PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – As the sun sank in the sky over Hasely Crawford Stadium, Jurgen Klinsmann joined a group that included Kyle Beckerman, Alan Gordon, and Fabian Johnson for a game of 4v2 keep-away. The US national team head coach couldn't help but smile as he and his players banged quick one-touch passes across the grass, trying to split the two defenders in the middle.
Smiles will be harder to come by when the Americans take on the home side Tuesday night (6:30 pm ET; beIN Sports, NBC Universo, En Vivo Extra). Neither Klinsmann nor his players are taking the opposition lightly.
"You have to accept their physicality," he said in a press conference before training. "You have to accept their physical style of play, and then obviously try to play your cards.
"If they come out maybe in high pressure, than we are ready for that. You have to play through quickly. Release the ball quickly, and get our own flow. Hopefully it will get into an exciting game for everybody on both sides, the fans here, too, and hopefully some fans on the TV, too."
The Americans cannot afford to give up a quick opening goal as they did against St. Vincent and the Grenadines last Friday. According to a couple local journalists, the expected sellout crowd can be a fickle group. If their Soca Warriors go up early, they'll have 23,000 screaming supporters. Concede in the early stages, or even play ugly soccer, and the cheers of the masses will morph into jeers.
Despite the potentially intimidating atmosphere, Klinsmann doesn't sound afraid to throw some of his inexperienced talent into the fray. "The earlier younger players experience that, the more they learn," he said. "And they learn quickly."
One of those men might be the Portland Timbers' Darlington Nagbe, who earned his first cap against St. Vincent. The attacker has impressed his teammates during training.
"I think he's been a breath of fresh air," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "A guy who always wants to take the ball, a guy who is looking for the ball. He adds an element of that shiftiness, that silky smooth on the ball that not a lot of US players possess. It's good to have that curveball in there, a guy who can get to the pockets and make defenders miss. Pass and move. Always looking to get the ball back."
Bobby Wood, another member of the younger guard, is ready, too. "We've all talked about how it's going to be a battle out there physically and mentally, and it's something you have to be prepared for."
While the Americans sound like they are prepared, there are questions about Klinsmann's job security if the squad fails to get a point in Port of Spain. When asked about the reports, he said that he was okay with opinions and critiques, then went on to explain the long road to Russia and cited Mexico's trouble in the leadup to Brazil.
"You always have to keep the big picture in mind," he said. "And you also have to live with short-term successes and disappointments, which we had undoubtedly. We wanted to win the Gold Cup and we didn't ... The critiques that are expressed by some people are totally fine with me."
A few minutes later, the conference ended and he walked out to the field, eventually participating in a warm-up drill.
Today, the proceedings were fun and games. Tomorrow is a different story.
