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**Karl** · December 7, 2006, 04:40 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

Was just about to post this again - ...and, SoccerAmerica just said his appointment would be announced before Xmas.

German legend to lead U.S. Soccer

Jamie Trecker / Fox Soccer Channel

Jürgen Klinsmann will be named head coach of the U.S. men's national team within two weeks according to a number of well-placed sources with knowledge of the deal.

His appointment as coach was perhaps the worst-kept secret in American soccer: Klinsmann publicly acknowledged that he was interested in the job and there has been persistent buzz since the World Cup ended in July that the interview process for the national team job was essentially a matter of going through the motions.

Warren Mersereau, who is both Klinsmann's business partner and representative, said "no comment" when contacted for this story.

There were two sticking points in signing Klinsmann: The first was Klinsmann's long relationship with adidas. The U.S. national soccer team is heavily underwritten by Nike, and sources at the shoewear companies said talk of the appointment initially caused some concern. According to a person connected with the shoe company today, Klinsmann has left adidas, solving the issue in one fell swoop.

The second issue looks to be more contentious. Speaking on condition of anonymity granted because they were not given permission to speak about the appointment, two sources confirmed that the issue of power-sharing was a major bone of contention. Former coach Bruce Arena had carved out a wide swath for himself during his tenure, and Klinsmann has reportedly demanded that he too be essentially the sole decision-maker on national team matters.

This has not sat well with some at the Federation, who were mindful of past friction. According to several people at the team level with intimate knowledge of the subject, relations between General Secretary Dan Flynn and Arena deteriorated to the point that the two men barely spoke to one another.

Klinsmann, who steered Germany to a third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup and won the 1990 World Cup as a player, has long been coveted by the Americans to restart a stuttering men's national team program. A star with VfB Stuttgart, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich, the former forward has a reputation for being a pragmatist and displayed considerable acumen and political savvy during his tenure as German national team head coach.

Klinsmann inherits a program in dire need of fresh ideas. Under former coach Arena, the men's program compiled their best-ever record of 71-30-29, and reached the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals (losing, ironically, to Germany) but Arena took much of the criticism for the team's 0-2-1 performance at the 2006 World Cup. Ranked before the World Cup an unrealistic fifth by the now-defunct FIFA ranking system, the Americans, who have never performed well on European soil, faltered badly despite high expectations.

In addition, during Arena's tenure, the national team youth programs failed to achieve notable success despite the presence of some young talent, while his abrasive manner left many cold.

In hindsight, many people have begun to realize that Arena's record was padded out with many wins — usually accomplished at home — against opposition that fell short of the top level. In particular, Arena's pre-World Cup friendly schedule — Latvia, Morocco and Venezuela — was widely mocked as insufficient; of course the USA also managed to lose to Morocco in the process.

Klinsmann, who is fluent in English and German, is one of the most "American" former European pros out there. Married to an American, Debbie Chin, he has long lived in Southern California and was actually subject to heavy criticism by the German media and Federation prior to the 2006 World Cup for spending too much time in the States.

Moreover, he was questioned for injecting "American ideas" into a moribund German side. Klinsmann hired

**Karl** · December 7, 2006, 04:41 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

Boxhill has not announced Bora!

I wonder...? That would be mother of all coup!

**Assasin** · December 7, 2006, 04:52 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

Watch Canada buss the move. Klingsman would be a good fit for Canada. He would have total control and not too far away from home.

**Mosiah** · December 7, 2006, 05:17 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

<DIV>

Assasin (12/7/2006)Watch Canada buss the move. Klingsman would be a good fit for Canada. He would have total control and not too far away from home.

</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>How near is Canada to the Klingon Galaxy?</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Gosh, assasin! Time yuh spell di man name carreck! Cho man!

</DIV>

**Assasin** · December 7, 2006, 05:19 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

mi brethren soon say mi spell like Tomlinson

:P

**Zeppo** · December 7, 2006, 05:47 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

Here's where we make our move for Carl Brown!

**Jawge** · December 7, 2006, 07:31 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

karl pay attention to this:

Both the men's national teams and the professional league (MLS) are finding it hard to attract consistent, significant numbers of fans at the gate as well. The fact remains that outside of World Cup years, most American sports fans pay little attention to soccer. Klinsmann will have to cajole not just sponsors but the media and the fans as well. He seems well suited for the task, but it is an open question whether sports talk radio — still a bellwether for industry trends — will warm to the affable German or pay more than the occasional minute of attention to the USA's games.

Notice who they put this responsibility on? I know you like to talk back office and not enough money. Int'l COACHING IS NOT JUST COACHING BOSS.

**Sickko** · December 7, 2006, 07:37 PM

RE: Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

Nuh Titchfield you go....he he he...good school with bright people

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Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

Klinsmann withdraws candidacy as U.S. coach

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