U.S. coach Klinsmann got the effort, and Copa result, he wanted
For almost the entire time that Jurgen Klinsmann has been part of the American soccer landscape, he has yearned for the kind of occasion that Lincoln Financial Field hosted on Saturday. And not just since he took the helm of the U.S. men's soccer team five years ago.
For almost the entire time that Jurgen Klinsmann has been part of the American soccer landscape, he has yearned for the kind of occasion that Lincoln Financial Field hosted on Saturday. And not just since he took the helm of the U.S. men's soccer team five years ago.
Even before then, as a studio commentator on ESPN's coverage of the 2010 World Cup, he was firing broadsides at aspects of the American soccer system he didn't like.
In the same stadium that hosted Klinsmann's first game as U.S. coach in 2011, his longtime dream came true. Here was a game that demanded a result in order to reach the knockout stages of a tournament full of soccer superpowers.
Klinsmann wanted high intensity from his players, and he got it.
Klinsmann wanted a wild atmosphere, and he got that, too. The raucous crowd of 51,041 roared from start to finish, confirming once and for all that Philadelphia is a true American soccer hotbed.
Ultimately, Klinsmann got what he really craved more than anything else: a win that potentially saved his job.
"This is a huge statement to teams in South America or whoever watches it on TV, because this team has a fantastic spirit and character," he said.
In the past, his words weren't so glowing. Time and again, he has criticized exactly that spirit and character in players who haven't lived up to his demands - some of which haven't had a sufficient grounding in reality.
Think of Landon Donovan's being dropped from the 2014 World Cup team amid rumors of personal problems between him and Klinsmann. Think of veteran defender Omar Gonzalez's being replaced by the inexperienced, inferior Ventura Alvarado during last year's Gold Cup.
And even for this tournament, some wondered whether dynamic young striker Jordan Morris was left off the roster because he chose to play for his hometown Seattle Sounders in Major League Soccer instead of trying his luck in Germany.
Yes, much of that chatter was based on outsiders' conspiracy theories. But Klinsmann could have easily shut them down. Instead, he put more fuel on the fire.
Not all the blame for the U.S. team's struggles over the last year should be laid at Klinsmann's feet. Players who failed to deliver get a healthy share.
But U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati's recent hints about Klinsmann's future being at stake resonated as loudly as the fans' thunderous rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" right before kickoff at the Linc.
And for as much as Klinsmann has put the spotlight on himself during his tenure, had he failed on this big stage, Gulati would have had to share the blame. Gulati wanted to hire Klinsmann for many years before finally getting him to come on board in 2011. It took a lot of time and even more money to get the deal done.
Had the United States lost, and had Gulati followed through on those thinly veiled threats, Gulati would have had to face some tough questions of his own.
After this win, both men are off the hook. Unless the Americans crash spectacularly in World Cup qualifying, Klinsmann will keep his job through the expected trip to Russia for the global showcase in 2018.
The biggest criticism of many aimed at Klinsmann hasn't been over his laments about player development; or his claims that European soccer is inherently and morally superior to anything played here; or his shots at the American media and public for not being as steeped in the game as his fellow Germans.
It has been that Klinsmann hasn't delivered results.
This time, he delivered a result.
@thegoalkeeper