Klinsmann fired as United States manager, technical director
Embattled United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann has been relieved of his duties as both head coach and technical director of the program, U.S. Soccer announced Monday.
No replacement has been named as of yet, though all signs suggest former bench boss Bruce Arena is slated to once again assume the position.
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The decision, which U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati branded a "difficult" one, comes on the heels of a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Costa Rica in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying - a result that left the Americans winless after two matches in the Hex.
"We want to thank Jurgen for his hard work and commitment during these last five years. He took pride in having the responsibility of steering the program, and there were considerable achievements along the way," Gulati said in a statement.
"Many are aware of the historic victories, including leading us out of the Group of Death to the Round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but there were also lesser publicized efforts behind the scenes. He challenged everyone in the U.S. Soccer community to think about things in new ways, and thanks to his efforts we have grown as an organization and expect there will be benefits from his work for years to come."
The 52-year-old German, a World Cup winner from his playing days, took over the U.S. program amid much fanfare in 2011, arriving with promises of overhauling the American system and delivering results that would see the nation vault into contention with the world's elite on a consistent basis.
(Courtesy: ESPN)
While, as Gulati notes, there were some impressive triumphs along the way - primarily at the 2014 World Cup - Klinsmann's tenure will instead be remembered for the division he caused amongst supporters, and some high-profile, crushing defeats to inferior opposition.
A polarizing figure who openly mocked Major League Soccer and American fans, his antagonizing style left him vulnerable once the results went south.
Related - Klinsmann: Reporters calling for dismissal 'don't understand soccer'
And go south they did in recent weeks.
The loss to Costa Rica, in which his team looked disorganized and disinterested, came on the back of a 2-1 defeat to the nation's bitter rival, Mexico, and left the side in the basement of CONCACAF qualifying despite having a roster that should easily breeze through the section.
"While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction," Gulati noted.
"With the next qualifying match in late March, we have several months to refocus the group and determine the best way forward to ensure a successful journey to qualify for our eighth consecutive World Cup."
Had Klinsmann's checkered managerial history not been blighted by confusing team selections - he often tried to fit players into his lineup by pushing them out of position, and left many scratching their heads at his consistently inconsistent choices - he perhaps could have survived the recent defeats.
Instead, the strikes continued to pile up, leading to his dismissal.