Klinsmann withdraws from consideration as U.S. coach

Juergen Klinsmann withdrew Thursday from consideration as coach of the U.S. soccer team after several months of talks failed to lead to an agreement, a U.S. Soccer Federation official told The Associated Press.

The official said an announcement would be made later Thursday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the USSF statement had not yet been released.

Earlier this week, it appeared the USSF and Klinsmann were moving toward an agreement. Authority had been as big an issue as money in the talks, a second person familiar with the negotiations said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

Klinsmann had been the favorite to succeed Bruce Arena, who was let go in July after 7 1/2 years. Arena coached the American team to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002, the best showing by the United States since the initial tournament in 1930, but the U.S. team was eliminated in the first round this year.

A close friend of Arena, Klinsmann led Germany to the World Cup semifinals this year in his first professional coaching assignment. He lives in Newport Beach, Calif. -- a close commute to the practice facility in Carson where the Americans often train.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-us-klinsmann&prov=ap&type=lgns

He was really the only manager of that level the US could've gotten, and now...well, what? Be the last stop for Sven-Goran Erickson?

Bob Bradley should handle the team fine until that point, but this is a blow.

But...

What if Klinsi isn't really that good? I mean, before the World Cup, there were all kinds of questions about how he was handling the German team, and not all of them were simply cheap shots at his lack of experience. His results weren't what they should have been, and that's been overshadowed by a very good World Cup - which is how it should be. But a few good games does not necessarily make a good coach.

Just playing Devil's Advocate here.