Why Jurgen Klopp and the USMNT are a PERFECT duo: Americans will LOVE him, team is ready for his style

American fans can let their minds wander, comforted by the knowledge that we’ve been there before. Jurgen Klopp has broken his word before. More than once, in fact. No wonder DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard is convinced he’ll do it again.

After the US national team was eliminated from the Copa America, the legendary goalkeeper promised to travel to Spain to prepare the ground for Klopp to take over. A pipe dream? That’s what the cynics will say. Recent history paints a different picture.

In April 2015, Klopp announced he was leaving Borussia Dortmund after seven years. The German initially denied his tank was empty. He ruled out taking a sabbatical. But by June, his tune had changed.

“It makes sense to take the time to reflect on the countless memories before I and my fellow coaches take on a new challenge, fresh and highly motivated,” Klopp said after his final game in charge of the team. For “now” he wanted to relax and recharge.

Four months later, Klopp was sitting on the bench at Anfield. He didn’t give himself another chance to rest for almost nine years. Until this summer, when Klopp left Liverpool with a taller, grizzled manager. His energy levels were drained.

Klopp, who just turned 47, owns a $4.3 million villa in Mallorca. He has dreamed of having a home there his whole life; his plan is to create “an ecological family paradise”.

He loves the climate, the people, the padel. He and his wife Ulla are honorary members of their local country club alongside players like Novak Djokovic. What better place to retire after one of the most successful managerial careers in recent years?

“There is no question of me stopping working completely,” the German said recently. “But I don’t see myself continuing at the same pace as before at the moment.”

So the door is ajar, and Howard boasts about his powers of persuasion. The stakes could hardly be higher: Two years before the 2026 World Cup, a pivotal moment for football on these shores, American football is in turmoil.

The defeat to Uruguay saw the team exit the Copa America at home at the first hurdle. Fans are calling for the sacking of head coach Gregg Berhalter. The US Soccer Federation is at a crossroads.

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“They have to go for the jackpot,” Howard said. “You need someone with high expectations, a clear vision and a clear path. Someone who is demanding of himself and his team. Someone like Jurgen Klopp.”

The advantage to the United States is obvious. The more pressing question is whether Klopp would want the job. “If we sat around his villa in Spain, I think I could lure him here. 100 per cent,” Howard insisted.

His confidence is understandable. There are several reasons why Klopp and the USA seem like a perfect duo. On and off the pitch.

First, the finances. At Liverpool, Klopp was one of the highest-paid managers in the world, with a salary estimated at $22 million per year by the end of his tenure at Anfield. That’s not counting the $28 million he reportedly earned from commercial deals.

It is a plan that would see him lose most jobs, including, it seems, the German national team. “The DFB cannot afford Jürgen Klopp at all,” German Football Association boss Ralph-Uwe Schaffert said recently.

But Howard is confident that won’t be a problem here. Money is rarely present in American sports. Just last year, Inter Miami, Adidas, Apple and MLS lobbied to bring Lionel Messi to the United States.

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US Soccer just built a new $200 million training facility. In 2022, Berhalter earned $2,291,136 — including a $900,000 bonus after leading the United States to the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar.

It’s small change compared to Klopp, perhaps. But it’s not bad for international football. Gareth Southgate is considered the highest-paid player at Euro 2024, with the England manager earning around $5 million a year.

Klopp won’t earn the same salary he did at Liverpool. But he won’t have to work as hard either. International management involves far fewer days on the training ground. It doesn’t subject coaches to the daily grind of Premier League life. It wouldn’t force Klopp to work at “the same pace as before.”

Life in the United States, however, would introduce Klopp to a commercial market with an insatiable appetite – and a virtually unlimited budget – for personalities.

There are few foreign coaches who are as comfortable and charismatic in front of the cameras as Klopp. The laugh. The Colgate smile. The charm. The sense of humour and the sense that Klopp keeps in touch with the man on the street.

There were plenty of tantrums, but at Liverpool the German won hearts and minds with his openness, his insight, his thoughtful contribution to difficult conversations. Even his interviews with young Scousers.

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Berhalter has shown dignity and his exploits on the pitch should not be ignored. But he has none of the power of a coach like Klopp.

Klopp has even embraced social media in recent weeks, creating an Instagram account and lifting the curtain on his new life – playing padel and reuniting with old friends, including Boris Becker.

At this crucial juncture for American soccer, it’s hard to imagine a manager more suited to the expectations and scrutiny that would come with leading the team to a World Cup on home soil. A record-breaking tournament. Klopp would be hailed as a coming savior. He could make himself a God. The rewards would be immense. The risk to his legacy? Negligible, really.

Fortunately, Klopp knows what he’s doing. Few teams have enjoyed such consistent success over the past decade as Liverpool. Even fewer have played with such audacity and intensity.

Klopp would not have had much time – or opportunity – to apply those principles to a new team. Nor would he have his trusted right-hand man Pep Lijnders – the Dutchman having recently become head coach of RB Salzburg.

Fortunately, this is a younger generation of American players, a “golden generation,” who will fit more easily into Klopp’s system than their predecessors. Many of the players in this group are technically gifted and already play in Europe’s top leagues.

At their best under the German, Liverpool had creative full-backs, tireless midfielders and an attacking trio that combined with devastating speed.

He did not fail to congratulate Christian Pulisic recently, after working with the young Dortmund player. In Flo Balogun, the United States have a number 9 with immense talent.

There are no more diligent and willing midfielders than Tyler Adams, who anchors a well-rounded trio alongside Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna.

In defence, Antonee Robinson was linked with Liverpool under Klopp. He and Sergino Dest both offer pace and attacking power.

Based on this summer’s results, the United States is still struggling to qualify for the World Cup. They left the Copa America without any hope.

A manager like Klopp would ensure that nothing was left to chance. For many Liverpool fans, the joy of his reign came not just from the cups won, but also from the excitement of the journey.

The US national team’s trip to Qatar sparked a scandal involving Berhalter and Reyna. Klopp is generating considerable excitement from players and fans. He couldn’t guarantee success in two years. He wouldn’t be held responsible if the US team failed. One thing is for sure: It would be a hell of an adventure.