Can Jurgen Klinsmann Right The USMNT Ship Against Guatemala?
By Ty Duffy
The USMNT faces a pair of World Cup qualifiers, home and home, against Guatemala (FIFA Ranking: 95). It is the first full international window call up of the new year.
The matches themselves are important practically. Guatemala is the third-place team in CONCACAF Group C. If the U.S. wins both matches, they have a seven-point advantage with two matches to play, securing qualification to the Hex. The U.S. has a 21-match unbeaten run against Guatemala, though the Klinsmann era has been a time of firsts, both positive and negative.
As important as the practical concern may be perception. Jurgen Klinsmann and the U.S. are coming off a rough 2015. The Americans won friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany. But, in the matches that counted, they fell in the Gold Cup semifinals to Jamaica, missing the final for the first time since 2003. The U.S. also lost a playoff with Mexico for a Confederations Cup place.
Good results here would settle things down and build some confidence before the Copa America Centenario buildup gets going.
First impression from the squad called up? “Experienced” or, if you wish to dispense with euphemisms, “old.” Of the call ups, 12/26, including many projected starters, will be 30 or older by the 2018 World Cup. Clint Dempsey just turned 33.
Part of that is due to the Olympics. The U.S. has a concurrent playoff with Colombia to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Younger players such as Jordan Morris, Julian Green, and Matt Miazga, who just signed with Chelsea, were siphoned off for that U-23 squad.
Neither squad contains 17-year-old Pennsylvania native Christian Pulisic, one of the top young talents in the sport, who has made six appearances for second-place German club Borussia Dortmund this season. [UPDATE: Pulisic was left out due to illness. There is a possibility he could be present for the second Guatemala match on March 29]
An encouraging sign: U.S. players are getting on well in Europe. Fabian Johnson and Alejandro Bedoya have been playing well, in Germany and France respectively. DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks have been playing.
Not so encouraging:the U.S. goalkeeping picture, a traditional strength, looks the bleakest it has since…the modern era. Everton has benched Tim Howard, 37 and MLS-bound this summer. Brad Guzan has been in and out of the team for relegation-bound Aston Villa. Possible heir apparent Bill Hamid is out with another knee injury. There aren’t many proven options beyond that.
The Guatemala matches are March 25 (Fri) and March 29 (Tues). We’ll see how the U.S. fares. We expect the reaction will be as calm and reasonable as always.