Germans are a lot like elephants...

They don't forget. Unfortunately for the German soccer team, their coach hasn't been in America long enough to be as forgetful as they had hoped. Just a few months ago Jurgen Klinsmann could've resigned and very few German fans would've cared. In fact after a 4-nil loss to Italy a lot of people were calling for his head. If the German team had lost to the US in a friendly back in the spring, the odds are pretty good that Klinsmann would've been run out before he even got the chance to coach in the World Cup. He didn't and Germany went on to an amazing third place run. The German press compared the Germans run to the US mircale on ice hockey team. I think thats a bit of a strecth, after all the German team is filled with professionals and has 3 or 4 international superstars, but they are a very young team. Take away Lehman, Ballak, and Kahn and the rest of that German team doesn't really get you excited. Klinsmann had a lot to do with that run too. He changed the way Germany plays soccer. From the sometimes boring and robotic to a more fluid and exciting form. I guess thats surprising considering that would describe pretty well how Klinsmann played the game.

Oh yeah, Klinsmann was a playa.

Klinsmann offically announced that he would not resign to coach the German team yesterday. In a lot of ways it makes sense. That thrid place run meant Germany played way over thier head. The odds of Klinsmann getting them to play like that again in Euro '08 or the World Cup in 2010 aren't very good. Plus with the third place finish come the expectations of "you finished 3rd last time the next step is a championship." Eventhough I think it had more to do with all that talk about canning him back in the spring. Personally I'd kindly give the finger to my critics and walk away a winner too.

Of course all this opens up an interesting scenario for US Soccer. A lot of people have jumped off the Bruce Arena band wagon following the World Cup.

The Bruce Arena Bandwagon is a lonely place these days...

Even the head of US Soccer hasn't said anything definate about Area's future. It was even rumored in the Brittish press that Klinsmann was offerred the US job during the tournament. Obviously Klinsmann and the head of US Soccer both denied that claim, but it would be an interesting combination. Klinsmann who has now had success with an underperforming and under-talented German team would seem a pretty good fit for a US team that may have come as far as it can with its current coach. Klinsmann already lives in California and would have a better idea of how to work with US athletes as opposed to other European coaches. I would think within the next couple of weeks we'll hear one way or another, but if he's willing to take the reins of US Soccer I think Klinsmann could be a good fit, and might be what the US team needs in order to take the next step and be competitive against the world powers of soccer.