So the United States men’s national team is set to play Belgium, then Germany, then three vital World Cup qualifiers between May 29 and June 18. And, if that wasn’t enough, there are rumors floating around that the Americans will play another friendly as well.
Does anyone think this is a good idea? Well, anyone except Jurgen Klinsmann that is.
I get his thinking: The U.S. team comes together so infrequently that it has to maximize the time spent together. Playing six high-quality games against opposition that ranges from the best in the world to some very difficult CONCACAF road tests is a big challenge -- and a big opportunity -- for the Americans. It’s the type of thing that can benefit the future of the program.
But does it come at the expense of the present? Even if the U.S. doesn’t play another friendly, the team will still battle Belgium and Germany in relatively meaningless games before traveling to Jamaica and hosting Panama and Honduras in qualifying. That’s a tall task and a lot of games in a short stretch with the more important fixtures on the back end.
Klinsmann loves to create these “tournament-type settings” but remember how the U.S. looked in the final two matches of the 2012 one? They struggled to find their form against Antigua and Barbuda before eventually putting the match away, then conceded a late goal to let Guatemala earn a 1-1 draw. (Not to mention the heavy-legged abomination that was the 0-0 draw with Canada in the third game of the five.)
The Stars and Stripes cannot afford similarly tired bodies and minds against the CONCACAF opposition. At best, Klinsmann and the crew will have six points, more likely three, after three Hexagonal games. They desperately need to win the home games against Panama and Honduras and a result in Jamaica would help calm the masses and avenge the loss in the last round.
It’s certainly a possibility, but it grows more remote as the lead up gets more difficult.