U.S. players leave Klinsmann with much to ponder in weeks before Mexico clash

After the USA's friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand and a 10-day training camp, Jurgen Klinsmann is left with some decisions to make as to who will face Mexico and Costa Rica next month.

Brian Straus | Oct 12, 2016

U.S. players leave Klinsmann with much to ponder in weeks before Mexico clash /

WASHINGTON — Michael Bradley was the last U.S. player to leave the media mixed zone Tuesday night at RFK Stadium. And the last thing he talked about before walking alone down the dark field-level concourse, checking his phone as he took the first few steps on his familiar journey from country back to club, was the psychology of that transition.

National team staff and fans already are looking ahead to November, when the U.S. will open the final round of CONCACAF’s World Cup qualifying tournament with massive games against Mexico and Costa Rica. Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with New Zealand concluded a 10-day camp that represented U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s final chance to get a first-hand look at his team—a handful of members of his core and a handful of players on the fringe—before selecting his qualifying roster. He now has more than three weeks until he must do so. There’s time to contemplate and consider the options.

Julian Green, Sacha Kljestan make most of USA's drab draw vs. New Zealand

His players don’t have that leeway. For them, there’s got to be a balance. Those November qualifiers are big. Good results would set the U.S. on the path to Russia. A bad start would ruin the momentum generated over the past few months. But there’s also a lot happening between now and Columbus that already was on Bradley’s mind.

“It’s only natural to have an idea over the next few weeks what’s coming. It’s an exciting few weeks,” he said. “I think when we’re back together in a few weeks in Columbus, I think there will be four teams left in MLS, if I’m not mistaken (he’s not). The European guys head back and have a few weeks of important games. MLS guys head back and essentially, your season gets played in the next four weeks. And obviously when we meet in Columbus, the biggest games we’ve played in a while are up. It’s an exciting time of year.”

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Whether or not they impressed Klinsmann in training, during the 2-0 win over Cuba or on Tuesday in Washington, the players have plenty to do between now and November. As Bradley said, in less than a month the MLS field will shrink from 20 teams to four. Bradley and Jozy Altidore are paid a lot of money by Toronto FC to lead a reversal of that club’s fortunes. TFC has never won a playoff game. Playmaker Sacha Kljestan, who’s thrust himself back into the U.S. picture after two years in exile, heads back to a New York Red Bulls squad also desperate for postseason success.

For the European players, big challenges await. Julian Green scored goals against Cuba and New Zealand, but still hasn’t played a Bundesliga minute for Bayern Munich (he did get 24 in a DFB Pokal game in August). Lynden Gooch added a fearless spark off the bench at RFK, but he’s lost his starting spot at English Premier League basement-dweller Sunderland. Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath staked his claim to the No. 3 spot with a debut shutout of Cuba and returned to Norway knowing Molde FK is one point out of a Europa League berth with four games remaining. Perry Kitchen, who started Friday, is the new captain at Scotland’s Heart of Midlothian. The other “new” defensive midfielder in camp, Danny Williams, heads back to a Reading team in the mix for a Premier League promotion playoff spot.

GALLERY: U.S. Soccer in 2016

U.S. Soccer in 2016: USMNT and USWNT year in photos

Klinsmann fired, replaced by Arena

Jurgen Klinsmann was fired after the USA's World Cup qualifying loss in Costa Rica, bringing an end to more than five years in charge. He was replaced by Bruce Arena, who returns to the bench after coaching the USA from 1998-2006.

USMNT vs. Costa Rica, November 15

The dejected faces on Bobby Wood, left, and John Brooks say it all, as the U.S. drops to 0-2-0 in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying Hexagonal following a 4-0 loss and embarrassment at Costa Rica.

USWNT vs. Romania, November 13

Morgan Brian gets a congratulatory hug after her converted penalty kick, which helped the U.S. women close out 2016 with a 5-0 rout of Romania at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

USMNT vs. Mexico, November 11

Mexico players celebrate Rafa Marquez's late winner, which delivered a 2-1 triumph for El Tri over the USA to open the CONCACAF Hexagonal. It ended years of U.S. domination over Mexico in Columbus.

USWNT vs. Romania, November 10

Crystal Dunn congratulates Christen Press on one of her three goals as the USA handled Romania with ease, winning 8-1 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California.

