Jurgen Klinsmann on use of analytics, fitness demands, more dual-nationals

PHILADELPHIA — On the night before CONCACAF’s press conference promoting this summer’s Gold Cup, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann met with a small group of writers

Grant Wahl | Mar 12, 2015

Jurgen Klinsmann on use of analytics, fitness demands, more dual-nationals /

PHILADELPHIA — On the night before CONCACAF’s press conference promoting this summer’s Gold Cup, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann met with a small group of writers in a hotel conference room and led us through something a little different: A PowerPoint presentation (some of it off-the-record) that laid out his short- and long-term approaches between now and World Cup 2018.

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It wasn’t rocket science, but it did give you the sense that Klinsmann isn’t making it up as he goes along. “We want to raise the bar as best we can,” he said, and if there was an overarching theme to the presentation, it was this: The U.S. competes in a brutally difficult global environment, and as a result Klinsmann needs to push everyone—his players, his prospects, his own federation and, yes, MLS—as hard as possible.

Some of what Klinsmann discussed wasn’t anything new: We know that he thinks players on MLS teams (especially those that miss the playoffs) don’t get enough games per year to keep up with their European-based competitors. And we know that he thinks MLS shouldn’t schedule matchdays on FIFA international dates (though he seemed more bent out of shape about the games it costs youth national team players than senior team players).

But there were some things that stood out as interesting and/or new, including:

U.S. Soccer’s new analytics department

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The federation is establishing a data analysis arm based at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., that Klinsmann hopes will provide him information that he can use. It will be system-wide, from the senior team to the youth national teams to the U.S. development academy.

Technical videographers have been shooting every national team camp recently, but now the analysis will go even deeper.

Having been to the recent Sloan Sports Analytics conference and heard that most of the world’s soccer managers are still hesitant to use analytics, I asked Klinsmann about his plans for the tool.

“Overall, coaches are happy with getting the data,” he said. “Let’s say, how quickly you release the ball, how quickly you get into transition, how quickly you transition into your defensive shape. How you connect your back line right away with your midfielders. There’s a lot of good data to use.”

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“The danger right now is, especially in Italy and Germany, I’d say you have coaches from two different worlds. The ones who want to be on the front foot on these kind of ideas and be data-driven and have a clear concept they want to follow. Then you have the coach who does it more out of his stomach … coming more from the emotional side instead of the analytical side. It’s pretty cool to see that, because I know a lot of coaches, and I see who’s going which way.”

“I think data helps. To what extent you want to use it, I think it’s good to use it going forward once we have that department together just to show our players based on what we expect of them how we want them to play in their roles.”

Klinsmann’s fitness dossier

Speaking of data, remember the controversy in January over Klinsmann’s comments that the U.S.’s fitness wasn’t good for the national team camp that month? He said at the time that he had the data to show it, and that’s what we got to see on Wednesday (minus the names of the U.S. players).

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Using a spreadsheet that was color-coded for green (“USMNT standard”), yellow (“below USMNT standard”) and orange (“not competitive”), the analysis included results from 10 types of player tests (including the infamous "beep test" for endurance).

Ex-U.S. fitness coach Pierre Barrieu puzzled by Klinsmann's comments

Let’s just say that a fair number of squares from the January camp were either “below USMNT standard” or “not competitive.”

I think part of the uproar in January came from Klinsmann indicating that there was a problem with the fitness culture inside the U.S. team, in the sense that he didn’t think some players did enough in December to prepare for the January camp.

The U.S.’s fitness culture has been one of its strong suits for more than a decade. But if some of the guys didn’t meet what he was expecting fitness-wise for one camp, yeah, that could be an issue.

Dual-nationals continue to be on the agenda

Courting U.S.-eligible dual-nationals is only one part of Klinsmann’s strategy, but he wants to keep following it if possible. He said Arsenal’s Gedion Zelalem has not yet cleared FIFA eligibility after getting his passport at New Year’s, so he may not be able to come in for this month’s friendlies against Denmark and Switzerland.

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“We obviously hope Gedion Zelalem will come through,” said Klinsmann, who added that he thinks Zelalem is already at the level where he could play on the U.S. senior team at age 18. “In Mexico, with [Club America center back] Ventura Alvarado we have watched him several times. [Leon goalkeeper] William Yarbrough, we like him a lot. There are a couple youngsters in Germany coming through with possibilities to play for us. One kid in England. So there’s a lot happening.”

GALLERY: Best of Jurgen Klinsmann

The Best of Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann

Before taking over the U.S. Men's National Team, Jurgen Klinsmann managed his native Germany to a third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup. Here's a look back at his career before he leads the U.S. into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Klinsmann (left) celebrates in 1996 after captaining Germany to the UEFA European Championship with a 2-1 win over Czech Republic and receiving the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II (center). Klinsmann was the first player ever to score in three different European Championships ('88, '92 and '96).

