Bob Bradley was ragged on for five years. He was the "interim" coach because Gulati wanted Klinsmann. They didn't rehire Bob right away after the 2010 cycle because they really wanted Klinsmann. Bob was dropped at a moments notice because Gulati was going to get Klinsmann. He's been disliked even more than his son. "Bunker Bob was a inept tactiction." We hate when people say Americans don't know squat about soccer, but then turn to express how ignorant our top American coach was. How a foreigner would make Bob look like a child doing arithmetic.
Let me just say that I wanted a new coach, something fresh. However, I am extremely suspect of Klinsmann's abilities to make magic happen. He twice led two of the World's elite teams to zero championships. He seems afraid to take challenges that aren't extremely in his favor. Again, he is coaching big fish United States in mediocre pond CONCACAF. I am also suspect of Gulati's decision making. I think the expectations for a Klinsmann reign should be established ahead of time. Bob Bradley was either "terrible" according to his harshest critics, or "limited" according to those who respected him. If Bradley is a limited coach, and Klinsmann is a special kind of coach, there is no reason not to place the expectations of Klinsmann beyond what Bob Bradley did. You can bet your arse he is getting paid more than Bradley. Here are the expectations for Klinsmann for the rest of the cycle.
2014 World Cup Qualifying
Bob Bradley qualified the United States #1 in CONCACAF in the 2010 cycle. Bruce Arena did it in the 2006 cycle. Klinsmann will be expected to do the same.
2013 Gold Cup
Bob Bradley had a great 2007 tournament, capturing the championship. His B-squad in 2009 and maligned squad of 2011 ended in ugly finals. However, Mexico will be focused on the Confederations Cup in 2013. Klinsmann must win the 2013 Gold Cup, and he needs to do it in convincing fashion.
World Cup Quarter Finals
Bruce Arena led our team to the Quarter Finals in 2002. Bob Bradley won the World Cup group and lost in extra-time to Ghana in the round of 16. The World Cup is the focal point of all national team programs. Although a Quarter Final exit would only equal Bruce Arena's achievements, World Cups are difficult moments and I'll give Klinsmann some slack. Anything less then a Quarter Final run will be a major disappointment.
Big Time Friendlies
After much critique of USA's weak friendly schedules in the 2006 cycle, Bob Bradley pitted his men against big competition. Friendlies included two against Brazil, two against Spain (one away), two against Argentina, one against Netherlands (away), one against England (away), and one against Paraguay. Away matches to Poland and Sweden, and home matches against Mexico, Turkey, and Czech Republic were no cupcakes either. Klinsmann can't just lose to Spain 1-0 in Spain, he can't just tie Argentina, or lose a close one in Holland. Now he has to win these games. That is what his hiring is supposed to result in. Bob Bradley had us compete with the World's best. We even beat the World's best once. Bradley had the US team leading Brazil, Italy, and Argentina at half time. Now, Jurgen is supposed to make us winners.
An Offensive Show
Many fans critiqued the "defensive" tactics of Bob Bradley. They cried for "attacking football", with playmakers and excitement. Well, that is supposedly Klinsmann's thing. This is probably the least important thing in terms of results, but very important to the emotions and mindset of many American fans who are bedazzled weekly by the EPL and Barcelona on Fox Soccer. The United States will need to play exciting offensive soccer if he is going to deliver us from the supposedly "Bunker Bob" national team displays as so many say he will.
A Top 15 World Ranking
Bob Bradley consistently made the United States a top 30 team in the World. In their form in 2009 leading up to Charlie Davies and Onyewu's injuries, they were a top 20 team. If he is to better what Bob Bradley did, he must have the US National team knocking on the door of the Top 10 in the FIFA Rankings.
Continuation of Freddy Adu
In US Soccer, their is a name even more hyped, more gold than Klinsmann's own: Freddy Adu. The chosen one, the one with the metachlorine count higher than Master Yoda. Bob Bradley had helped this misguided knuckle head kid back on a path of promise. Bob put him on a roster for a tournament many coaches wouldn't have. In Bob Bradley's last three halves of soccer, Freddy Adu was pulling strings for the USA Men's National team in games of major importance. Who would have thought. If Klinsmann screws that up- if he doesn't keep Adu progressing and a part of the National Team line-up, he could have a great number of fans turn on him. Freddy Adu has so many believers- hardcore believers. After seeing a hopeful future in the Gold Cup semi-finals and finals, Adu better keep that trajectory.
No excuses
Bob Bradley got really lucky sometimes. More often he got stuck the s--- end of the stick. He took over a team where the dangerous striker pool was led by Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson. He really never had a good left back in the pool in his entire tenure. He had injury troubles like no other. Maurice Edu would have been useful in the Confederations Final after Michael missed the final due to a red card. Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu sustained injuries at terrible timing. He missed Stuart Holden to a broken leg (again) for the Gold Cup 2011, along with missing Benny Feilhaber to injury. Timothy Chandler decided to sit the tournament out. Jozy Altidore pulled up lame before the semi-finals, and Cherundelo during the final of the Gold Cup. He had to deal with three red cards in the Confederations Cup (Clark, Kljestan, Bradley). His World Cup team had two goals called back. His top player, Donovan, got swine flu just in time for the Azteca match. The list isn't too short, I've probably missed some things as well. None the less, you can see he had some crappy luck from time to time. However, no one cares. Bradley's measure of success was never lessened because of these things. Critics of Bob Bradley and foreign-coach star wishers better not swoop in to defend poor results of Klinsmann because of a broken leg here, or a missing left back there. Klinsmann better not complain like Wilmer Cabrera about how Americans players aren't mature enough, or like Aaron Winter's gripe about how the MLS players aren't good enough for his coaching.
Jurgen Klinsmann needs make the USA National team one of the best teams in the World. I would love it if he does. But right now I am watching Toronto FC, the team he advised, flopping on the ground like a near dead fish. I hear Klinsmann is calling up Martin Vasquez to be an assistant, and I am thinking of that 26% winning percentage he had with Chivas USA. I hear Ferguson calling Bradley's sacking a mistake, and I wonder. Jurgen Klinsmann is about to take over a program in which he will either be proved great, or proved a fake. We are about to see, and thanks to Bradley's tenure we have benchmarks laid out that will start giving us some answers.
