King Kaufman's Sports Daily

With its 2006 World Cup over, what the U.S. needs is a flamboyant, charismatic coach to sell an exciting version of the game to elite young American athletes.

Read more: Sports, Soccer, United States, World Cup, King Kaufman, Sports Daily, 2006 World Cup

June 23, 2006 | Keeping in mind that I'm a rube and that what I don't know about soccer would weigh down Jupiter, I think I have the answer for the U.S. soccer program.

After leading the Americans to a 2006 World Cup showing that was as disappointing as his side's 2002 run to the quarterfinals was pleasantly surprising, Bruce Arena won't be around for a rare third World Cup as American coach. His contract runs to the end of the year.

Here's who the U.S. needs to replace him: Ozzie Guillen.

OK, not Ozzie Guillen specifically, but somebody a lot like Ozzie Guillen.

Again, not knowing squat about the soccer coaching market or what kind of coaches are successful or what effect a coach even has on a soccer team, it seems to me that a guy like Bruce Arena is exactly the kind of guy the United States shouldn't have as coach.

He's a solid tactician and developer of talent. He's measured, reasonable, smart, successful.

What U.S. soccer needs is somebody with some international stature, preferably not an American, who is flamboyant and charismatic and who coaches an aggressive, attacking style.

See what I mean? Ozzie Guillen, soccer division.

U.S. soccer needs someone not just to coach the team -- and some success on the field is a goes-without-saying requirement -- but to sell it to the United States. Someone to sell the game of soccer, get people excited about it, not just because of the U.S. qualifying for the World Cup every four years, but because it's a genuinely exciting team, win or lose.

The U.S. needs someone who can make that next crop of preteen Dwyane Wades, at the point when it's time to make the decision to concentrate on one sport, to join traveling teams and start dreaming in earnest about pro ball, to say, "Not basketball. Soccer."

Even had Arena's team beaten Ghana Thursday to advance to the knockout round, it wouldn't have done that. It was a team that lacked finishers, lacked the ability to be aggressive offensively.

That wasn't Arena's fault. He just didn't have the athletes. That's why the Americans need a spectacular coach, a guy who's going to make headlines, draw attention and turn the team into a highflying side. Better to lose 3-2 thrillers than desultory shutouts where the other team's net looks like some far-off mirage that can never be reached.

But how can it be that the United States doesn't have the athletes? How does the U.S. get out-athleted by Ghana, which is what happened Thursday?

Next page: There are obviously athletes aplenty in the U.S. They just don't play high-level soccer