USWNT vs. Switzerland, October 23

Carli Lloyd gets a hearty welcome after scoring on a long-range blast to kick-start the U.S. in a 5-1 rout of Switzerland in Minneapolis.

USWNT vs. Switzerland, October 19

A new-look U.S. women's team routed Switzerland 4-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, with Samantha Mewis (3) at the center of the celebrations after scoring the final goal of four-goal second half.

USMNT vs. New Zealand, October 11

Julian Green is congratulated by captain Michael Bradley after scoring the opener, but the U.S. was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw vs. New Zealand in the last game before the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying Hexagonal kicks off.

USMNT vs. Cuba, October 7

Chris Wondolowski scored a goal and assisted on another, as the USA continued World Cup qualifying preparations by beating Cuba 2-0 in a historic friendly in Havana.

USWNT vs. Netherlands, September 18

Carli Lloyd celebrates her goal that kicks off the scoring for the USA in a 3-1 win over the Netherlands at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

USWNT vs. Thailand, September 15

U.S. women's national team co-captain Carli Lloyd happily signs autographs after scoring a hat trick in a 9-0 romp over Thailand in Columbus, Ohio.

USWNT vs. Thailand, September 15

Megan Rapinoe kneels for the national anthem ahead of the U.S. women's national team's match vs. Thailand, continuing her public protest in line with that of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

USMNT vs. Trinidad & Tobago, September 6

Fabian Johnson, Christian Pulisic and Sacha Kljestan celebrate during a 4-0 win, which cemented the USA's place atop its World Cup qualifying group and a berth in the CONCACAF hexagonal.

Hope Solo's USWNT contract terminated

Following the USWNT's Olympic loss to Sweden, Hope Solo lashed out at the opposition, calling them "cowards" and drawing the ire of U.S. Soccer. The incident pushed the federation over the edge, and it terminated the goalkeeper's contract while suspending her six months–meaning any chance at reinstatement won't be possible until February.

USWNT vs. Sweden, August 12

The long and stunned faces say it all, as the U.S. women try to comprehend a penalty-kick loss to Sweden in the Olympic quarterfinals. The 4-3 PK defeat after a 1-1 draw marked the earliest ouster for the U.S. women in a major competition ever.

USWNT vs. Colombia, August 9

Hope Solo lets a Catalina Usme free kick slip through her hands and legs in a shocking 2-2 draw. The USA still won its Olympic group despite the slip-up.

USWNT vs. France, August 6

Carli Lloyd scores the only goal in a 1-0 win over a stout France side to punch the USA's ticket to the knockout stage at the Olympics.

USWNT vs. New Zealand, August 3

Carli Lloyd celebrates her goal in the USA's 2-0 win over New Zealand in their opening match of group play at the Olympics. Alex Morgan doubled the USA's lead in the second half.

USWNT vs. Costa Rica, July 22

Christen Press and Carli Lloyd celebrate an easy 4-0 win, which sent the U.S. on its way to Rio with an unbeaten record in 2016.

USWNT vs. South Africa, July 9

Hope Solo salutes the crowd after posting the 100th clean sheet of her career in a 1-0 win in Chicago. Crystal Dunn scored the lone goal.

USMNT vs. Colombia, June 25

For a second time at Copa America, the USA falls to Colombia, with Carlos Bacca's goal the difference in a 1-0 result in the third-place match in Arizona.

USMNT vs. Argentina, June 21

Lionel Messi converts an incredible free kick to punctuate a dominant performance for Argentina against the USA in the Copa America semifinals.

USMNT vs. Ecuador, June 16

Goal scorers Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes share a celebratory hug with Matt Besler in the Copa America quarterfinals, where the Americans held on for a 2-1 win and a place in the semis.

USMNT vs. Paraguay, June 11

Clint Dempsey celebrates his goal in a 1-0 win over Paraguay, which secured the USA's place in the Copa America knockout stage.

USMNT vs. Costa Rica, June 7

Bobby Wood caps a dominating first half for the USA in a must-win game vs. Costa Rica in Chicago at Copa America. Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Graham Zusi also scored.

USWNT vs. Japan, June 5

Co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn defends as the U.S. bounces back to shut out Japan 2-0 in a rain-shortened friendly in Cleveland.

USMNT vs. Colombia, June 3

James Rodriguez beats Brad Guzan from the penalty spot in Colombia's 2-0 win over the USA to open Copa America Centenario.

