In Jurgen Klinsmann we trust

I thought that Jurgen Klinsmann's decision to leave Landon Donovan off of the USMNT's World Cup roster was dumb. It seemed to be based on things other than soccer ability, because even an out-of-shape Donovan should to have some value to this team, if only as a sub. And even if Donovan truly wasn't good enough, he at least deserved a chance to go out on his own terms after being the face of American soccer for a decade.

I also thought that it was a mistake for Klinsmann to say that the UMNT "cannot win this World Cup." It may have been a true statement, but it doesn't really reflect the American spirit. Maybe the "American spirit" is just a BS term that a man from Germany doesn't really have to care about, but I don't think it's ever a good idea for a coach to tell his players that they have no chance to win the tournament they're about to play in.

The decision to cut Donovan, combined with that quote, have hurt Klinsmann's standing a bit among some American soccer fans. I include myself in that camp. (Although I do not include myself in the camp with Michael Wilbon, who told Klinsmann to "get the hell out" of America. Calm down, bro.)

And yet, I have not lost the trust I have in him. I continue to feel optimistic about the future of the USMNT, both immediately and in the long term.

Part of my confidence comes from the fact that we really have no other choice. Klinsmann was not brought in to win the 2014 World Cup; he was brought in to re-shape the entire system. He's got the credentials to suggest that he should be given every opportunity to do so.

But it's more than that. Whatever he's doing is working. The results speak for themselves, up to this point. I wrote about some of them last year: the USMNT's first ever win against Italy, their first ever win in Estadio Azteca, a win over Germany, and a record-setting winning streak. I understand that all of those big wins came with caveats attached, but the fact remains that the wins in Italy and Mexico City had never happened before. Ever. Under any circumstance. In the history of soccer in the United States.

Now, you can add this to the list: For the first time ever, the USMNT went undefeated in their sendoff games leading up to the World Cup. Go ahead and say whatever you need to say about how the games are meaningless or whatever; it's still yet another thing that had never happened before. This team is heading to the World Cup hotter than any of their predecessors.

Obviously the challenges awaiting them in Brazil are enormous. Ghana, Portugal, Germany. It will take some amazing performances, and a bit of good luck, for this team to even get into the next stage.

Nonetheless, I believe in this team and its coach. It's the World Cup and anything is possible.