The United States. One of these is not like the others, at least not for the US Men's National Team. The word that does not fit is 'United;" at least not according to recent reports.
Heading into a crucial tilt with Costa Rica on Friday, the American locker room seems to be divided with numerous players questioning manager Jurgen Klinsmann's tactics and skills. Of course, Klinsmann is not making a big deal out of the reports. "On the path to a big tournament like the World Cup, you will always have critical voices in the background, that is just the way it is," Klinsmann told the media on Thursday. "At the end of the day, do you know how to get the job done? It is going to be a trek of 10 games going to Brazil and we have crucial ones coming up, obviously tomorrow against [Costa Rica]. When that critical voice is there you listen to them and you move on, no problems."
Klinsmann better hope his team overcomes the supposed tensions when they play against Costa Rica. After losing their opening match to Honduras in the hexagonal stage of the CONCACAF, the Americans desperately need to top Costa Rica at home. A loss on Friday would set them up for disaster heading into the Tuesday tilt in Mexico as the Americans are prone to defeat at the Azteca. Three losses in their first three matches would force them to win five or six of their final seven; they won six of ten for the 2010 World Cup and seven of 10 in qualifying for the 2006 tournament. More importantly, the third and final berth has always required at least 16 points in the last three World Cups; if the Americans lost on Friday and Tuesday, they would need to win five and draw one in their final seven to earn these 16 points.
Tottenham Hotspur forward Clint Dempsey will captain the team in the absence of Carlos Bocanegra.
Costa Rica is coming off a 2-2 draw against Panama, but the team has sufficient weapons to scare the Americans.
Prediction: 1-1 draw.
Start Time: 10:11 PM EST
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