USWNT vs. Japan, June 2

Lindsey Horan heads the USA in front to cap a comeback from two goals down, but the Americans conceded in extra time to 10-woman Japan, settling for a 3-3 draw.

USMNT vs. Bolivia, May 29

Christian Pulisic scores his first international goal in the USA's 4-0 win over Bolivia in a final tune-up for Copa America. Gyasi Zardes scored twice, and John Brooks added one of his own in the triumph.

USMNT vs. Ecuador, May 25

Darlington Nagbe is hugged by Christian Pulisic after his 90th-minute volley delivers a 1-0 victory for the USA in a pre-Copa America friendly.

USMNT vs. Puerto Rico, May 22

Tim Ream scores the opening goal in the USA's 3-0 win over Puerto Rico in the first meeting between the two sides. Bobby Wood and Paul Arriola scored as well.

USWNT vs. Colombia, April 10

Julie Johnston, left, is mobbed after one of her two goals in a 3-0 USA win at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania.

USWNT vs. Colombia, April 6

Allie Long, left scores twice, and five other players score as well in a 7-0 rout of Colombia in East Hartford, Connecticut.

USMNT vs. Guatemala, March 29

Christian Pulisic, 17, makes his U.S. debut in a World Cup qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, becoming cap-tied to the USA. He was otherwise eligible for Croatia.

USMNT vs. Guatemala, March 29

Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore celebrate during a thorough 4-0 World Cup qualifying win, putting the USA's campaign back on track after the setback in Guatemala.

USMNT vs. Guatemala, March 25

There was no way through for DeAndre Yedlin and the USA during a 2-0 loss in Guatemala in what was a stunning setback in the Americans' World Cup qualifying campaign.

USWNT vs. Germany, March 9

The USWNT celebrates the inaugural SheBelieves Cup title after beating European powers England, France and Germany in succession.

USWNT vs. Germany, March 9

The U.S. celebrates Alex Morgan's equalizer vs. Germany in the SheBelieves Cup in Boca Raton, Florida. Samantha Mewis's winner a few minutes later cemented the Americans' overall triumph in the competition.

USWNT vs. France, March 6

Alex Morgan scores the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over France in the second game of the SheBelieves Cup in Nashville, Tennessee.

USWNT vs. England, March 3

Crystal Dunn is mobbed after her game-winning goal kicks off the SheBelieves Cup in a 1-0 triumph in Tampa Bay, Florida.

USWNT vs. Canada, February 21

Lindsey Horan celebrates her goal that helps the USA to a 2-0 win over Canada and a first-place finish in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying.

USWNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago, February 19

Alex Morgan celebrates one of her three goals that helped the U.S. clinch a berth in the 2016 Olympics after a 5-0 triumph in Houston.

USWNT vs. Puerto Rico, February 15

Crystal Dunn scores one of her five goals, tying a single-game U.S. record in a 10-0 rout to close group play in Olympic qualifying.

USWNT vs. Mexico, February 13

The U.S. needed a penalty kick from Carli Lloyd to beat Mexico 1-0 in the second match of CONCACAF's Olympic qualifying tournament.

USWNT vs. Costa Rica, February 10

Alex Morgan scores the fastest goal in U.S. history, netting 12 seconds into the USWNT's Olympic qualifying campaign and sending the Americans on their way to a 5-0 win.

USMNT vs. Canada, February 5

Jozy Altidore heads in the winner to secure a 1-0 win over Canada at StubHub Center to cap the annual winter training camp.

USMNT vs. Iceland, January 31

Steve Birnbaum heads in a late winner in a 3-2 victory over Iceland in the opening match of the year.

USWNT vs. Ireland, January 23

17-year-old Mallory Pugh scores on her debut, helping cap a 5-0 win for the USA to open the year. Carli Lloyd led the way with a hat trick, and Alex Morgan scored as well in San Diego.

What happens over the next few weeks will play a significant role in how Klinsmann prepares for Mexico and Costa Rica. He said following Tuesday’s tie that he still needed to choose “what system we want to play,” against El Tri. That could determine whether Kljestan, for example, gets the chance to continue his international resurgence. Or perhaps Kljestan can determine that for Klinsmann with a strong few weeks. Injuries and health issues facing the likes of Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones demonstrate how little is in a national team manager’s control. What this camp did for Klinsmann was provide additional options. That can make things complicated, but he said it's a good problem to have.

