Is the U.S. national team on the road to to recovery or still mired in a worrisome slump as it heads into the new year?
How you answer that question probably depends on how you see the team's 0-0 road draw against Trinidad and Tobago on Nov. 17. If you came away from that World Cup qualifier feeling like the U.S. showed nothing in its trip to the Caribbean, then you probably feel like the U.S. is still stuck in a rut that began with the CONCACAF Gold Cup. If you came away from the draw feeling like the U.S. did a professional job in earning a road point against a tough opponent, then you might be feeling better about things as Jurgen Klinsmann's team heads into 2016.
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One thing does seem clear: It is very much still Klinsmann's team. Rumors suggesting Klinsmann could be fired if he didn't win both November qualifiers appeared to ring hollow after Tuesday's draw, with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati looking far too relaxed and content to be mistaken for a man about to issue a pink slip to the coach he hired four years ago. When speaking to the media on Nov. 13, Gulati made it pretty clear that, though Klinsmann's job security isn't absolute, he also wasn't on the verge of being dumped.
Luckily for Klinsmann, his job isn't in the hands of U.S. fans, because you get the sense his approval rating to close out the year is the lowest it has been since he took the job in 2011. Securing four points from the November qualifiers did little to erase the memories of a failed Gold Cup or the stinging defeat against Mexico in the CONCACAF Cup. Those wounds aren't going to be healed that easily.
As Klinsmann heads into the winter, he has plenty to think about, both in the short and long term. Multiple sources have confirmed to Goal USA that the national team has booked a pair of winter friendlies, making another January national team camp a likelihood even though Klinsmann has never been a fan of the annual winter gathering. Contractual TV obligations have kept winter friendlies in the mix, which could be a blessing in disguise if it forces Klinsmann to take a look at new faces in January. Last winter he had a chance to look at Gyasi Zardes, and the LA Galaxy player wound up leading the team in appearances in 2015.
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Perhaps Klinsmann has begun to soften a bit in the wake of the shakiest moment of his tenure as U.S. boss. In recent months he has changed his tune about everything from Geoff Cameron playing center back to Fabian Johnson playing in midfield. He gave newcomer Darlington Nagbe a good look in the November qualifiers, and he brought Tim Howard back into the playing mix after his year away, even if that return has begun with a goalkeeping rotation.
Of course, there are still some old habits Klinsmann hasn't broken. He continues to call in the likes of Ventura Alvarado, Miguel Ibarra and Mix Diskerud. He still isn't calling in MLS-based attacking options such as Benny Feilhaber and Ethan Finlay. He still hasn't said farewell to 34-year-old Jermaine Jones, though you probably can't blame him given how important Jones was against Trinidad and Tobago.
The U.S. won't return to action for two months, which should help offer Klinsmann a fresh start in January, but he will still be under pressure to deliver some clear signs of progress.
As we draw closer to 2016, here are five questions for which Klinsmann will need to find answers:
Is there still a place for Clint Dempsey?
This might sound like a crazy question considering how important Dempsey has been for the U.S., but after missing the November qualifiers, we are left to ponder just how long Klinsmann can go without the former captain.
There is little doubt Dempsey struggled in the second half of the year, with injuries and general wear and tear leaving him looking like a shell of his usual self. His invisible display in the CONCACAF Cup left many wondering if he was sick or injured, and he didn't show much more in the Seattle Sounders' decisive MLS playoff elimination match against FC Dallas.
Dempsey's exclusion from the roster for the November qualifiers caused quite a stir. Klinsmann took most of the heat for that decision, but sources tell Goal USA it wasn't his idea to leave Dempsey out (there are conflicting accounts regarding who asked for Dempsey to be left home). Trinidad and Tobago coach Stephen Hart quipped that he was overjoyed when he heard Dempsey wouldn't play, but he was probably still thinking of the Dempsey of years past, or even of the Gold Cup, where he last showed real signs of his dangerous self.
His 2015 struggles aside, it's tough to write off Dempsey. He's been too good for too long, and a much-needed rest could be just what he needs to hit the ground running in 2016. We shouldn't expect to see Dempsey in the January camp, either, but when the next set of World Cup qualifiers resumes in March, he should be back.
