The United States fell 2-0 to Guatemala on the road on Friday night and it is bringing the fire Jurgen Klinsmann debate back to the forefront. The result was far from ideal for the USA, who could have qualified for the Hex with a sweep against the Central American minnows. Despite the angry fans storming the gates with pitchforks in hand, this is not the time for the USMNT, or fans, to panic.
Let’s start with the short term and look at the next game on the schedule. They get to host this same Guatemala side on Tuesday in Columbus. This is somewhere they have been historically successful. A win there, which is quite likely, will put them right back into the driver’s seat to not only qualify for the Hex but to win Group C.
In fact, the United States is in the exact same spot they were in four years ago. Their qualifying campaign opened with a planned victory against Antigua at home. They then drew at Guatemala and lost to Jamaica for a total of four points through three matches. Two wins later saw the USA in the Hex and well on their way to making it to Brazil.
Now fast forward to September. A trip to St. Vincent is far from intimidating and should result in three points. Next, there will be a home clash against Trinidad and Tobago which should also end in victory. The USMNT should be able to earn nine of nine remaining points to get them through and make this instant reaction of armageddon feel like ancient history.
A lot can change in the next six months between Tuesday’s match at home and September’s trip to the Caribbean. Welcoming the team back to the homeland ready to riot is not going to help anything.
Yes, Klinsmann’s teams election was perplexing. He didn’t call up a viable fullback despite having plenty at his disposal. His refusal to take a look at many great American players is hurting his efforts to win important matches. Throw in his questionable starting lineups and wonky tactics, and you have a manager who is receiving plenty of justified criticism. But looking at just this game and calling for his head isn’t the right thing to do. The team had a bad night, but this same manager has also given us plenty of positive results to look back on.
This isn’t to say that Jurgen Klinsmann’s hot seat isn’t close to setting fire. Kicking him to the curb is probably the best solution for the team long term. But taking this match in a vacuum is not the reason to demand his head on a spike. Looking at this one match and saying the USA is in real danger of failing to qualify for the Hex, something that hasn’t happened since the current format was adopted, is simply an overreaction.
Now, what if the team fails to show up at home on Tuesday? That’s when we all panic. That’s when we storm the gates with torches and pitchforks demanding Klinsmann fired, declare American soccer in a state of emergency, and prepare ourselves for the first World Cup without the United States in 30 years.
Main Photo: Johan Ordonez, AFP/Getty Images
