USMNT: 7 Things Jurgen Kinsmann Must Get Right to Win

On Friday, the United States Men’s National Team will face France, its toughest opposition since Jurgen Klinsmann was named head coach. And all eyes will be on him once again, as he tries to concoct the right formula for victory. 

This will be the sixth game for the USMNT under Klinsmann, and with only one victory—a 1-0 win against Honduras—fans are starting to chime in on what Klinsmann needs to do to redirect this American squad to winning ways. 

To say that there are only seven things Klinsmann should get right to win makes light of the situation. But it makes a good starting point of discussion. So here are seven things Klinsmann must get right to help the USMNT win. 

Explosive Start

It was the thing that drove most of USMNT fan nuts—seeing the team start a game dragging its feet and falling early behind. 

However, that mentality has been changing, and Americans have shown explosiveness from the opening whistle and have actually attacked.

It’s the way Klinsmann has been grooming the USMNT. He's teaching players to believe that they should control the game from the start, and not allow the opposition to dictate the pace. 

It’s definitely a breath of fresh air from what has been seen from former head coach Bob Bradley, but now the USMNT must capitalize when they do see themselves in front of goal early on. 

It doesn’t matter how many times you knock on the door if you don’t actually go in.

Klinsmann’s Emotion

I know it may not affect the play directly, but Klinsmann’s emotion and the affection he has for his players has had some impact on the way they play. 

To watch him jump up and down when the USMNT scored against Mexico, to watch him give out instructions throughout various games, and to see him pace back and forth in front of the bench shows what kind of coach he is. 

He’s interactive, he’s fatherly, he looks like he wants to run in there and strike the ball.

His attitude hasn’t just changed the mentality of the USMNT, but has also facilitated the integration of new players, and that’s shown on the field.

Utilize Midfield Speed

Landon Donovan is fast, and so are Brek Shea and Danny Williams.

Klinsmann has to utilize this midfield speed to create havoc on opposing defenses. 

Since Donovan won’t be available for the pair of friendlies, it will be up to Shea and Williams—assuming they start—to be the driving force that should try to beat the French and Slovenian defenses and create chances for the U.S. forwards.

Drop Dead Weight

Maybe a bit too harsh, but after five games under Jurgen Klinsmann there is a sense that few players have played too inconsistently to be warranted continuous call-ups.

The first players that come to mind are Michael Orozco Fiscal and Kyle Beckerman. Klinsmann has used both of these players plenty of times to show what they can bring to the national team, and neither has been able to do much with their opportunity. 

Other players that come to mind from the 22 players that Klinsmann has called up that are at the fringe are Edson Buddle and Robbie Rogers. 

Rogers might be able to do some damage with the Columbus Crew, but his skills hasn't been able to translate correctly on the international level.

Buddle might be doing well with Ingostadt, but hasn’t really impressed for the U.S. Klinsmann might be bringing in Buddle for his built and strength, but Buddle will have a hard time challenging Altidore.

Call in Reinforcements

With the comeback of Oguchi Onyewu, the fight for starting center backs has become difficult. Surely Klinsmann will stay with Carlos Bocanegra and Onyewu for now, but the depth chart lacks much depth. 

But the biggest cry by U.S. Soccer fans is the exclusion of LA Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez.

He’s just won the MLS Defender of the Year Award, and can also be a threat inside the attacking third from dead-ball situations.

Another player that deserves a call is Herculez Gomez and Jose Francisco Torres. 

The midfield is already crowded, so it’s somewhat hard to justify Torres for a call-up. But he has shown calm on the ball that not many UMSNT players have been able to show. 

As for Gomez, the kid's on fire in Mexico, and right now the one thing that the U.S. needs is someone who can find the back of the net. 

He is also fast and athletic. He can easily be Dempsey’s back-up if Demspey is moved to the midfield.

The Diamond Midfield Works

Jurgen Klinsmann has brought some new young midfielders, and it has revived the midfield with a new style of play.

Brek Shea and Danny Williams have been amazing for the USMNT, and it showed against Honduras and Costa Rica. 

An attractive midfield would have Landon Donovan heading the midfield with Shea and Williams at his side, and Michael Bradley or Maurice Edu playing behind Donovan.

But with recent news that Donovan will not play against France to concentrate on the MLS Cup, Klinsmann will have to rely on someone else to take that role.

Nevertheless, it will be exciting to see the progress Shea and Williams have made with the national team, especially against stiff competition. 

Play with Two Fowards

Leaving a forward in the center by himself to do all the grunt work hasn’t paid off for the USMNT. 

Against Mexico, Klinsmann played a 4-2-3-1 with Edson Buddle playing as the lone striker, and then played Jozy Altidore in a 4-3-3 as the center forward against both Costa Rica and Belgium. 

Neither Buddle nor Altidore were able to produce many offensive opportunities. 

That’s where Jurgen needs to pair Altidore with a savvier, faster forward, like Clint Dempsey. 

It worked against Honduras, with Dempsey scoring the winning goal, and again against Ecuador, where there was a better flow in the offensive third. 

Nevertheless, Klinsmann still had Dempsey playing behind Altidore. 

If Klisnmann would just have them lined more traditionally against France and Slovenia, they could play off each other much better.