Written by Nate Scott at FTW.com
The United States men’s national team had a dominating performance on Tuesday night in Columbus, winning 4-0 against Guatemala and vaulting themselves into second place in Group C of the preliminary World Cup qualifying group. The top two teams advance, and it now looks like if the U.S. handles its business, the team should move on to the Hexagonal qualifying round, and then, hopefully for American fans, on to the World Cup.
The win was a comprehensive one, and yet, so many questions remain. Not only about this team, but about Jurgen Klinsmann’s competence … and his plans for the future.
The biggest question I have after the game was: If the United States could so easily beat this clearly under-manned Guatemala side, how on earth did they lose to them 2-0 this past Friday? Klinsmann will point to an off day and ask that fans be more respectful, but the U.S. getting off on the wrong foot can’t explain how they lost 2-0 to the 95th ranked team in the world, a team that doesn’t feature two players who would start for the USMNT.
No, it was Klinsmann’s preposterous lineup last Friday that doomed the USMNT, a lineup featured a two-man midfield with no defensive midfielders, Geoff Cameron at right back, and two starters who don’t currently start for their club team in Tim Howard and Michael Orozco.
Klinsmann denied he played people out of position (insulting the intelligence of just about anyone who’s seen more than a game or two of soccer in the U.S.), then last night put out a 3-man midfield with Kyle Beckerman providing defensive cover, put Geoff Cameron in central defense where he belongs, and dropped Howard and Orozco.
Guess what happened? The United States cruised. It wasn’t an inspired lineup. This wasn’t brilliant coaching. This was simple competence. This was the lineup that anyone with a decent knowledge of this USMNT would have picked. And they won easily.
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