U.S. Soccer fires men's coach Jurgen Klinsmann
On Monday, U.S. Soccer fired men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann, just a week after the team suffered a blistering 4-0 loss against Costa Rica, further hurting their chances at qualifying for the World Cup in 2018. "While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction," U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said in a statement.
Klinsmann, a former player and coach in Germany, signed a contract to coach in the States in 2011, and has since seen mixed reviews and results. The New York Times described him as a "polarizing figure as the United States coach, attracting both praise and disdain from hard-core fans." Klinsmann led the team to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2013, and to advance to the round of 16 at the World Cup in 2014 — but the team has struggled in the last couple years.
Though U.S. Soccer has yet to formally announce a replacement, former U.S. coach Bruce Arena is reportedly a top contender.