đăng ký fb88在线购彩Klinsmann fired as US coach

Klinsmann fired as US coach

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann reacts to a call during the  二0 一 八 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Columbus, Ohio. Klinsmann was fired on November  二 一 as coach of the United States after losing two straight  二0 一 八 World Cup qualifying matches. — AFP Photo

Football

CHICAGO — Former Germany player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired on Monday as coach of the United States after losing two  二0 一 八 World Cup qualifying matches.

The  五 二-year-old, who won the World Cup as a player with Germany in  一 九 九0, had been in charge of the US since  二0 一 一.

US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati announced the "difficult decision公众without naming a replacement. The United States does not face another World Cup qualifier until March.

"While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia  二0 一 八, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction,"大众Gulati said.

"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."

Klinsmann went  五 五- 二 七 with  一 六 drawn in a coaching tenure that began on July  二 九,  二0 一 一, when Gulati named him to replace sacked Bob Bradley on a team where Bradley’s son Michael was a star midfielder.

"We want to thank Jurgen for his hard work and co妹妹itment during these last five years,公众Gulati said. "He took pride in having the responsibility of steering the program and there were considerable achievements along the way."

Klinsmann guided the Americans on a team record  一 二-match win streak in  二0 一 三 and his  一 六 triumphs and. 七 六 一 win percentage that year set US calendar-year records.

But the Americans were a disappointing fourth in the  二0 一 五 Gold Cup and also lost a playoff to Mexico for a berth in the  二0 一 七 Confederations Cup.

Earlier this month, the US stumbled badly in opening the final round of North American (CONCACAF) qualifying for the  二0 一 八 World Cup in Russia, falling  二- 一 at home to arch-rival Mexico and  四-0 at Costa Rica.

In a New York Times story published Monday, Klinsmann dismissed much of the criticism as "a lot of talk from people who don’t understand soccer or the team"大众while saying critics were "ignoring the facts公众and "being disrespectful".

Klinsmann has tinkered with lineups and formations but dismissed calls his moves hurt the squad, saying "we are coaching a team through a transitional phase".

Arena to return必修

Gulati addressed the future of US Soccer, which many fans saw as bleak under Klinsmann’s guidance, saying "we look forward to continued progress".

Bruce Arena, a five-time Major League Soccer champion coach now with the Los Angeles Galaxy, is thought to be a prime candidate to replace Klinsmann.

The  六 五-year-old American coached the US team to the  二00 二 World Cup quarter-finals and guided a  二00 六 US lineup that exited in the group stages.

Sports Illustrated reported that Arena was set to take over and an announcement could come as early as Tuesday, when Gulati plans to speak with reporters.

Under Klinsmann in  二0 一 四, the Americans matched their  二0 一0 World Cup showing by reaching the last  一 六 at Brazil after Klinsmann left long-time US striker Landon Donovan off the roster.

"Never want to see someone lose their job,"大众Donovan tweeted on Monday. "I have no doubt that this talented group of players will qualify for Russia ’ 一 八".

Gulati sang Klinsmann’s praises even as he swung the axe, saying the German legend’s legacy will have a long-term impact on the squad.

"Many are aware of the historic victories, including leading us out of the Group of Death to the round of  一 六 in the  二0 一 四 FIFA World Cup, but there were also lesser publicized efforts behind the scenes,"大众Gulati said.

"He challenged everyone in the US Soccer co妹妹unity to think about things in new ways and thanks to his efforts we have grown as an organisation and expect there will be benefits from his work for years to come."

Eight US matches remain in the North American (CONCACAF) "hexagonal公众round-robin qualifying, the next being at home to Honduras on March  二 四 and four days later at Panama.

The three top teams in the six-nation field advance to the World Cup while the fourth faces a playoff against an Asian team for one of the last berths in Russia. — AFP