United States vs Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup

In the end, according to Landon Donovan, his advice for the USA national team is to give Klinsmann the boot if he loses to Mexico on Saturday.

“The reality is that now, anywhere else in the world, if this coach had those results, and they lose this game against Mexico, they’d be fired”.

Donovan noted that the loss to Brazil was “probably the worst game” he’s seen the team play under Klinsmann. Likewise, Klinsmann might not accept the league’s importance, but MLS’s ability to produce better players in increasing numbers is essential to the success of the national team on his watch and for whoever succeeds him. They started off brightly with a string of impressive tournament victories but ended up struggling to just get through Concacaf qualifying. In a rare coincidence, fans will get a chance to see the future of the national team just as another era closes. If you’re going to the game, you can find a list of transportation tips here.

Jurgen Klinsmann has cut down the roster to 23 ahead of Saturday’s CONCACAF Cup match against Mexico. The comments are the words of a bitter, but right Landon Donovan.

“This is one of the biggest soccer games to be played on North American soil since the 1994 World Cup, and the fans have certainly responded”, said CONCACAF acting general secretary Ted Howard in a press release Monday. By swapping Nguyen with one of these defensive-minded players, Klinsmann would have added depth at the No. 10 spot, allowing Nguyen to use his vision and creativity to set up a late goal. The Cameron/Besler duo worked well in the World Cup for the U.S., and both have been in good form for their respective clubs lately. I like Zardes, and think that he will be one of the center pieces for Team U.S. moving forward. Wondo is famous for his miss against Belgium, however, that would have moved the USMNT onto the next round at the 2014 World Cup. Klinsmann has never been afraid to experiment with different lineups, formations, and untested, youth-heavy squad selections, prioritizing the search for something that clicks over repetitious, stodgy strategies that would surely grind out a couple more wins in the short term at the expense of long term development. If they do it will most likely be Zardes with his speed, however Wondo is a much better pure goal scorer. However, if called in, we all know that Klinsmann wouldn’t play the creative midfielder. Klinsmann was hired as a big-name coach who could make airy pronouncements about what the country needs to do to get a whole lot better, and for those statements to reverberate within our larger sports industrial complex.