International break

So where's our MNT coach? Everybody else is pulling their teams together, getting ready for regional championships in 2008. Our women are getting ready for the next WC in China. We're not playing anybody. Whazzup with that? I guess the good news is that our overseas players will be more rested when leagues resume after the break.

Anybody know anything about when we're getting a coach and who it'll be?

 

I care and don't care who is going to be named. I care because it's the US Men's National team. I don't care because I'm trying not to get disappointed. I just have feeling they're going to get it wrong. We need a guy that has proven he knows football tactics and how to choose a team. Not sure who fits that exact profile and is available.

I don't think anybody from the MLS fits the above just yet, Nowak might come the closest to the tactics, but he only has 3 years experience at coaching. Klinsmann had home field advantage and an easy group...color me skeptical.

 

Well, I glad that Sunil is looking abroad...

Again, I'm just not certain about the MLS coaches or Klinsmann (if he even wants the job).

 

My concern is less with who the coach is and more with getting things started. This international break could have been about trying out new combinations -- like a centre back pairing of Jay DiMerit and Gooch -- and starting to inculcate in the larger squad the philosophy and goals of the new management team.

Every international break that goes by without the leadership and its vision in place marks how much farther we've gotten behind the rest of the world. US WC2002 showed the benefit of four full years of a new coach with a clear idea of what he wanted.

welcome back, Fog; we missed you.

 

Here's the result of us taking the international break off while we're contemplating our proverbial communal naval.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 24&cc=5901

That, and the opportunities missed that I described in the previous post.

 

I'm not really fussed about the FIFA Rankings, they don't mean anything. The only thing that matters is what we do in World Cups.

I'm glad the USSF is taking their time to find a new coach. Missing the past two Fifa international breaks isn't that troublesome, MLS is still in season and there is no need to pull players away (from Europe either). Plus, it gives the opportunity for our Europe players to spend more time with their teams, which is a definite plus.

 

I think we do need a foreign coach, but they don't have to be European. According to a source, former Argentina coach Pekerman was interviewed:

 

well, at this point I'll reiterate that the lack of matches during the two international breaks has cost us the opportunity to try new players and new combinations -- I think it would have been especially nice to see DeMerit and Gooch as a centre-half pairing.

I also think that Josh Wolff's transfer might have gone through had we scheduled a friendly during the first break with him on the pitch.

Yes, it's good for us at FFC that Carlos got a break, just as it's good for us that there were few Cottagers that actually played during the last round, but it's not good for Americans playing in Europe -- or those who want to play there -- and I don't think it's good for our 2010 preperation.

Anyhow, that's my piece, and I see all of your comments as equally valid as mine. I just obviously don't have enough to worry about this week. :shock: