Ahead of their international friendly, the USA coach has demanded his side show that they have recovered from their Gold Cup disappointment
United States national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called on his side to "prove a point" when they face Peru in Washington DC on Thursday.The US host Peru in their first international match since a disappointing Concacaf Gold Cup campaign, in which they were dumped out by Jamaica in the semi-finals before losing to Panama in the third-place play-off.
And Klinsmann, who has recalled goalkeeper Tim Howard to his squad after a 14-month sabbatical from international football, is aiming for an immediate return to form ahead of the Concacaf Confederations Cup play-off against Mexico in October.
"This is really now time for the guys to make a really strong impression that they understand the situation we're in because of what happened in the Gold Cup," he said.
"These games are not about developing things for the future. This is about proving a point towards the Mexico game.
"The ones that were not a part of the Gold Cup need to prove they are capable of performing and this is really now about truly competing.
"We will just want to make it very, very intense and competitive from the first day on in training, so the veterans need to set the tone and they need to understand that there's a high energy there."
One of those "veterans" is Brad Guzan, who has taken the number one spot during Howard's post-World Cup break, and the Aston Villa keeper is determined to retain his starting berth, insisting the competition for places can only be positive.
"Tim and I get on really well, in terms of on the field and off the field," Guzan said.
"You always have someone pushing you or you're pushing someone else.
"And being in Europe, where it's obviously a little bit more cut-throat than here in the U.S., you develop a thick skin."
Peru, meanwhile, will be looking to build on a successful Copa America display, where they were edged out in a thrilling semi-final by hosts and eventual winners Chile.
Ricardo Gareca has left former Chelsea and Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro out of the squad, however, while forward Paolo Guerrero will be missing through injury.
Howard facing unfamiliar reserve role, but not without a fight
Tim Howard had gone eight years as a starter for club and country but now finds himself in the role of a backup — a position he has no intention of staying in.
WASHINGTON — Tim Howard walked into a circle of reporters as he has done on dozens of occasions over the past decade, only this time felt different.
Rather than facing the kind of questions he had probably grown accustomed to — about the state of theU.S. national team, the condition of the defense, or his team's chances of winning — Howard fielded questions he never faced before. About being away from the national team, whether he had lost the hunger to represent the U.S., and what it felt like to be a backup.
That label — backup — didn't sit too well with Howard, who has spent the past decade as the starting goalkeeper for Everton, and had spent eight straight years as the unquestioned starter for the U.S. before he decided to take a yearlong break. Howard heard that stinging word — backup — and parried it away instantly like he would do on the highlight-reel saves we have grown accustomed to.
"Never been a backup," Howard said sternly. "I think that’s a mentality. I work my tail off every day. I know what it means to compete at the highest level, to have a certain level of excellence, and I do that. I’ve never been a backup, never will be. So that’s not something I worry about too much."
Howard made it clear that, in his mind and heart, he was nobody's backup. But just a few minutes earlier, Jurgen Klinsmann stood in the same spot and made it clear that, for the time being, Howard was serving as the backup to Brad Guzan on the U.S. team.
The timing of Klinsmann's declaration was a bit surprising, with two friendlies coming up, offering opportunities to let Guzan and Howard battle it out. Klinsmann made it clear he didn't have the luxury of opening the competition — not with the all-important Confederations Cup playoff game against Mexico looming in a month.
It was less likely about hurting team continuity, and more likely about the message it would send to just let Howard walk back into a starting role after taking a year off. It would become far too easy to consider Klinsmann a hypocrite after what he put Landon Donovan through following his highly publicized sabbatical from the sport.
That is a comparison Howard found himself fighting upon his return. He faced some questions that made it sound as though taking a year off from the national team meant he wasn't actually still playing competitive soccer in one of the world's best leagues.
"Just because I’ve taken some time off from you guys … I played 60 games last year, had a great preseason — my first full preseason in over a decade — so I feel fit and ready," Howard told assembled media Wednesday. "I played a lot of games over the last 12 months — more than most people I know."
Howard must have felt a world of difference between the questions he faced Wednesday and the ones he faced the last time he played for the U.S. Fourteen months ago, after a record-breaking performance in the World Cup loss to Belgium, Howard faced questions from a stunned media horde that was trying to make sense of his jaw-dropping 16-save display. It was a performance that propelled him into America's main stream consciousness and boosted his celebrity profile into rarified air.
Shortly after that, Howard decided to take his break — a break that was coming after nine straight years, and nine straight summers, of service to the U.S. It looked like a precursor to retirement, but a year later, Howard stuck to what he always said: that he simply needed a break.
"I never lost that passion. Never lost that passion," Howard said of playing for the U.S. "I’ve been excited about this team. I’ve missed it. I took a year out for my own reasons — for the right reasons — and one of those reasons wasn’t because I lost any passion."
Howard is as passionate as ever. It is that passion that drove him from a young age. That same passion that made him fight for his first starting job as a professional 15 years ago, and the same one that helped him earn a move to Manchester United, the only team he has ever played for that dropped him from a starting role before Klinsmann did. Howard responded to his benching at Manchester United by regrouping and moving to Everton, where he has fashioned one of the best careers in the club's history.
Howard will look to rebound in much the same way with the U.S., and he's in the right form to do it. He is off to a strong start to the English Premier League season, another reason why Klinsmann's decision seemed hasty, but Howard isn't planning on letting his new, unfamiliar role change anything he does.
"I’ll do what I’ve always done: come in, train hard and keep myself fit and ready, and then when the opportunity presents itself, take advantage of it."
BEASLEY INJURED, BUT GOOD BET TO FACE MEXICO
ALTIDORE IMPRESSING IN CAMP
CENTER BACK COMPETITION WIDE OPEN
Gold Cup failure still hurting U.S. national team
Jurgen Klinsmann still feels the pain of the Gold Cup, while DaMarcus Beasley is still a big part of the U.S. plans for October and more notes from D.C.
WASHINGTON -- More than a month has passed since the U.S. national team walked off the field at PPL Park after losing the third-place match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Enough time to dwell on a thoroughly disappointing tournament, but definitely not enough time to forget it.
The U.S. has convened for the first time since the Gold Cup ended, and although there are plenty of players in camp this week who didn't take part in this summer's tournament, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann admitted there still remains a residue of disappointment from the team's fourth-place finish.
"I think it left something in our stomach," Klinsmann said. "The way it happened there, the decisions of referees and a lot of controversial stuff happened in that Gold Cup. It left something bitter, sour, with us."
Failing to win the Gold Cup has left the U.S. with the daunting task of beating Mexico in October's Confederations Cup playoff. Klinsmann's focus in the upcoming friendlies against Peru and Brazil has changed from what it was when those friendlies were originally scheduled.
"Before the Gold Cup, we were looking to test out against teams for the Copa America next summer," Klinsmann said. "With the new dynamic with that game against Mexico, it’s now more considered as a good preparation for the clash at the Rose Bowl in October. (Peru) is a very good team. They finished third at the Copa America. It’s going to be a good game and, for us, it’s a huge opportunity to see our players in detail to put the puzzle together towards the Mexico game."
The Mexico match, dubbed the CONCACAF Cup recently, will have plenty riding on it, and will place significant pressure on Klinsmann and his players. Klinsmann doesn't mind it at all.
"That (experience) can only help us. It will be a tremendous experience for players to step on the field in front of 90,000 in a one-off," Klinsmann said. "This is a huge learning curve especially for younger players that aren’t used to playing with this crowd or aren’t used to getting it all together for just one game. We’re looking forward to it."
Klinsmann's track record, as a player and coach, is well-documented. He has never lost a match -- as a player or coach -- against Mexico, and he will be hoping his team's recent success against 'El Tri' will carry over to next month's showdown.
"Obviously, we have a lot of respect towards Mexico going towards the October clash and we want to get the job done," Klinsmann said. "We’re doing tremendously well against Mexico for a couple of years, and we want to continue that path. Obviously, what happened with the Gold Cup, we don’t want to get deeper into that topic. There’s still a little bit of anger in me, but obviously getting that done in October in Los Angeles will path the way to the Confederations Cup in 2017."
