, “They have the willingness to learn…they want to get better, they want to get to the next level.”