Could Klinsi Put An End to the Commute and Stay in USA?
June 27, 2006
The US soccer team booked a flight home from the World Cup without a win and only a pair of goals -- one of which was accidentally scored by an Italian defender. It's not quite the type of results win-driven American fans -- or players -- are satisfied with after reaching the quarter-finals four years ago.
"We're to the point where we can't be satisfied with not getting through the group," US playmaker Landon Donovan said. "That was our goal. That was our objective. Things just didn't go our way."
When things don't go a team's way, sports pundits only have one place to look to shake up: the coaching bench.
US coach Bruce Arena is the longest tenured World Cup coach with eight years on the job, but he has indicated he will take some time to consider his options before deciding whether or not he would even want to consider guiding the team in 2010.
Bringing Klinsmann's American methods back to US
Until Arena or US Soccer president Sunil Gulati make a decision on who should run the team, rumors that current German coach Jürgen Klinsmann could be tapped to replace Arena are swirling. Former US national team captain Eric Wynalda named Klinsmann as an ideal fit for the US's positive manner and never-quit style.
US soccer fans might also make the German feel more welcome than he sometimes does in the fatherland. Klinsmann's easy grin was beamed out to the German public on the front page of newspapers and met with scowls as the public and press dished out months of criticism for nearly every decision the coach made.
Naming Jens Lehmann the starting goalkeeper and keeping long-time hero Oliver Kahn on the bench. Continuing to live in his California home instead of moving to Germany to prepare for the Cup. "Americanizing" fußball by introducing sports psychologists to Teutonic training camps.
Nothing Klinsmann did pleased a nation of remote control coaches, many of whom would have been happy to see Klinsmann turn in his Lufthansa frequent flier card and watch the World Cup from the USA.
Coaching staff want Klinsi to stay
Until the team reached the quarter-finals, that is. Now basking in newfound goodwill he hasn't experienced since he took the field and helped Germany win the 1990 World Cup, Klinsi said he isn't tempted to leave the German bench just yet.
"The USA link is speculation which doesn't interest me. I have my own job here," he said at a press conference on Monday. "At the moment, I'm only interested in my job and that has to continue to the final."
German soccer officials are also interested in keeping their hands on Klinsmann, according to team manager Oliver Bierhoff in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD.
"It definitely pleased Jürgen," Bierhoff said of the rumors the head coach would be welcome at the US training camp near his home. "He also knows we want to keep him. His positive work for the team has been confirmed by reaching the quarter-final.
"The team more development ahead of it, and it would be a shame if he left," Bierhoff added.