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann poses with the late Portuguese great Eusebio before the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. A month later, he would be named coach of the German national team.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann discusses his team-building plans for Germany at the second International Football Forum in Rio de Janeiro, in December 2005. His methods drew strongly from American training programs, as Klinsmann had lived in Southern California since 1998, and those methods initially garnered scrutiny from the greater soccer world.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

Klinsmann at German national team training in 2006. When managing the team, he would commute to sessions from his home in the United States -- to the frustration of Germany's fans. His non-traditional player selection and philosophies brought criticism that was largely silenced after Germany's third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann with members of the German national team, including captain Michael Ballack (center), during World Cup training in 2006.

Jurgen Klinsmann

A former striker who spent time at such clubs as VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Tottenham and Bayern Munich, Klinsmann scored 226 goals across 506 games in his professional career.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann gestures against Costa Rica in the opening match at Munich's World Cup Stadium in 2006, a 4-2 win.

Jurgen Klinsmann

After defeating Argentina on penalties in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals, Klinsmann celebrated with Germany assistant Oliver Bierhoff in Berlin. The two were former teammates in the German side, for which Klinsmann scored 47 goals in 108 appearances.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Lukas Podolski receives congratulations from Klinsmann during the 2006 World Cup Round of 16 match against Sweden in Munich.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann celebrates on the touchline after Bastian Schweinsteiger scores the first goal against Portugal in the third-place game.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann rejoices after Germany won the third-place match against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup. Klinsmann went 20-8-6 in 34 matches as manager.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann acknowledges the crowd at the medal presentation after winning the third-place game 3-1 over Portugal. Klinsmann would later be named German Football Manager of the Year.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann holds Croatia's ballot paper during the UEFA Euro 2008 draw, in December 2007. After the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann left the Germany post and flirted with the idea of managing the United States.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann signs autographs for Japanese fans at a practice session in July 2008, having recently accepted the manager job at legendary German club Bayern Munich.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Bayern Munich and Klinsmann warm up the day of a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon in 2009. Klinsmann would manage Bayern for just one season, and was sacked with five games left with his team just three points out of first. Bayern management was also unhappy with early exits in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal tournaments.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann and assistant coach Martin Vazquez celebrate a goal by Robbie Rogers against Mexico on Aug. 10, 2011. A few weeks earlier, on July 29, Klinsmann was named coach of the United States national team after rumors linked the two for years.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Waiting for the start of a match against Italy in 2012, Klinsmann cracks a smile. Before taking the U.S. job, he'd followed MLS and been a presence at soccer events around the country since 1998, when then-MLS Deputy Commissioner Sunil Gulati tried to get him to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy as a player.

Jurgen Klinsmann

U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley (right) and Klinsmann address the media in 2012. Klinsmann replaced Bradley's father, Bob, as U.S. coach in 2011, intending to create a distinctly American style of play.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann signs an autograph at a public U.S. national team practice in 2012.

Jurgen Klinsmann

USA players and Klinsmann acknowledge the fans after a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Guatemala in Kansas City, Kan. Klinsmann hoped to implement an offensive, passing-based mentality to the American side.

Jurgen Klinsmann

The U.S. men practice in 2013.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Clint Dempsey and Klinsmann hold court at a presser in Mexico City, a day prior to a World Cup qualifier.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann and Mexico head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre chat before the game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Forward Jozy Altidore is greeted by Klinsmann after being substituted in a 1-1 World Cup qualifier draw with Mexico in Mexico City.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann thanks U.S. supporters following a 1-0 win against Costa Rica during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann gestures during the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal match against Honduras at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The U.S. won 3-1.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann watches DaMarcus Beasley take a throw-in during a friendly with Guatemala at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Longtime U.S. star Landon Donovan meets Klinsmann while exiting after scoring his second goal during a friendly against Guatemala in San Diego in 2013.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann warms up prior to a training session in September 2013 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Veteran U.S. midfielder DaMarcus Beasley listens to Klinsmann during a World Cup qualifying match against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio in September 2013. The United States clinched its seventh straight World Cup appearance with second-half goals from Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan in a 2-0 win.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Former U.S. player Frankie Hejduk congratulates Klinsmann after the U.S. clinched a World Cup berth by defeating Mexico.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann speaks during a press conference at the Sao Paulo FC training centre in January 2014.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann and the U.S. team arrived in Sao Paulo in January 2014 for a 12-day training session to prepare for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann addresses the team in Sao Paulo in January 2014. Known for picking his squads on performance and not reputation, Klinsmann held true to his reputation in mid-May by leaving striker Eddie Johnson out of the World Cup pool in favor of the in-form Terrence Boyd and Chris Wondolowski.

Published Mar 12, 2015

GRANT WAHL

A leading soccer journalist and best-selling author, Grant Wahl has been with SI since 1996 and has penned more than three dozen cover stories.