“It’s been a good 10 days, because we wanted to get some answers for a couple things heading toward the Mexico clash and I think we found a couple very interesting answers,” Klinsmann said. “I don’t think we made it harder for ourselves, because we needed to see these players coming in, and other players weren’t available [for call-ups] as well. That’s the opportunity for somebody coming in and can give you a real positive picture, a surprise, like Julian Green. Then you rotate after game one [in Cuba] and bring in other options as well. You see them exactly where they’re at right now.

“It will not be easy to choose those 23 [for the qualifiers], but it was good that we did it that way.”

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In back, Tim Howard may have the edge over Brad Guzan in net if the latter doesn’t get more minutes at Middlesbrough. The starting defense may be in flux as well. Klinsmann said right back DeAndre Yedlin “struggled” in each of the past two U.S. camps. Michael Orozco played the position to start Friday’s friendly as Klinsmann deployed Yedlin as a winger. Geoff Cameron and John Brooks, who started against Cuba then returned to their clubs, likely will remain the first-choice center backs but Klinsmann had high praise for Sporting Kansas City’s Matt Besler on Tuesday.

Whether Kljestan can replicate the impact he had on much smaller teams against Mexico and Costa Rica is the primary midfield question facing Klinsmann over the next month. Kljestan was outstanding against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago in September’s qualifiers and continued to look sharp over the past week. But if Jones returns or Klinsmann feels there isn’t room for both Kljestan and Alejandro Bedoya, for example, the Red Bulls’ catalyst may once again be on the outside looking in.

“He’s absolutely under consideration for Mexico. He took this opportunity in just the perfect way,” Klinsmann said of Kljestan.

A year removed from devastation vs. Mexico, USA has brighter outlook, rising crop

The 31-year-old couldn’t get a call-up when he was playing a more defensive role for Belgian power Anderlecht but now, as the MLS assists leader in New York, he’s caught Klinsmann’s eye again. Tuesday’s game was Kljestan’s 50th cap, but it also felt kind of like he’s starting over.

“I’ve got a second chance,” Kljestan said. “I had to work really hard to get back here and now I’m not going to let it slip through my fingers … It’s almost like this is a second chance at a national team career. I have a lot more determination now and a lot more motivation. Obviously, I’ve missed a couple World Cups. So now I’m going to push my hardest to do everything I can.”

Up front, a healthy Altidore is almost sure to start next month. Bobby Wood didn’t really impress in Cuba (few did on that rutted field), but his body of work over the past year gives him an edge in Dempsey’s absence. Whether Klinsmann opts for the 4-4-2 he used with some success at the Copa América Centenario or the 4-3-3 he selected Tuesday will shape his selections. Christian Pulisic also was ineffective in Havana but has undeniable talent and composure, and Klinsmann said Tuesday that Gooch is “fearless” and a “very interesting character.”

Green is the wild card. From World Cup scorer to absent afterthought to man of the moment, no one made more progress at this camp than Green. Klinsmann will have to decide whether it was enough.

Klinsmann praised Green’s increased maturity, confidence and strength. “It’s really nice to see his development,” the manager said. But making an impression at Bayern matters.

“Maybe we’ll send some people to watch his training sessions [at Bayern],” Klinsmann said. “Just to see how active and involved he is.”

Bayern Munich, USA's Julian Green finds solace in his small Bavarian town

Green made his U.S. debut against Mexico back in the spring of 2014. He said Tuesday that November’s qualifier “is a special game for everyone.” But he knows his goals against Cuba and New Zealand will carry only so much weight.

“If I work hard, I will get my chance here. I know that. So when I’m here, I have to give my best and I think I did that very well,” he said. “Now I scored two goals, and that’s what you guys like to see. That’s it. Now I keep focusing on my club. I work hard every day and we’ll see what happens … [Klinsmann and I] don’t talk every day but we’re always in touch and I know he’s watching me. That’s it. I have to do my job in my club. I have to work hard there.”

Klinsmann wanted options. He wanted competition for places, depth and flexibility. The past 10 days gave him a bit more of that. Now, as his players transition to more immediate hurdles, the coach must figure out how to tackle the bigger games to come.

Published Oct 12, 2016

BRIAN STRAUS

A lifelong soccer player, coach and fan, Brian Straus joined SI in 2013 after covering the sport for The Washington Post, AOL and Sporting News.