Taking Advantage of What Klinsmann Got Right

Jurgen Klinsmann got a number of things right in 2014. He knew, barring a miracle (which Tim Howard tried mightily to effect), the United States would not win the World Cup.⁽¹⁾ Certainly it would have been best for the country's soccer future if he had misdiagnosed that one. But his accuracy in other areas bodes well for the game.

He knew fitness would play a vital role in his team's chances⁽²⁾ of emerging from a brutal group assignment and a demanding travel schedule. U.S. conditioning allowed them to secure more possession in the final fifteen minutes against Belgium than it seemed they had enjoyed for the entire game to that point. If the game were still going, Michael Bradley would no doubt still be running.

Along with Bradley's marathon⁽³⁾ (and he did run a Pheidippidean distance during the course of the tournament), we also saw some remarkable sprinting from some of the young players Klinsmann brought to Brazil. Did he err in leaving Landon Donovan home? We can't possibly evaluate the performance of a player who didn't play. We do know, however, that the coach correctly surmised that certain young players were, in fact, ready to contribute. The likes of DeAndre Yedlin and Julian Green proved they had talent and moxie. 

Effective play from young players on a big stage makes one hopeful for the immediate future. For the long-term, one can also draw hope from the combination of a pair of sources : red-white-and-blue face paint and the man who effectively ended the U.S. tournament.

American fans of all species supported the nation's World Cup squad

Commentators and journalists noted that the Stars and Stripes enjoyed the most prominent representation of any non-Brazilian squad.⁽⁴⁾ The supporters wore the colors and shouted the shouts. A record number of U.S. citizens cared about soccer. Some were even ok with calling it football. Klinsmann helped here, too, encouraging fans to make time for the games.⁽⁵⁾ The increased interest brings many long-term positives to the sport's outlook in this country, not least because of what we saw from Romelu Lukaku. 

The 21-year-old Lukaku played for Belgium. Big, fast, and agile, his physical superiority led directly to the two Belgian goals. The U.S. had no counterpart up front, especially with Jozy Altidore ailing. Will they in 2018 or 2022?

That's where the enthusiasm for the 2014 tournament comes in. Kids in Belgium grow up dreaming of being the guy who scores a game-winning goal in the World Cup. That aspiration helps draw the country's best athletes to play soccer.  Kids today in the U.S. grow up wanting to be Ray Lewis, Mike Trout, or LeBron James. If the current soccer fervor draws more Lukaku-caliber athletes to the sport, it will pay off in future competitions. 

The present-day LeBron James is a free agent, by the way, and he already owns part of Liverpool F.C.⁽⁵⁾ He'd be a lovely target in the box for some corner kicks.

Which Americans to include in future squads becomes a decision for Jurgen Klinsmann, of course. His successes with this year's team offer hope for the squads to come.

Rush Olson has spent two decades directing creative efforts for sports teams and broadcasters. He currently creates ad campaigns and related creative projects for sports entities through his company, Rush Olson Creative & Sports.

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Footnotes

⁽¹⁾ Sam Borden, “How Jurgen Klinsmann Plans to Make U.S. Soccer Better (and Less American),” New York Times Magazine. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/magazine/how-jurgen-klinsmann-plans-to-make-us-soccer-better-and-less-american.html?_r=1 (accessed July 2, 2014)

⁽²⁾ Leander Schaerlaeckens, “Klinsmann's health kick,” ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/7492608/jurgen-klinsmann-emphasis-fitness-training-lays-foundation-more-proactive-playing-style-leander-schaerlaeckens (accessed July 2, 2014)

⁽³⁾ Associated Press, “Michael Bradley covers most distance of any player in World Cup group play,” si.com Planet Futbol. http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2014/06/28/michael-bradley-usa-world-cup-jurgen-klinsmann (accessed July 2, 2014)

⁽⁴⁾ Jeff Fick, “U.S. Soccer Fans Biggest Buyers Of World Cup Tickets Outside Brazil,” Los Angeles Times.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffick/2014/06/16/u-s-soccer-fans-biggest-buyers-of-world-cup-tickets-outside-brazil/ (accessed July 2, 2014)

⁽⁵⁾ Reuters, “Take the day off, Klinsmann urges U.S. soccer fans,” Chicago Tribune. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/apr/07/lebron-james-liverpool (accessed July 2, 2014) 

⁽⁶⁾ Dominic Rushe and Andy Hunter, “Miami Heat's LeBron James secures minority share in Liverpool,” The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/apr/07/lebron-james-liverpool (accessed July 2, 2014)