CARSON, Calif. – U.S. Soccer announced on Monday that they have parted ways with head coach and technical director Jurgen Klinsmann.
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati relieved Klinsmann of his duties following a 55-27-16 record since starting his tenure on July 29, 2011. Klinsmann earned a number of achievements during his time with the USMNT including leading the USMNT into the Round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and a fourth place finish in the Copa America Centenario.
However, the U.S. stumbled out of the gate in the final round of CONCACAF 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, dropping matches to Mexico and Costa Rica.
“We want to thank Jurgen for his hard work and commitment during these last five years. He took pride in having the responsibility of steering the program, and there were considerable achievements along the way,” Gulati said in a statement. “Many are aware of the historic victories, including leading us out of the Group of Death to the Round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but there were also lesser publicized efforts behind the scenes. He challenged everyone in the U.S. Soccer community to think about things in new ways, and thanks to his efforts we have grown as an organization and expect there will be benefits from his work for years to come.
“While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction. With the next qualifying match in late March, we have several months to refocus the group and determine the best way forward to ensure a successful journey to qualify for our eighth-consecutive World Cup.”
Gulati will hold a teleconference on Tuesday to discuss the move and details about a possible successor to Klinsmann will be announced at a later date.
