If one central theme is emerging in the Jurgen Klinsmann philosophy, it is this: speed.
Since taking over as manager of the US national team last year, he has often talked about wanting his team to play with speed, move the ball quickly, use the side's pace on the flanks. Saturday's 5-1 trouncing of Scotland, led by Landon Donovan's hat trick, it all seemed to come together as Klinsmann has drawn it up.
WATCH: USA-Scotland highlights
"We are very pleased with the performance tonight," he said after the match. “I think tonight you saw many elements of what we’re always talking about, what we’re trying step by step to develop.
"It’s a fast-paced game, it has tempo in it. It has one-two touch combinations through our midfielders as fast as possible finding the forwards up there, having pace, build up from the back, no long balls. All those elements I think we saw a lot today."
Indeed, we did. All of the USMNT"s goals were scored with lightning speed and crisp precision, including Michael Bradley's stunning half-volley from 30 yards that was the culmination of a kinetic back-and-forth from the middle to the flanks and back to the middle.
But even before Bradley's wonder-goal, the US were on top of the action. Donovan, who earlier in the week had discussed his waning desire to play, notched the first goal just three minutes in, smashing in his own rebound. The goal resulted from the left-sided interplay between Jose Francisco Torres, Bradley and Jermaine Jones.
"I think we set the tone and the team kept their rhythm throughout the entire game," Klinsmann said. "We kept the tempo going, the energy was high. We saw wonderful goals. For a coach, that’s obviously fun to watch, no doubt about it.”
