ESPN Mag Does Klinsmann Q&A
If there’s one in-depth football thing you read today, make it this.
For ESPN the Magazine’s upcoming ‘Interview Issue‘, Luke Cyphers has a sit-down with the Fürher himself, Jürgen Klinsmann. The U.S. coach touches on everything from German-Americans, to Agudelo and Bunbury, to meeting Coach K, Pete Carroll, and Zen Master Phil Jackson. And no, he doesn’t understand the rules to American football.
After reading this, and now that we’re three months into the Klinsmann Era, it seems we’re really starting to see the fruit bear from Klinsy’s deeply-rooted European tree. The ability to have a manager who picks up the phone, speed dials Arsene Wenger and says, “This Brek Shea kid…Yes, the one who looks like Big Bird…Will you adopt him for a while?” is a luxury not many national teams have.
Over the past month, Klinsmann has scattered US youngsters around Germany and England for one-week and 10-day training stints. And frankly, I think it’s awesome.
Here’s where we’re at now:
In Germany
Juan Agudelo (Stuttgart – Nov.)
Kyle Beckerman (Kaiserslautern)
Perry Kitchen (Freiburg)
Zach Pfeffer (Hoffenheim)
Robbie Rogers (Kaiserslautern)
In England
Juan Agudelo (Liverpool – Dec.)
Bill Hamid (West Bromwich Albion)
Sean Johnson (Everton)
Jeff Larentowicz (Bolton Wanderers)
Omar Salgado (Fulham)
Brek Shea (Arsenal)
Tim Ream (West Brom & Bolton)
Source: Yanks Abroad
More after the jump…
Getting these kids (and Larentowicz & Beckerman) a taste of Europe is a beautiful thing. Call them trials, training sessions, what have you, but none of these stints are likely to become permanent moves. Robbie Roger’s contract is up in Columbus and he may be Europe bound, but he sucks and I could care less. At 24 and 21 respectively, Ream and Shea could be ready for Europe, though Ream had a rough year even by MLS standards. Most of these guys are also eligible to play for the U-23 Olympic team next summer. So with some hardening in Europe, they’re less likely to lose form and fitness before the 2012 MLS season and the 2012 games in London. Smart move, if you ask me.
But the point is, Klinsmann’s rolodex is packed with a whole lote more connections than Bob Bradley’s ever was. I think we’re starting to see what Sunil Gulati wanted access to for so long.