Jurgen Klinsmann, Michael Bradley and the U.S. squad sit in third place at the midway point of World Cup qualifying’s semifinal round. (Saul Martinez/Reuters)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. men’s national soccer team is probably going to win its 2018 World Cup qualifying match Tuesday against Guatemala. The Americans, after all, have not lost a home qualifier in 15 years and never lost a match of any kind in 10 visits to Mapfre Stadium, home to MLS’s Columbus Crew.
However, given the state of affairs, both in recent days and over eight months, nothing should be taken for granted.
With a 2-0 away defeat to the Guatemalans on Friday, the Americans put themselves into an uncomfortable position at the midway point of what should have been a carefree semifinal-round quartet.
Grouped with Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jurgen Klinsmann’s band is 1-1-1 and in third place. True, the defeat and draw came on the road, but expectations have risen to the point where American soccer should not have to use the location as an excuse against lesser foes.
“No one expected it to go perfectly from Game One until the end,” midfielder Michael Bradley said. “Obviously, it’s on us to make sure the response in every way is strong. I think – no, I know – you’ll see a group step on the field and do that.”
The first defeat to Guatemala in 28 years did not sit well with U.S. supporters, who turned to social media to vent anger and clamor for Klinsmann’s dismissal.
“Fans are fans – they can be upset with the way we played,” midfielder Alejandro Bedoya said. “It’s not the first time the States is in this position. We talked about it as a group that we have been in this position before, and this will really show our character. It’s a big one on Tuesday.”
While the United States has encountered difficulty in the early stage of World Cup qualifying before (the 2002 cycle, for instance), Friday’s performance demonstrated again the lack of progress under Klinsmann’s rule.
Upsets do happen, but Friday’s outcome was not an anomaly. Since last summer, the Americans have stumbled multiple times against CONCACAF’s second tier: A defeat to Jamaica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals in Atlanta was the first to a Caribbean opponent on home ground since 1968 and, days later in the third-place match, the Americans were listless against Panama.
Although it’s hard to imagine the United States failing to claim one of the group’s two spots in the final round of qualifying, a draw or defeat Tuesday would set off alarms.
Either outcome would renew calls for the U.S. Soccer Federation to dump Klinsmann and take a fresh approach before this summer’s Copa America – featuring Argentina, Brazil, et al — and the last two group qualifiers in September. Klinsmann’s hefty contract runs through the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and the only thing, it seems, that would lead to termination is if the United States is in grave danger of not getting there.
Throughout these trying times, one constant criticism has been Klinsmann’s lineup decisions.
On Friday, he started Mix Diskerud, an attacking player, deep in central midfield. Less egregious, he played Bedoya on the left wing instead of the right or in the middle. (Last fall, Klinsmann tossed Bedoya to the wolves by playing him in defensive midfield against Brazil, then yanked him before halftime.)
Center back Michael Orozco does not play regularly for Mexican club Tijuana but started Friday. Geoff Cameron, who is probably best in central defense, started on the right corner. DeAndre Yedlin, who has been starting at right back for Sunderland in the Premier League, was on the right wing. Edgar Castillo returned from a two-year absence to start at left back.
While different looks are expected in friendlies, early in a coach’s tenure or at the start of a World Cup cycle, Klinsmann made these decisions in a World Cup qualifier more than 4 ½ years after he took the job and 19 months since the 2018 cycle began.
In his defense, late injuries ruled out center back John Brooks and left wing Fabian Johnson, a pair of full-time starters with their respective Bundesliga clubs. Also, World Cup center back Matt Besler suffered a concussion on the eve of the game.
Another disconcerting issue: conceding early goals. In six of nine matches since September, the opponent has scored within 20 minutes — a telltale sign of an ill-prepared and disorganized team.
On Friday, the Americans conceded goals off a corner kick in the seventh minute and a breakaway in the 15th. They had ample opportunity to score a few of their own but were both imprecise in shooting and thwarted by Paulo Motta’s first-rate saves.
Despite the setback, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard is not worried about a repeat.
“Lightning,” he said, “won’t strike twice for them.”
U.S. notes: Christian Pulisic, a 17-year-old attacker for Borussia Dortmund, and World Cup midfielder Graham Zusi replaced Johnson (groin) and Besler on the roster. [Updated roster] … As of Sunday afternoon, ticket sales were at 17,000. … Tuesday’s kickoff is 7:25 p.m., not 7 o’clock as advertised. ESPN2 and UniMas will provide coverage.
