USMNT Fall in Rivalry Clash to Mexico; Klinsmann Out?
By Brian Carson
Well that was absolutely disheartening to watch.
New England Revolution midfielder Jermaine Jones and the U.S. Men’s National Team fell to Mexico 3-2 on Saturday night as a place in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia was on the line.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored his first ever goal against the USMNT, putting El Tri up 1-0 in the tenth minute. Just five minutes later, USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley whipped an in-swinging ball into the box off a free kick, which was met by American defender Geoff Cameron to head it home and level the score. The match remained tied at 1-1 concluding the 90 minutes of regulation time.
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The 90,000 fans packed into the Rose Bowl were not left disappointed, however. Overtime proved to match the intensity of this deeply rooted rivalry. Mexico’s Oribe Peralta struck first in the 96th minute as a he met a trickling ball in the opposition’s box to slide past USMNT goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
The USMNT fought back with a class finish by Bobby Wood against Mexican goalkeeper Moisés Muñoz in the 108th and hope seemed restored for the Stars and Stripes.
However, Mexican striker Paul Aguilar had other plans in mind, showing off his skill with a single-touch, tight-angled volley that beat Guzan in the 118th minute and sent American fans into despair. The night ended with Mexico lifting their second trophy in one year; the USMNT, again, leaving empty-handed.
First off, as a USMNT supporter, I think we all can agree that the squad did not play up to expectations and that Mexico clearly deserved the win and the resulting spot in the Confederations Cup. Hats off to them.
Second, as a Revolution supporter, I am particularly frustrated by Jermaine Jones’s performance on the night. Yes, he still displayed his energetic edge; however, it translated into no more than wasteful off-target shots.
As for his positioning, I am not a fan of USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to place him as wide as he did. Jones was not put into a position where he could play to his strengths, and it showed especially in overtime when he left Aguilar unmarked to assist in Peralta’s 96th goal.
Let’s get down to the question: Does Jurgen Klinsmann need to get the boot?
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Short answer: Yes. Playing Jones out of position is one thing, but when he is doing it consistently for a whole lot of players, it begs the question if Klinsmann knows how to handle the squad and discipline them to be reliable in their respective positions.
Even after the Donovan World Cup debacle, I still had faith in Klinsmann simply because he had the results to back him up. As we now find ourselves in the thick of a muddy streak of mediocrity, however, the squad has been exposed for what it is: a mix-up of Klinsmann roster experiments.
In USMNT lineups of the past, players knew their place in the squad and had time to develop chemistry on the pitch. Players had ample time to sink into their roles and really understand their positions. Under Klinsmann, significant uncertainty in the roster preludes almost every national camp call-up.
Although I agree that uncertainty may push players to solidify their place on the team, it encourages individual pursuit rather than team development. That’s how I’ve seen this team for the past few years: a collection of individuals who do not have the proper tools to cohere into a team. That’s all on management.
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