US coach Jurgen Klinsmann sees his team's struggle toadvance from the semi-final round of World Cup 2014 qualifying as a sign of theimprovements made by football rivals in North America.
The Americans are locked in a fight with Jamaica andGuatemala to decide two spots in next year's Confederation of North and CentralAmerican and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) final qualifying roundfor Brazil's World Cup. A US under-23 side failed to escape regional qualifyingand missed the London Olympics, serving notice that an extension of America'srun of World Cup trips dating to 1990 is not a certainty. "What happenedto the Olympic team was a huge warning to whoever thinks CONCACAF is an easyregion to go through. Teams in CONCACAF have improved a lot," Klinsmannsaid.
"I speak with some coaches overseas and they say, 'Youwill go through with no problem at all.' I tell them, 'No, it's hard. Thoseteams you play against play with their heart and give their all. You havephysical battles. You have to adjust to the environment. It's a difficultqualifying campaign. It's a marathon.” The Americans are deadlocked withGuatemala atop qualifying Group A at 2-1-1 on seven points, each with six goalsscored and four allowed, while the Jamaicans are also 2-1-1 but rank third onlower goal difference. The two top teams in each group advance to next year'sfinal qualifying round. The Americans will host Guatemalaat Kansas City, Kansas. "Antigua will fight for every ball. They will giveeverything. And the same will happen with Guatemala," Klinsmann said."We have to give everything we have. We have to build in a sense ofurgency and be prepared for the challenge."
Klinsmann is taking nothing for granted on the US trip toAntigua. "Anything can happen in Antigua in terms of the field andconditions," he said. "We need to find ways to break them down andscore goals. "This will not be an easy game. For them, this will be thegame of the decade. They want to prove everything against the US. We have to goin with the right mentality and take care of it." Unbeaten Mexico hasalready qualified from Group B, but Klinsmann is not concerned about matchingthe flair the US archrivals have shown. "You have to find a way to break Mexico downand it's not always possible to look good doing it."
