Klinsmann Safe For Now, But Still On The Ropes

Jurgen Klinsmann may have coached for his job for the second time in 2016. Again, the USMNT rebounded with a 4-0 win, this time over Costa Rica. The victory puts the U.S. in prime position to qualify heading into the third match. If the U.S. can at least draw against Paraguay, Costa Rica would have to beat Colombia, by six goals.

The win was cathartic for players and fans. Folks may start “believing we will win.” Such enthusiasm may even help attendance. Soldier Field was just 2/3 full last night, per the official tally. What does it mean for the future? Klinsmann is still coach, today. Beyond that is anyone’s guess.

As Matthew Doyle details, Costa Rica lost the tactical battle. They went with a wide 5-4-1 to stretch the United States. They pressed high up the pitch early to try to rattle the U.S. and get a quick goal. That appeared to be working in the first five to six minutes.

Then Bobby Wood drew a penalty. The U.S. took an early lead. The match changed from that point onward. Klinsmann eventually shifted to a 4-4-2 to counter Costa Rica’s width. The Ticos not starting a natural defensive midfielder turned out to be a major problem.

Scoring four times is better than conceding twice. But, on aggregate, the performance was not that much different from the first match. U.S. passing and possession holding was, again, not what one would describe as crisp and efficient. Defending was better, though it should have been against weaker opposition.

Consulting advanced metrics…the main difference was the finishing. That can be execution. That can also be good fortune.

Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones had much better games than they did against Colombia. That took pressure off Michael Bradley and made a number of other players look better. Whether two guys in their mid-30s can do that match-to-match remains to be seen. Playing Bobby Wood more centrally is probably something the U.S. should keep doing.

Has Klinsmann silenced the haters? For the next few days at least. A 4-0 win is a 4-0 win. But, torches and pitchforks will be at the ready for a crushing loss to Paraguay. The one thing manifest from last night is Klinsmann has not lost the players, which can be quite a significant percentage of the battle.