Combined with Friday’s 2-1 loss to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, the USA team finds itself in a quick deficit in the 10-match hexagonal, which resumes in March.
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Time for a new leader?
In his more than five years in charge of the United States men’s soccer team, Jurgen Klinsmann has displayed an uncanny ability to repeatedly bounce back from major setbacks.
“We won’t make any decisions right after games”, Gulati said. United States will face Costa Rica for 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match Tuesday.
Klinsmann, 52, a former champion striker, has been in charge of the US men’s team since 2011. Klinsmann needs to get the tactics right, and then provide his usual strong in-game adjustments depending on who scores the first goal. “But that is part of the job”. If the 4-4-2 is the most comfortable and natural for the U.S., Klinsmann should use it in must-win games.
Although Klinsmann’s men enjoyed a respectable Copa America Centenario campaign in June, the gloss was taken off their run to the semi-finals by the manner of their defeat in the last four, when they were soundly beaten 4-0 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
“The message is very simple”, Klinsmann said after the loss.
Soccer powers traditionally have little tolerance for defeat.
They sit bottom of the six-country qualifying group, below the likes of Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, having also lost to Mexico on Friday.
The United States was already on its way to losing. Two games later, Vucetich was supplanted by Miguel Herrera.
All of these players are capable of executing final balls better than they showed against Mexico and a better performance from them could lead to an upset win on Tuesday night. If they are to rally from these early stumbles and earn one of this round’s three automatic qualification slots for Russian Federation 2018, they will have to become the first team in CONCACAF history to finish in the top three of the Hex after opening the stage with two losses.
On Tuesday, the USA didn’t look like a team led by a million-dollar coach.
“This is definitely a moment to reflect on what happened in the last 10 days”.
The USMNT is heading into the lion’s den, also known as Saprissa Stadium, a place where their last positive result was a 1-1 tie dating all the way back to 1985. In the 43rd minute, though, Johan Venegas received a flawless cross and headed the ball in for Costa Rica’s first goal – they had plenty more to go. But early in the match it will be interesting to see how the USA team is able to hit key passes deep into the attack.
NOTES: American GK Tim Howard will have surgery Thursday to fix a torn adductor muscle in his right leg. Brad Guzan, who replaced Howard in the 40th minute Friday, will start against Costa Rica. But I’m not embarrassed by our team. “And so it’s not a problem, but it’s obviously it’s disappointing”. That’s a stretch considering they just played their two toughest opponents. Jürgen Klinsmann’s squad committed 13 fouls and had twice as many yellow cards as Costa Rica.
“The reality is that it is a unique situation”, Bradley said.
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“We have to look forward, pick ourselves up”, forward Jozy Altidore said.
