For the US men’s national team, it’s been an era of big promises and underwhelming results.
Jürgen Klinsmann started the trend when he took over the team in 2011, assuring fans that no longer would the US be the hardscrabble group that would occasionally but not consistently get results against the world’s elite. Rather, they would be more proactive, more cultured and entertaining. A revamped youth system would ensure a constant pipeline of talent – talent that would be good enough to play overseas. And those players would be used to the pressure that comes with higher expectations, having proved their worth in top European leagues.
