Jurgen Klinsmann (German pronunciation: ['jYRgn 'kli:ns,man], born 30 July 1964) is a German football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of the United States national team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the unified German team that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship. One of Germany's premier strikers during the 1990s, he scored in all six major international tournaments he participated in, from Euro 1988 to 1998 World Cup. In 1995, he came in third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award; in 2004 he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers".

On 29 July 2011, Klinsmann was named the 35th head coach of the United States national team, replacing previous manager Bob Bradley, who had been fired following a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the final of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.  The U.S. struggled in friendly games early in Klinsmann's tenure, losing four matches and drawing one before ending the 2011 season with a victory over Slovenia. On 29 February 2012, the U.S. national team recorded a historic 1-0 victory in a friendly match away against Italy, their first ever win against the four-time World Cup champions. On 15 August 2012, Klinsmann coached the U.S. to a historic 1-0 win against long time rivals Mexico in a friendly held at the Estadio Azteca, giving the U.S. their first ever victory in the stadium.  In 2013, Klinsmann led the U.S. team into the final round of qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, beginning with a 2-1 loss at Honduras before earning a point with a scoreless draw against Mexico in the Azteca. On 2 June 2013, the United States played their centennial celebratory game against Germany, where Klinsmann coached them to a 4-3 win over his native country. On 28 July, Klinsmann coached the U.S. team to their fifth CONCACAF Gold Cup title, defeating Panama 1-0 in the final. On 10 September 2013, following a 2-0 win over Mexico, the United States secured qualification for the World Cup. On 12 December 2013, Klinsmann signed a new contract extension with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), lasting until 2018.

Ask a question about this article.
Why did they struggle?