Opinion: Klinsi Should Head to the USA

Congratulations to Jürgen Klinsmann, the man who literally brought a smile back to Germany, for taking a break to talk with his family before deciding on his next job.

He's earned the time with his wife and two children, and hopefully they'll be able to convince him to hand in his Lufthansa frequent flier card and stay at home in California after a grueling World Cup and two-year tug-of-war over everything from his coaching methods to the choice of the team's hotel.

Currently suffering from a serious case of World Cup fever, all of Germany would love to see him stay with Poldi and Schweini, but when the temperature has cooled, Klinsmann will have to admit the US has a strong case against the county of his birth.

Who do you think you are?

Near anonymity for the whole family is a major drawing point for the soft-spoken coach. While Klinsmann would be under the critical eyes of Germany's 82 million remote control coaches, the US Soccer Federation would be hard pressed to find half that number of Americans who can name the current coach -- and he's been there for eight years.

Not to mention a sense of normalcy for the rest of the family. Though a move to Germany is unlikely, Klinsmann can bet more German papers will send reporters to California to keep tabs on the long-term trainer.

Mrs. Klinsmann wouldn't be able to buy a carton of milk without the tabloids blaring on about the kids' calcium levels if Jürgen stays with Germany. But the national hero himself would no doubt continue to be asked for two forms of ID by American cashiers if he took over at the US helm.

Don't wait for the media hounds

Recent history also presents more than sufficient sporting reasons why Klinsmann should accept the job in California.

Take the case of Klinsmann's predecessor Rudi Völler.

After a successful 2002 World Cup campaign in South Korea and Japan, he returned with a second place medal to chants of "There's Only One Rudi Völller," and a celebration in Frankfurt so massive he could only ask, "What would you have done if we won?"

On that happy July day Völler enjoyed the support Klinsmann is basking in now, but fast forward two years and the jubilant fans have disappeared. Germany dropped out of Euro 2004 and Völler was in the center of a media lynching of such proportions he threw down a microphone and stormed out of a live television interview before leaving the team.

Granted, Germany didn't win a single game in the 2004 tournament, but Klinsi shouldn't be tempted into believing he's won a fickle country's eternal gratitude. In the US, however, he wouldn't be able to do any wrong, and little would be expected of him.

Positive reviews are waiting in the US

Klinsmann would be hailed as a success for setting Landon Donovan and the rest of the US team on the path he took a young German team down during the 2005 Confederations Cup.

Bring the team to the 2010 quarter-finals and he'd be a hero, deemed the only coach who could teach the US how to score goals before being forgotten two weeks after the tournament.

Crash out in South Africa without a win and hardly a mark in the goal column like Bruce Arena (the US men's national team coach, for now), and the blame is squarely laid on a pool of players who lack the experience required on the international soccer stage.

US soccer can appreciate Klinsi's desire to try and bring the team he built to Euro 2008 glory, so he can go ahead and wait two years if he absolutely must, but the perfect job with the US team is waiting.