USMNT fall to Costa Rica 4-0: 3 things we learned

An uninspired USMNT lost their second straight World Cup qualifier away to Costa Rica on Tuesday. Darkness reigns.

Welcome to the the American soccer apocalypse. The United States Men’s National Team lost by a score of 4-0 to Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica. It was an all around horrific performance from the USMNT. They were lethargic, uninspired, and incompetent. There is plenty of blame to be spread around, but it starts at the top. Here’s three things we learned from this travesty:

1. Jurgen Klinsmann has to go. Now.

The time to make a change is now. Klinsmann came aboard to much hoopla, promising to employ an exciting and attack-focused style that simply hasn’t come to fruition by any conceivable measure. By all accounts, the USMNT has been worse under the initially much sought after German. Just look at this laundry list of ineptitude.

Klinsmann continues to hamper his team’s efforts, employing little used formations (3-5-2 against Mexico), selecting the worst possible personnel (Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones as an interpretative dance of “Yakety Sax” in the midfield), and just generally failing to recognize who the best players are (leaving Donovan off the roster for the 2014 World Cup, continually selecting Michael Orozco).

There is no defense for any of this. Sunil Gulati and Co. need to make the change immediately. Qualifying for Russia 2018 is in serious jeopardy. A new manager must be hired in order to give the USMNT, and their fans, hope of avoiding supreme embarrassment.

2. The over-reliance on German-American players has finally come to a head.

Fabian Johnson is a good player. Jermaine Jones used to be a good player (and probably is serviceable when healthy and in form). John Brooks has been good for the USMNT, and does well for Hertha Berlin, but played himself out of consideration for selection to the US squad for the next six months after tonight. Klinsmann will continue to select him. This cannot be allowed to happen.

And as for Timothy Chandler: He does a fine job in the Bundesliga; he is an absolute dumpster fire once he puts on the USA jersey. He cannot play for the national team, especially with DeAndre Yedlin sitting on the bench. Klinsmann will continue to select him. This cannot be allowed to happen.

Simply stated, Jurgen Klinsmann cannot be trusted to overcome his inherit bias when selecting players and lineups. Someone with a more rational and well thought out approach must be handed the reigns to the USMNT (paging Bruce Arena).

3. The ugliness of what has transpired over the last five days cannot be overstated.

The USMNT has started the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with two loses. This, from any perspective, is unacceptable. It is true that Mexico and Costa Rica are the toughest opponents in the Hexagonal. It is true that the upcoming matches for the USMNT should be “easier.” Still, these results demand a change. Fresh ideas and competent guidance and proper player selection and logical tactics are what is needed. Klinsmann has proved he is incapable of such requirements.

The USA should always qualify for the World Cup out of this region. Too much progress has been made. Too much distance between the US and the rest of the world has been closed. Failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup would result in resetting back to zero. We don’t have time for that. US Soccer can’t cope with all that that entails.

The change must be made. And it must be made immediately. Do the right thing Gulati. Time is of the essence.