CONCACAF offers Jurgen Klinsmann an easy crisis reprieve

Sometimes in life, the “way out” of a jam is by … doing nothing. You keep your head down and ride out the proverbial storm, uncomfortably perhaps, but more or less safe in the knowledge that worms turn, fortunes swing, the sun comes up tomorrow, etc.

The waves of frustrated discontent over Jurgen Klinsmann and his performance as all-powerful US mean’s national team boss are beating US Soccer shores like never before. The manager (and technical director) is increasingly embattled, to the point that his boss, US Soccer president Sunil Gulati, is feeling the pressure, too. Gulati must surely be into “sleepless nights” territory over the whole thing by now.

The “whole thing” is a miserable year for the national team. The calendar has not yet turned and, yes, World Cup qualifying begins before the New Year. Still, there is no other way to see 2015 other than the big steaming pile of poopy that it was.

SEE MORE: US Soccer has systemic problems in addition to holding Klinsmann and Gulati accountable

Every business, from the local snow cone stand to global corporate heavies, execute for long- and short-term goals. The national team’s short-termers for 2015 were, in order: Gold Cup championship; in lieu of that, claim the Confederations Cup spot through a playoff; progress in playing that more dynamic, high-pressing style Klinsmann promised all along.

Attached to Klinsmann’s personal, short-term to-do list – remember, in Klinsmann’s position as technical director, he is in charge of all U.S. men’s teams – was to gain a spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

So, did we check all the boxes? Uh … any of them? Nope. Not a one.

You may support the man and his transformative efforts, and you may have faith in the longer-term design. It’s a fair position to take. But there is no other way to see it: the calendar year for Klinsmann was a complete bust. Period.

If he was conducting revolution by completely turning over the player pool, this would all look different, of course. But he’s not. Otherwise … well, Jermaine Jones. Enough said.

Tuesday’s loss to Costa Rica in a meaningless friendly – pointless as a result, but perhaps meaningful in lack of fight and telling in the lack of attacking ideas – was a appropriate exclamation point on this turd of a year.

SEE MORE: Klinsmann fans are uniting with critics in wanting the US head coach gone.

Which brings us to today. I know it’s popular to line up and take your swing at the Klinsi piñata right now. And if you’re inclined to stew about all this a little longer, you may want to quit reading, because you probably don’t want to hear this:

I do see a fairly clear path out of this thicket for Klinsmann. At least for 2016.

Or have you not seen the United States’ group for fourth round World Cup qualifying, aka the semifinal round? (The United States, Mexico and other successful CONCACAF teams merge into World Cup qualifying in this round.)

Qualifying begins next month in St. Louis against St. Vincent. The nation, that is, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, although in terms of relative strength, Klinsmann and Co. may as well be going up against the other St. Vincent, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.

From there, the United States faces Trinidad & Tobago and Guatemala. Reports from a recent Guatemalan friendly cited Carlos Ruiz as the country’s top player that evening. Yes, that Carlos Ruiz … 36 years old, a pretty hard “36” as well.

T&T offers some threat, especially on the road, although the Soca Warriors will never be confused with the Seleção of Brazil. The match in Guatemala won’t be easy … but it’s not exactly a match at the Azteca either. Through a procession of managers, the United States has had Guatemala’s number, unbeaten in 20 games dating to 1988. Lately the gap is widening; five of the last six matches were US wins, the last two by a combined 10-0 margin. On US soil, the Yanks are 15-0-1.

All of this is to say, the United States will steer through this fourth round relatively trouble free. Yes, I know things are in a tailspin. I’ve written about it. Again and again, it seems. (Heck, look back at this one from January and then ask, did we see any progress at all this year?)

Still, you don’t need the eyesight of a Vegas bookmaker to see what will happen. The United States will whup some butt at home and, a potential hiccup at either T&T or Guatemala notwithstanding, manage things on the road. They’ll get out of the group (top two advance) based on talent. Yes, I said “based on talent.”

Even with Klinsmann’s quirky, questionable choices and his pinpointed disregard for MLS talent (hello, Benny Feilhaber), the talent pool is more than sufficient for this round. Remember, four years ago World Cup qualifying started with Jose Torres, one of the top creative players in the pool at the time, playing as a left back against Antigua. The semifinal round of World Cup qualifying is that forgiving; you can get away with Jose Torres as a left back and still win 3-1.

The final round of qualifying will be different, much more of a bugger. But even then, top three of six gain World Cup places; the fourth gets into a playoff – the path Mexico took into World Cup 2014. We’ll have time to debate the odds of success on that one.

SEE MORE: Gulati to blame for decline of USA.

But for 2016, the semifinal round will come and go with grumbling about choices and tactics, etc. perhaps, but ultimately with plenty of points. Onto the “hex” we will march!

It will be Klinsmann’s “out,” his opportunity to get things right. Or, at the very least, to get things pointed in a better direction. (It will be easier if he puts some stubbornness aside and understands that his approach needs adjustment … but that’s a different 1,000-word piece altogether.)

There is another way this could go; Klinsmann’s proverbial helicopter could lose a tail rotor and go into a seriously scary and swervy downward spiral. If he loses complete faith from the players and the team begins semifinal round qualifying with yet another apathetic stumble, sentiment will reach a tipping point.

In that scenario, confidence in Klinsmann drops to a point where media and supporters essentially say, “If Gulati doesn’t ‘get it’ and won’t admit that he chose poorly and needs to correct his own mistake, then he’s got to go, too.” Someone will make noise about issuing a strong challenge to his U.S. Soccer presidency down the road. (Gulati was re-elected to another four-year term in March of 2014, so he’s the man until 2018.)

Still, Gulati could begin to fear for his own U.S. Soccer place and hasten a move borne of self-preservation, never mind the big payout ahead for Klinsmann, under contract through 2018. (You really gotta think Gulati wants a “do-over” on that one now, especially seeing the trouble second-cycle managers historically have had.)

But, honestly, does anyone see all that happening?

It’s highly unlikely. Again, the talent pool may seem painfully shallow, but it isn’t. It just needs refreshing. It needs Klinsmann to go full “revolution.” Which means dropping faithful servants like Jones, Kyle Beckerman and, yes, probably Clint Dempsey, too.

Yes, any of the three could be useful in spots going forward, especially in the looming final round of qualifying. But against St. Vincent next month in St. Louis? Believe it: the younger guys will be fine.

This will be Klinsmann’s opportunity to get it right … or at least “right enough,” so that everyone will put away their pitchforks and lanterns for the time being.