Last week, there were reports that Galatasaray had United States’ coach Jurgen Klinsmann in their sites. Ultimately the Turkish club appointed Cesare Prandelli, but it turns out that wasn’t the only club interested in wooing Klinsmann away. The coach told Bild that several other teams were interested.
Klinsmann was appointed in July 2011, and although his first games in charge failed to impress USMNT fans, it was always understood that building a side that could compete with the world’s best would take time. Even as he named his squad for the 2014 World Cup, it was evident that the goal wasn’t to win the tournament -- it was to impress in Russia in 2018.
But the U.S. did manage to cause a stir in Brazil, starting off with a win over Ghana, nearly coming away with a win over Portugal and giving Germany much more to worry about than most had ever thought possible. A bit more luck against Belgium, and the USMNT could’ve been in to the quarterfinals.
Klinsmann’s work’s not over, though, and he knows it. That’s good for the United States, as their younger players will see some consistency. The next step is for the U.S. to defend their title at the 2015 Gold Cup, likely continuing to impress along the way -- and, hopefully, continuing to grow U.S. soccer in the process.