The safe money would certainly be on the US to win (or at least not lose) on their way to securing passage on to the final, hexagonal stage of the marathon that is CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, but that safe money shouldn't have to be risked tonight; that bet is one that should have been paid off a couple of matches ago, but, sadly, Jürgen Klinsmann's naivety at times has left the US with a margin that is far too narrow for comfort at this stage.
For American fans who have been along for the ride with the US through World Cup qualifying campaigns and Gold Cups in years past, it comes as absolutely no surprise that even the most unheradled teams with no apparent household names can spring the upset over the likes of the US or even Mexico on any given day, against the odds and out of the blue. Moreover, these plucky CONCACAF underdogs especially bring their best games to display when at home, as we've seen in years past. With this in mind, it's all the more reason for the more formidable teams of the region (US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, et al.) to address each of these matches with an urgency and determination that would mirror playing the likes of Italy over on the continent. This urgency starts from the top and trickles down to the team.
Yes, Klinsmann has seen some nice days during his reign as US coach, as the wins over Italy and Mexico, on the road no less, will always be looked back on in very fond terms, but those were friendlies with little more than a bit of pride and notoriety at stake; they won't get you to Brazil in 2014 in and of themselves. CONCACAF is and always has been where the Americans' bread is buttered, and that should never be forgotten by fans, players and coaches alike.
Klinsmann may not have forgotten this point entirely, but it seems that he has at least lost touch with it on a couple of occasions during this round of qualifying. The loss in Jamaica was one of the absolute worst, most tepid performances that we have seen in quite some time, and a team selection that featured a midfield with no attacking acumen did nothing to help the cause. Friday's win away to Antigua and Barbuda, far too scary in nature, unfortunately provided us with more talking points and more questions than answers with regards to Klinsmann. Why Klinsmann would even bother calling in Landon Donovan and Brek Shea was puzzling enough, given that they had recently been injured in MLS action; why they wouldn't be replaced on the roster as a result of their injuries was another matter entirely. The omission of the Dutch Eredivisie's top scorer, Jozy Altidore, defied all logic. Admittedly, Klinsmann looked to have struck gold in bringing Eddie Johnson back into the US fray after years away in the European wilderness and was promptly rewarded with a two goal performance from the Seattle renaissance man. Johnson saved Klinsmann and the Americans their blushes in a game that never should have been much of a game in the first place.
With at least a point from the Guatemala game, a collective sigh of relief with be heard amongst the US fan base, but that relief can only last so long; the final hexagonal stage is setting up to be especially tough this time around. Upon progression, we can only hope that the narrow escape from the semifinal stage has provided Klinsmann with a deeper insight into how CONCACAF works. Many US fans had been clamoring for Klinsmann for years and years, and then they got their man. Now it's time for their man to repay their faith and show that he has learned something. The coach trusted with taking the US to that next level would certainly hate to be remembered as the man to lead the national team to watching the World Cup on TV at home in 2014.
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