Kicked out?
In another possible blow for U.S. soccer, American men in danger of missing out on Rio Olympics,
A really bad week for U.S. soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann could become a disastrous one Tuesday, with the Olympic men’s team one defeat away from missing out on next summer’s Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Klinsmann came under fire after Saturday’s demoralizing 3-2 extra-time defeat to Mexico at the Rose Bowl, meaning the senior squad will not compete in the 2017 Confederations Cup, a crucial World Cup warm-up event.
If the Olympic hopefuls, made up of players 23 and younger, are unable to beat Canada in Sandy, Utah, to keep themselves in contention for a spot in Rio, it would cap as difficult a period as Klinsmann has experienced during his four years in charge.
“If we don’t qualify for the Olympics, we lose another generation of young players,” Klinsmann told ESPN. “Not qualifying for the Confederations Cup, you lose a huge advantage to prepare for (the next World Cup).”
Klinsmann operates differently than most national team coaches, having a broad mandate that allows him widespread control over the development of the game in this country. That approach gives him valuable input into how players are brought through the system but also increased responsibility when things go wrong.
He often has lamented about the missed opportunity of the 2012 Olympics, when defeat in the regional qualifiers robbed the team of a place in London and denied emerging youngsters such as Mix Diskerud and Brek Shea the chance for exposure on a bigger stage.
If it happens again, serious questions will be asked about whether Klinsmann is moving the program in the right direction. At this point, even if Canada can be overcome Tuesday, qualification appears to be a long shot. While the top two in CONCACAF, Mexico and Honduras (which beat the USA 2-0 on Saturday), can already look at Brazilian travel brochures, a win against Canada is needed just to put the Americans into a play-in game against Colombia, to be staged in Rio in March, in which the USA would be an underdog.
Up until the weekend, things had been going perfectly well. Three consecutive wins in the group stage of Olympic qualifying had Klinsmann assistant and under-23s coach Andreas Herzog heaping glowing praise upon his players.
However, that all fell apart when it mattered most, with Honduras outbattling the USA in a physical and highly charged encounter Saturday during which Herzog was ejected, meaning he will not be on the sideline against Canada.
“We were not able to deal with the situation,” Herzog said. “It is sad, but it’s the truth.”
Undoubtedly, there have been positives to come from the campaign, with Jordan Morris, Jerome Kiesewetter and Luis Gil forming a potent offensive trio. The style of play has been aggressive and high-tempo, a far cry from the difficulty Klinsmann’s team had in imposing its will on Mexico on Saturday.
Given the right opportunities, a handful of members of the Olympic squad could become valuable contributors to the senior national team down the road. However, as Klinsmann knows, the pressure and responsibility of playing in an Olympics are an important part of the developmental process, and missing out again would represent another spoiled chance.
“We have to win,” midfielder Wil Trapp said. “There’s no other way.”