October 13th, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^
Gulati's Got to Go!
October 13th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
hey hey
ho ho
sunil gulati's gotta go
October 13th, 2017 at 1:05 PM ^
oh noes
Gulati says he'll make decision on whether to run for USSF president again in coming weeks. Says he won't resign. #usmnt
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 13, 2017
October 13th, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^
Please no
In the meantime, Gulati has reached out to people about nominating him. https://t.co/oytJ9z07LI
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) October 13, 2017
October 13th, 2017 at 1:11 PM ^
Expect him to resign. This will slow down the process a LITTLE, but not much.
My biggest fear if he runs again. I don't think he will lose. I think he has all the money where it needs to be to ensure re-election.
October 13th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
In most other civilized nations with a moderately decent (Elo in the top 20-ish) track record, the head of their football federation would resign immediately after such a debacle.
Gulati's hubris alone should get him removed.
October 13th, 2017 at 1:59 PM ^
But I don't believe this is a position where he can be removed. He would either have to resign himself or lose in an election.
October 13th, 2017 at 2:07 PM ^
I could be wrong, but I think he is saying that in other countries there would be so much pressure after not making the WC that he would have no other option than to resign.
In Argentina before the match concluded and Messi saved them with his brilliant hat-trick performance, they had armed guards and baricades set up at the AFA headquarters.
October 13th, 2017 at 4:30 PM ^
Removed via election, not a coup.
October 13th, 2017 at 5:08 PM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 5:20 PM ^
Lemme grab my torch & pitchfork.
October 13th, 2017 at 5:10 PM ^
Can anyone explain why Gulati even gets any major credit for the 2026 WC, which we haven't even been awarded yet and which we have to split with two other countries? By that time it will have been 32 years since North America hosted one, during which time all other continents had/will have, including Europe three times and Asia twice. I feel like any schmo with half an ounce of political experience could've convinced FIFA to hand 2026 to the US, especially given the atmosphere of trying to appear a little bit not-corrupt after the Qatar debacle and FBI raids.
October 13th, 2017 at 5:53 PM ^
I don't disagree with your premise, but Gulati has done a good job as our FIFA rep. Particularly in how he handled the scandal. The US now has a much bigger voice and a seat at the table, which it really didn't have before.
I think a good way to handle this whole thing is to ask him to stay on as FIFA rep and bring home the 26 WC. Make him feel special. But GTFO as the President. Let's get soccer savvy people in Chicago ffs.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
dont come back
October 13th, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^
Good news to start this Friday.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^
If Brucey told Sunil he wanted to return and see them through another cycle, he'd probably keep him around.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
I think he wanted a scapegoat besides himself.
...and HELLO!
October 13th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^
Any early predictions on who both the interim and long term coach will be?
Do you think they'll give Tab Ramos the lame duck period to try to prove himself?
October 13th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
Two players in the #USMNT pool told me that Bruce Arena steps down today, Tab Ramos named interim head coach. That's what they're hearing.
— Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer) October 13, 2017
October 13th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 4:47 PM ^
So, who is it exactly that votes?
Nobody aske me.
Put me down for a NO.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
Does anyone see a resemblance between Arena and the plant from Little Shop of Horrors? Or is that just me?
October 13th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
I hate watching Little Shop of Horrors. It's stupid and boring. All they do is flop and act like they're hurt.
October 13th, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
"I knew there was a great challenge ahead, probably more than most people could appreciate. Everyone involved in the program gave everything they had for the last 11 months and, in the end, we came up short. No excuses. We didn’t get the job done, and I accept responsibility."
**eyeroll**
October 13th, 2017 at 11:06 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
Game show, IMO.
October 13th, 2017 at 4:48 PM ^
"Somebody's village is missing an idiot."
October 13th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
The odd nostalgia people are getting about Klinsmann. This team wasn't qualifying with either guy at the helm.
He'd be a great overseer of the program. As a manager? No thanks, he had his chance and the team sucked.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^
Was necessary. The team lost at home to Mexico, and then absolutely wet themselves at CR. This team wasn't qualifying with him as the manager.
Now, I didn't think they'd go and do something as dumb as bringing back Bruce, but they did.
Really, no "progress" was made under JK other than bringing more foreign-born guys to the team. That's why he'd be a fine director of the program. He had one good WC with Germany in 06. Other than that, he never did much.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:39 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
You must be kidding. Hiring Klinsmann was the disaster. The guy had five years and put together a squad that, had it made the World Cup, would have been blown out early. The USMNT, with its weak heart, technical shortcomings and entitled attitude was the team Klinsmann put together. Klinsmann couldn't recruit properly, didn't know how to properly deploy his personnel and was a poor game coach. And, I notice, he remains unemployed. Should he coach again (and why, given the money we paid him to suck) it will probably be a second division team somewhere where he will fight to stave off relegation.
October 13th, 2017 at 12:14 PM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 6:06 PM ^
You are very hung up on the notion that Gulati hired Arena because he is pro-MLS. Or that Gulati only would hire someone that was pro-MLS. I don't really feel like debating something that can't be proven or disproven.
You mentioned conspiracy theory earlier. Yup.
October 13th, 2017 at 12:14 PM ^
Firing him wasn't a disaster. The disaster started happening before that. There was no choice. He's a terrible game manager. There's a reason he's unemployed a year later. He may have great ideas on how to develop the system, but his job was also to actually to win important games.
And actually, I've had plenty of conversations in both Germany and England with those that would agree that he wasn't the answer. So, yes, living non-Americans who follow soccer will argue otherwise.
That being said, I agree that the association still acts like it's 1994, and they need to go to.
October 13th, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
His replacement was always going to be worse?
They could have brought someone in that could have kept things somewhat in order AND bring a fire to the team. They had enough talent in this squad to get out of the group. What they didn't have is any energy. They treated each game with an air of arrogance, like "We are here, roll over." And that is a direct reflection of the head coach.
October 13th, 2017 at 12:56 PM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 1:10 PM ^
To admit any fault. The conversation today on this thread has been very good.
October 13th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
We aren't "rudderless when it comes to player development" because we've kept all of the things Klinsmann instituted when he was technical director - small sided format, the build-out line at 7v7, the coaching education overhaul. All of that is still in place and will remain in place. Honestly, Klinsmann was a great Technical Director. He was just a horrible man-manager and in-game tactician, and he was also not very adept at speaking with the media, and thus he wasn't a good fit for USMNT coach. Too bad we couldn't have just demoted him to TD.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
October 13th, 2017 at 3:56 PM ^
You make a good point. We wouldn't have had the embarassment of blowing it in Trinidad with Klinsmann...
...because we would have been eliminated months before that.
Klinsmann was absolute shite and don't try and convince yourself otherwise. To steal from Brian, he was the Brady Hoke of soccer. Great recruiter, tactically inept, claps a lot.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
What makes you doubt we would have missed the WC? We were totally on that path. That's why he was fired. It wasn't just because we weren't destroying every team we played.
There's nothing mutually exclusive about going to the WC and building for the future. If anything, going to the WC helps you build. The only good that may come out of this is overhauling things from the top. Grant Wahl had a really good article with specific things that need to be done. For everyone criticizing Gulati, I was really surprised to find out he doesn't even get a salary. And Wahl also says he mostly agreed with Klinsmann's ideas about longer-term goals and devloping US soccer. He just sucked as a coach.
October 13th, 2017 at 11:24 AM ^