United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann was roasted for his comments in a New York Times article last week, saying his team could not win the 2014 World Cup.
The forward-thinking, yet widely criticized, Klinsmann backed up those comments to the Associated Press on Wednesday.
“I think for us now, talking about winning the World Cup is just not realistic,” he said less than one week before the Americans open play in the 2014 World Cup.
A title would be shocking, one that could be on par with the 1980 Olympic defeat of the USSR.
What is an acceptable result?
For those living under an oblivious pile of crap, the United States has the following road:
They reside in Group G, a loaded quartet that features Germany, Portugal and Ghana, three teams that will likely be favored over the Americans. Ghana is their first opponent on Monday, followed by Portugal on June 22nd and Germany on the 26th.
Two teams advance from each of the eight groups, giving us 16 teams to the Round of 16…funny how that works out huh?
Since arriving back at the World Cup in 1990 after a mammoth 40-year hiatus, the U.S. has advanced beyond the Group Stage in three of six opportunities.
Although feasible, it is difficult to imagine reaching them Round of 16 without a single victory and 2-plus ties, meaning the Americans must upset at least one opponent and likely tie another to have a shot. One-and-done (or three-and-done in this case) will not be acceptable and Klinsmann will surely get the Broncos Tim Tebow treatment for the foreseeable future.
Assuming they do advance as the 2nd seed from Group G, likely along with Germany or Portugal, they will face the 1st seed from Group H (Russia, South Korea, Algeria and Belgium). It would be stunning if Russia or Belgium did not capture the first slot, leading to a reasonably favorable matchup for the U.S. in the Round of 16.
Advancing to this Round of 16 would be adequate considering the group gauntlet, but personnel questions would flood the nation. Conservatively, this result is not acceptable given the high hopes for soccer in the United States over the next decade.
A quarterfinal appearance would begin a Cinderella period and a testament to youth, athleticism and theory from Jurgen Klinsmann, as much as many won’t admit it.
Image: George Herringshaw
