I Believe That We Will Win. Jurgen Klinsmann Does Not
Klinsmann took over control of the USMNT after the last World Cup, and since then I have been extremely supportive of him. And why shouldn’t I have? He’s given me every reason to, managing the team in an intelligent manner, doing everything he has to to make the USMNT the best squad it can be. He did exceedingly well in those years since the World Cup, and with this success, I have gained respect for him. Even after he left Donovan of the squad, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he was just doing what he needs to do to win, rather than accept that he was looking forward to the next World Cup, for which his contract has already been extended.
But by saying that the USMNT cannot ‘realistically’ win the World Cup has gone just too far. I cannot abide.
I believe that we will win.
And so does every American (and not just because Americans don’t quite realize the importance of the World Cup). This belief is not exclusive to soccer, or the World Cup, but lives in every sport or competition. It is our defining trait. And for Jurgen Klinsmann to say that we do not have a ‘realistic’ chance of winning the World Cup less than 24 hours before the start of the competition shows me that he does not understand American sports culture enough to be leading this team. No matter his tactical knowledge, the leader of the USMNT needs to understand this belief that lies deep inside every American. While the rest of the world often sees this belief as arrogance, this belief has created one of the strongest sports cultures of any country.
So, to the rest of the USMNT: Please, do not listen to your manager. While he may not believe, I do. I believe that you can win. The United States of America believes that you can win.
Good luck to the USMNT at the World Cup, and I hope that everyone who reads this gets a chance to enjoy watching it. Now excuse me as I try to find some way to force Jurgen Klinsmann to watch every great American sports movie between now and the game with Ghana.
Originally published at infinityculturebreakdown.wordpress.com on June 11, 2014.
