Despite only playing one game in the World Cup 2014 qualifiers, the United States' chances of making its seventh straight World Cup are as tentative as they have been in years. The team's opening loss to Honduras singled a lack of desperation and defensive quality. However the problems loom larger. Nine of the players on the roster for the Honduras match last month are unavailable to Manager Jurgen Klinsmann. However, it seems like the German has a divided locker room.
According to a report by Sporting News' Brian Straus, the poor performance from the Americans against Honduras and the lack of tangible improvement over his 19-month tenure has created insecurity in American soccer. According to Straus one of the major issues bothering a number of players and coaches is the idea that "Klinsmann and chief assistant Martin Vasquez either lack the tactical acumen and game-day chops to successfully lead the team or fail to communicate their wishes effectively." More importantly Straus asserts that his sources also point toward "Constant lineup changes and building resentment over the perceived importance and attitude of the German-born players" as detrimental to the team's performance.
When the reporter reached out to Klinsmann, the manager seemed unsurprised by the criticism. "These comments are just normal to me," he said. "This team is in a transition. Between two World Cup cycles, faces change. We're doing that, and you also kind of mix up the chemistry. There will be a new group of leaders coming through that process, and that will be responsible for molding everything together."
The negative reaction toward Klinsmann seems to have had its roots in the loss to Honduras. After the German made the controversial decision to bench Captain Carlos Bocanegra, the team looked flat-footed and lost against Honduras. "(Klinsmann) didn't really say how we were going to play. It was a quick turnaround," said one anonymous US player.
Criticism was also pointed at Klinsmann's assistant Martin Vasquez. "He's just scatterbrained," one player told Straus about Vasquez. The report indicates that the assistant doesn't assert his own opinion and seems to comply with all of Klinsmann's requests.
Moreover, some players feel that he is less competent than their previous manager Bob Bradley. "Bob was better at getting his message across. There was more of an identity," one player said. "We're still coming to terms with that (under Klinsmann). ... Sometimes the message they're trying to get across isn't relayed the best, or as players we don't apply it. It's just different."
The United States must win Friday's match with Costa Rica if they have any hopes of going to their seventh straight World Cup. The team usually loses two or three matches in the hexagonal stage, but with Mexico coming up on Tuesday, a loss on Friday could put their qualification chances in serious peril. In the last three World Cup qualifiers, the third place team in the hexagonal stage has needed at least 16 points to earn to earn a berth. If the United States lost their first three matches, they would need to win at least five or six of their last seven, and would need to draw the remainder of the matches to qualify. Five victories and two draws would earn the team 17 points, but four wins and three draws would only give them 15 points.
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