Did You Expect Anything Else?

Well the Copa America opened in predictable fashion with the United States losing 2-0 to Colombia. And maybe, just maybe, we moved closer to the reign of terror.

It's said that Jurgen is moving closer to the end, but this is not clear.  As you know,  this blog predicted four points and that Klinsi will stay. That can still happen and you have to figure he will stay on because what kind of national team can throw players under the bus left and right unless he has pretty good job security.

Because, in truth, Jose Pekerman exposed this fraudulent coach Friday night. The Colombia boss told his side to give the U.S. possession, maybe hassle one or two players and sit back and see what we could do with the ball. The answer was not much.  You saw wasted, laborious possession in which it took forever to get the football anywhere near the opponent's box - if the ball ever got anywhere close to there at all. It was a friendly masquerading as a competitive match since Colombia did little, showed little ambition and didn't need to against such feeble opposition.

But ah yes, the players. Well it's true they are not all in the Champions League as Klinsi would want them. But is the career trajectory of these players really his job or is his job to give the 11 on the field some cohesive game plan?  If you gave him better players would he win something? His tenure with Germany and Bayern Munich suggests otherwise.

And furthermore, this may be the most talented player pool we have ever seen. Every starter save one from Friday has major European experience. He has a 17-year-old wunderkind - a word he should understand - playing for one of the top teams in the world. There is so much talent he has omitted the best playmaker in MLS and a guy who has Champions League experience.

Ask yourself this. Do players like Fabian Johnson, DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks and Geoff Cameron - all established in Europe - do they play better for their club teams or in a U.S. shirt?  It's an interesting question. Your faithful blogger remembers U.S. players like Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit making names for themselves in the U.S. jersey and allowing them to move overseas. Does this happen anymore?  Would you want any of these players based on what they give you in a U.S. jersey?

This blogger was disgusted - yet not surprised - by what he saw Friday and he wasn't alone. In fact, the IMOTGP blog was planning to go see the U.S. team play Costa Rica but has had a change of heart since paying money to watch this rubbish in person doesn't seem so prudent at this current time.

The blog will instead focus on tomorrow's Jamaica-Venezuela match. And we offer that any of you that run into The Phantom and are wearing a handmade IMOTGP t-shirt will get in free with your humble blogger. It's the least we can offer if you watch the United States!