Lets ask Mexico how well their Argentine coaches have fared. The reality is the USMNT’s best results at FIFA tournaments were both spearheaded by an American coach: Bruce Arena’s 2002 WC team and Bob Bradleys 2009 Confed Cup team. Both those teams were not the most gifted technically, but they were hard teams to play against. I agree with Landon and Bruce on this 100%. Its a shame that given our political climate its easy to fall into “left/right” mindset and try to paint these opinions as xenophobic. Its not a matter of discriminating anybody based on their nationality or their lack of understanding national pride, rather its the idea that one of our own can motivate our players in a way a foreign coach simply cannot given our unique soccer culture.
So only an American could set this team up to be hard to play against?
I just think the supposed "culture" of American soccer — outworking the opposition, defending with tenacity and physicality, giving up possession if necessary — is just what many successful teams do. There's nothing American about it. Uruguay has the same principles, they just have superior players. If this is American "culture," there is no culture. Somebody should create one.
Maybe Pochettino will fail, but it's too early to say and I doubt it will be because he lacks the American Spirit of Bob Bradley. I notice you didn't mention any of the failed American coaches, by the way, or that we've only had one non-American coach since the 90s. Not exactly a great sample size, but Klinsmann got as far as Bradley and lost to a better team in the Round of 16.
Poch was hired to get the U.S. into the knockout rounds and beat somebody legit. Arena beat Portugal in the group stage, Bradley beat Spain (though not in the World Cup), and the U.S. basically has nothing else. Unless we're content with winning CONCACAF tournaments.
Lets ask Mexico how well their Argentine coaches have fared. The reality is the USMNT’s best results at FIFA tournaments were both spearheaded by an American coach: Bruce Arena’s 2002 WC team and Bob Bradleys 2009 Confed Cup team. Both those teams were not the most gifted technically, but they were hard teams to play against. I agree with Landon and Bruce on this 100%. Its a shame that given our political climate its easy to fall into “left/right” mindset and try to paint these opinions as xenophobic. Its not a matter of discriminating anybody based on their nationality or their lack of understanding national pride, rather its the idea that one of our own can motivate our players in a way a foreign coach simply cannot given our unique soccer culture.
So only an American could set this team up to be hard to play against?
I just think the supposed "culture" of American soccer — outworking the opposition, defending with tenacity and physicality, giving up possession if necessary — is just what many successful teams do. There's nothing American about it. Uruguay has the same principles, they just have superior players. If this is American "culture," there is no culture. Somebody should create one.
Maybe Pochettino will fail, but it's too early to say and I doubt it will be because he lacks the American Spirit of Bob Bradley. I notice you didn't mention any of the failed American coaches, by the way, or that we've only had one non-American coach since the 90s. Not exactly a great sample size, but Klinsmann got as far as Bradley and lost to a better team in the Round of 16.
Poch was hired to get the U.S. into the knockout rounds and beat somebody legit. Arena beat Portugal in the group stage, Bradley beat Spain (though not in the World Cup), and the U.S. basically has nothing else. Unless we're content with winning CONCACAF tournaments.