Monday Orange Slices: Flying High

Since when does the Houston Press do game stories? And who is this guy who wrote it, Danny Lopez?

If Holden stars for the USMNT and helps them win, does that mean Klinsi is a better coach than Bradley?

That last questions brings up an interesting point. The situation might just be tailor made for Klinsmann. I mean, what do you think is a minimum standard for him to be successful? For me, it’s qualifying for Brazil at the top of our group and winning the 2013 Gold Cup. And both of these and highly, highly doable things. Let’s look at these one at a time.

Qualifying. Now that the CONCACAF structure seems to be set up to make sure that the US and Mexico do not play each other, and given the overall weakness of CONCACAF, this should be pretty much a no-brainer. But qualifying is not enough. The US is clearly the class of CONCACAF after the currently-ascendant Mexico and if we don’t have to play El Tri, then we should easily top our group.

2013 Gold Cup. This should be scheduled right after the 2013 Confed Cup in Brazil, a Confed Cup that Mexico will be playing in, playing with their first team by the way. That means that the US, playing with what will in all likelihood be a first team side (what else will they be doing?), should be expected to romp through this tourney. And romp they had best do.

So that means that, going into Brazil, the US should have accomplished both of these things and Klinsi will be bringing them south on something of a high. Anything less and we will have moved not just sideways, but backwards.