Brian Lewis

Brian Lewis

Soccer

Klinsmann putting his unique stamp on US soccer

Forget his official title. Jurgen Klinsmann wasn’t hired to coach the US National Team. The German icon wasn’t picked to be the safe choice or keep the status quo, any more than Knicks president Phil Jackson or Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Klinsmann was hired to ruffle feathers, shake up the whole soccer pyramid from the top on down.

From the day Klinsmann hung up his cleats and moved to California with his American wife Debbie, he has been viewed as perfect for the job — an unyielding conformist, unafraid to make tough decisions. Coming into next week’s World Cup, he has changed the Team USA’s formation, switched its style and cut Landon Donovan, its most iconic player.

Win or lose in Brazil, Klinsmann is going to do it his way.

“I have to do what I believe is the right thing as of today, and time will tell now over the next seven weeks if it was the right move, if it was the right decisions,” Klinsmann said after Donovan’s omission. “I’m very strongly convinced this is the right way to go, this is the right decision.”

One thing you have to understand about Klinsmann: He never is mildly convinced. Don’t be fooled by his friendly, personable manner, or his grin like a Germanic surfer dude. He was determined on the field — scoring 47 goals for Germany (and West Germany) and leading them to the 1990 World Cup title — and is just as determined in making decisions, even the difficult ones.

“Jurgen Klinsmann has a bold way of going about things,” said Ian Darke, ESPN’s lead World Cup play-by-play man. “He’s made a huge decision to leave out Landon Donovan. He’ll either look like a genius, or face a big inquest over it in about a month’s time.

A disappointed Landon Donovan talks to the media after being left off the World Cup roster in May.AP
“His reputation as a coach is being put on the line here.’’

Klinsmann is used to that, willing to risk thinking outside the box, and making those around him do the same.

And don’t expect him to sugarcoat his opinions, even about his own team — something that was on full display last week.

“We cannot win the World Cup because we are not at that level yet,” Klinsmann told the New York Times. “For us, we have to play the game of our lives seven times to win the tournament.”

In 2004, he took over a German team that had gone stale with a directive “to take the whole shop apart.” With the U.S., he is shaking up the whole shop.

“He’s different, but good different,’’ US fullback DaMarcus Beasley told the Associated Press.

When Klinsmann was hired by Germany, he insisted on advanced diets, fitness techniques and statistical analysis — all things he picked up in California that peeved many in his home country. He made the German team less Teutonic, encouraging creative attacking flair and less cynical defense.

What started as irritation over his decision to telecommute from California (except for practice and games) became full-blown xenophobia when he hired a nutritionist, an American personal trainer and (gasp) a sports psychologist. A third-place 2006 World Cup finish mollified many, but he stepped on just as many toes in one year at Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga’s version of the Yankees.

Klinsmann talks to his German national squad at a 2005 practice for a Confederations Cup tie with Australia.Getty Images
Bayern Munich earned the nickname FC Hollywood in the ’90s, but they didn’t know from California until Klinsmann rammed it down their throats. He got ripped by ex-team president Uli Hoeness for buying computers to use for PowerPoint presentations of gameplans.

Klinsmann, who speaks five languages, espoused a holistic philosophy, yoga and meditation, often skipping wind sprints for unconventional drills with Zen-like names. He overhauled the training center, but when Buddha statues started appearing, politicians weighed in and he got fired midway through his first season.

After earlier flirtations with the US in 2006 and ’10, he finally said yes in 2011. Nobody knows how the marriage will turn out, but it won’t be boring

“He obviously has a vision for the team that he thinks is a winning one,’’ goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “So we believe in that.’’

The US lost four of his first six games, and right before a World Cup qualifier in Denver two years ago the Sporting News quoted several players questioning the team’s direction and concerned over schisms in the squad. But they won, and went on to win eight of their last nine qualifiers.

Klinsmann moved away from captain Carlos Bocanegra, told players to take shorter offseasons, play at bigger clubs and leave their comfort zones. If he made Germany more American, he’s making US players more like European pros.

He dumped Bob Bradley’s conservative empty-bucket 4-4-2 for an attack-minded diamond, and ripped the American tendency to pay for past performance and cater to stars. Seriously, should his omission of Donovan have been that shocking?

Klinsmann directs Jozy Altidore, left, and Clint Dempsey during an open workout in May at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.AP
“If I’m being judged solely on what happened in camp, then I absolutely deserved to be going to Brazil,” Donovan said after being snubbed. But read between Klinsmann’s lines, and this isn’t solely about what happened in camp.

Klinsmann probably never forgave Donovan for taking a four-month hiatus. And despite Klinsmann protestations, getting a four-year extension — and the added title of Technical Director — made it easier to drop Donovan and take youngsters Julian Green (18), DeAndre Yedlin (20) and John Brooks (21), looking ahead to 2018.

“No, this is based on today. This is based on what hopefully goes well the next seven to eight weeks. That had nothing to do with my contract,’’ insisted Klinsmann, whose reach now extends down to the grassroots youth level.

“I don’t think any decisions that Jurgen’s made were because we did an extension before the World Cup,’’ said US Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who thrice pursued Klinsmann, then gave him his extension and added power. “Everyone’s focused on getting past the first round. We’ll see what happens after that.’’

Klinsmann will look like a genius, or face a big inquest. But what he won’t do is sit status quo.