Ex-U.S. coach: Jurgen Klinsmann may not be right for USMNT

Former United States U-20 coach Thomas Rongen said Jurgen Klinsmann might not be the right coach for the USMNT.

Former United States U-20 coach Thomas Rongen said Jurgen Klinsmann might not be the right coach for the USMNT, Christopher Harris of World Soccer Talk reports.

Rongen, who is currently the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the North American Soccer League, coached the U-20 team from 2001 through 2005 and again from 2006 through 2011.

Despite Klinsmann’s playing and coaching history with Germany, Rongen said the cultural differences between Klinsmann and the players may be too much to overcome.

"There’s a little bit of disconnect between players and coaches, which is never a good thing," Rongen said. "The American coach knows the American player real well. That’s one of the reasons why Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena were successful. They know what makes US players tick."

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Rongen also said he thinks the United States’ development program is behind other countries’ setups.

Klinsmann was hired in 2011 and the USMNT won the Gold Cup in 2013, but was eliminated during the Round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup.

Last week, the team lost to Denmark in a friendly match. The squad will play at Switzerland on Tuesday at noon ET.

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- Paul Palladino