Here are some more news items from Wednesday's U.S. training session:
What a difference a few months can make. As the Gold Cup was winding down in July, DaMarcus Beasley looked like he was wrapping up his U.S. national team career, and his appearance in the tournament's third-place match was supposed to be his swan swong. Six weeks later, Beasley was mentioned as essentially Klinsmann's preferred choice at left back.
Beasley isn't with the U.S. team for the upcoming friendlies after suffering a calf injury with the Houston Dynamo last weekend, but that didn't stop Klinsmann from admitting on Wednesday that he sees Beasley as his first-choice left back.
"We need Beas against Mexico," Klinsmann said when discussing the decision not to push to bring Beasley into camp despite the injury. "The preferred roles would go to Fabian [Johnson] on the right and Beasley on the left, but it is what it is."
Beasley has boosted his stock with a strong season in MLS with the Dynamo, and he has also benefited from a lack of strong options at the position in the pool. Greg Garza has struggled for consistent playing time at Atlas, and Brek Shea is still working his way back from sports hernia surgery. With Johnson looking more like a right back option than a left back, and Timmy Chandler struggling badly in the Gold Cup and now recovering from knee surgery, Klinsmann is left with hoping the 33-year-old Beasley will be healthy and ready for the Mexico friendly.
One area of concern for the U.S. entering the September camp was the state of the forwards. Jozy Altidore left the Gold Cup due to poor form, leaving Klinsmann to search for other options. Altidore's recent success with Toronto FC (3 goals in 2 matches) gave Klinsmann enough confidence in Altidore to bring him in for the September friendlies.
At least early on, the decision is looking like a good one.
"Jozy’s looking good. I’ve been really pleased with Jozy," Klinsmann said. "You can see in the last couple of weeks now, he’s gotten back on track. He’s gotten sharper, gotten fitter. Obviously, he scored a couple of goals, which helps confidence-wise. That’s the best confidence booster for a striker, so we’re really happy to have Jozy back."
Altidore has scored two goals for the U.S. in 2015, with the last coming in March against Denmark. A hamstring injury suffered with Toronto FC in June sidelined him and left him struggling to recover his form ahead of the Gold Cup. After a lackluster showing in the group stages, Altidore was sent home before the knockout rounds. His struggles continued on the club level, until recently, when he has started to regain his scoring touch.
Altidore figures to draw competition for a starting role from Aron Johannsson, who had some good moments in the Gold Cup and is settling in well with German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. The September friendlies should offer evidence of just where Altidore stands, and whether he will be the striker Klinsmann turns to in October.
There may be no position on the current U.S. team more difficult to peg than center back. Klinsmann has his preferred set of youngsters, John Brooks and Ventura Alvarado, and his previous favorite tandem, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez. Then you have Tim Ream, Geoff Cameron and Michael Orozco, giving Klinsmann seven options vying for two spots.
We’re blessed with a lot of good center backs in different leagues, different environments, so that battle is ongoing since I took over, for more than four years," Klinsmann said. "We continue that because we want them to be on their toes. We want them to be accountable for things that they’re doing with their club teams and especially when they’re with us."
As for who has the edge entering camp?
"There’s no guarantee to anybody," Klinsmann said. "It’s ongoing and we evaluate every training session, very intense training sessions, and we want to see their personality, their soccer-specific qualities and then we put the puzzle together as a team as well, so it’s fascinating, but it’s not easy for the players."
Alvarado and Brooks struggled in the Gold Cup, opening the door
"Competition is good. It pushes guys along," said Besler, who is in camp after being passed over for the Gold Cup. "It helps the team get stronger and that’s what we need right now."
Cameron provides an interesting wild card. A starting right back at Stoke City the past two seasons, he has started the current campaign in central defense, where he enjoyed success while with the Houston Dynamo. Unfortunately for Cameron, the lack of fullback options on the current roster could force him to play at right back, a position Klinsmann already stated will be Fabian Johnson's when he is healthy.
"He’s done well so far in the young Premier League season," Klinsmann said of Klinsmann "He struggled toward the end of last season with some injuries, and that’s why we left him out of the Gold Cup. We’re pleased to have him back and he can cover us as a center back in that battle, or he can cover us as a right back as well."
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