Rogers: Jurgen Klinsmann era put to test at Copa America

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The most critical part of Jurgen Klinsmann’s time as United States head coach begins on Friday, the part where he finds that second chances and learning curves are consigned to the past and it is now time to deliver results.

Klinsmann, the German coach who led his homeland to the semifinal of the 2006 World Cup and took charge of the U.S. in 2011, has reached a crossroads in terms of public confidence as to whether he can finally usher in the new era he promised upon his arrival.

That brighter future has yet to arrive and will get murkier still unless the team puts in a strong showing at the Copa America, which kicks off at Levi’s Stadium on Friday with Klinsmann’s squad taking on Colombia, ranked No. 3 in the world.

“Jurgen has told us it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to play in this tournament at home,” forward Gyasi Zardes said.

The Americans are seeking both momentum to take forwards and vindication of the coach’s methods, with this event being the last major international tournament the squad will compete in ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The day after the U.S. lost in the round of 16 at the World Cup two summers ago, Klinsmann spelled out his blueprint for future success. A major key, he said, was giving his players experience in tournaments against high quality opposition.

There is no shortage of that here, as the Copa America features South American heavyweights such as Lionel Messi-led Argentina, Brazil, plus Colombia, reigning champion Chile and a smattering of teams from the CONCACAF region.

“We understand what we are up against,” Klinsmann said. “We want to send strong signals out to the other top countries and we are very ambitious. This is a big tournament, a big benchmark.”

Some would wish this was the final chance for Klinsmann to prove his mettle. No longer does he possess the unflinching support of American soccer fans, many of whom feel burned by the lack of progress. It likely won’t be the end of his tenure – even an early exit here would probably not dim U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati’s admiration for the head coach that he tried to bring into the role for five years before finally signing him.

Klinsmann came in on the back of a platform of excitement, guaranteeing flowing, attacking soccer that would both lift the squad closer to the world’s elite and do so with a style that was appealing to the eye.

In truth, neither has happened to anywhere near the extent that was expected and the Copa America can be a valuable barometer as to the size of the gap that remains. “We want to see where we are between World Cups,” Klinsmann said. “You want to see where you stand, where we are right now.”

According to world rankings, the U.S. is the 31st best team in the world. Those ratings are notoriously unpredictable, though in this instance they may provide an accurate assessment.

In fairness to Klinsmann, he has not had great talent at his disposal and his frustration at how few young players have broken through the ranks is palpable. Some of his complaints are valid, others wear thin and some frankly, are a little bizarre.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Thursday, Klinsmann laid blame on the influence of other American sports.

“We still have a culture here where people wait for someone else to solve your problem, and this comes from a reactive culture in other sports, where decisions are driven from the outside,” Klinsmann said. “Baseball, it’s stop-and-go. They communicate with each other. American football, it’s the next play. Learn your playbook. The first year, you are probably not playing because you are a rookie. That approach, to be reactive — that doesn’t work in soccer.”

Truthfully, not much has worked, leaving the national team looking weaker now than when Klinsmann took over and a scenario where, on paper at least, the U.S. will start Friday’s game weaker than their rivals in most positions on the field.

Colombia is talent-rich and, in reality, an opening-game tie would be an acceptable way to start the group. The Colombians reached the quarterfinal of the last World Cup before falling to host nation Brazil. Such heights have proven elusive for the U.S. since 2002 – and the next few weeks may show whether Klinsmann is any nearer to solving the puzzle.