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Is Darlington Nagbe ready to start?
He was limited to a pair of second-half substitute's appearances in the November qualifiers, but Nagbe showed enough to raise questions about whether he might be the next new face to break into the starting lineup.
Nagbe's poise and control on the ball, coupled with his speed and vision, make him look like a player who needs to be starting sooner rather than later, and with Klinsmann himself acknowledging that he sees Nagbe as a central midfield option, we are left to wonder how and when Klinsmann will fit him into the lineup.
Klinsmann intimated that Nagbe will have to be content with more of a wide role in the immediate future because of the presence of Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones in central midfield, but there are other options at his disposal. He could play the three midfielders together in a 4-3-3, though you wonder if he has the fullbacks and forwards to pull that off.
A more reasonable option, at least in the short term, could be a 4-2-3-1. Playing Nagbe underneath Jozy Altidore, with Fabian Johnson and Zardes working wide, could give Altidore the support he needs to thrive and give Nagbe the role that best showcases his considerable talents. At least until Klinsmann finally calls time on the Jones era and slides Bradley into a deep-lying midfield role on a permanent basis.
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Where will Fabian Johnson play?
Just when we thought Klinsmann's eyes had been opened to the wonders of playing Johnson at left midfield, Klinsmann turns around and moves him to left back for a late cameo that raised fresh questions about where best to deploy the U.S. team's most versatile player.
Johnson is the best U.S. player at four different positions, which is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because it allows Klinsmann to adjust his lineup far more easily, but it is a curse because it means Johnson can't get a real rhythm at a position because he's constantly being moved around.
The easiest solution is to play Johnson as a winger against weaker opponents and as a fullback against stronger teams. The emergence of Nagbe as an attacking option in midfield should help make it easier for Johnson to slide into the backline, but the current World Cup qualifying cycle features opponents Johnson should be able to thrive against in an attacking role.
In other words, Klinsmann might want to keep Johnson in midfield at least until we get closer to the summer and Copa America, where the U.S. will definitely need Johnson's quality along the backline.
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How long will Jermaine Jones stick around?
He's 34, he's coming off an injury-plagued year, and he still doesn't have a contract for 2016. So why is Jones still such a stalwart in the U.S. lineup?
His contributions against Trinidad and Tobago reminded us. His toughness and tenacity were crucial in slowing down the Soca Warriors' dynamic attack, and his willingness to do the dirty work without floating out of position to chase dreams of attacking glory showed us a player who just might be accepting the role that has always made the most sense for him if he was willing to stick to it.
To some, continuing to play Jones makes no sense because there is no way he will still be a factor in 2018. This may be true, but for now he remains a far better option than others in the pool and he gives the U.S. lineup an edge it sorely needs against tougher opponents. The lack of clear-cut defensive midfield options in the pipeline makes it easier for Klinsmann to hold onto Jones for the time being.
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Which forward will emerge to grab a starting role?
Gyasi Zardes didn't look the part, Bobby Wood showed flashes and Jordan Morris didn't have much of a chance to shine. So went the informal auditions for the position, which began around the time Klinsmann announced Dempsey wouldn't be with the team in November.
While Nagbe was announcing to the U.S. fan base that he is ready for prime time, Klinsmann's younger forward options didn't make the most of their opportunities.
Zardes had a golden opportunity against Trinidad and Tobago and missed the mark. That won't be enough to make Klinsmann give up on him; as he showed with Wood a year ago, he appreciates a forward who finds scoring chances, even if those chances aren't converted.
Wood looked like the best of the three options, though he, too, missed chances, particularly in the win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Despite those misses, Wood looked to be playing with real confidence.
The picture will get more crowded in 2016, when Aron Johannsson and potentially Rubio Rubin join the conversation. Klinsmann will be looking for someone to emerge and make a strong enough case to challenge Dempsey when he returns, and potentially someone capable of giving Altidore an understudy, or even a challenger, as a target striker.
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