Two D.C. United forwards, each at different points in their careers. Josh Wolff has been to the World Cup and knows what it’s like to be a part of the U.S. team on the world’s biggest stage – he’s also not going again as a player. Charlie Davies would’ve been there in 2010 had it not been for his accident in 2009. He’s desperate to get himself in contention again.
Here are their interesting and slightly different takes on Jürgen Klinsmann and Bob Bradley:
Davies, on Klinsmann: “I think it’s exciting. For all the players, I think everyone is excited. Klinsmann, for me, is a legend and a world-class striker. What better coach to have than a guy that plays your position and can really help and make sure everyone excels in that position. It’s a little bit of a bittersweet moment because coach Bradley did so much for me. He gave me the chance to be on the national team and I would’ve liked to get one game under him since the accident. We had so much of a history together, it would’ve been nice, but I think he’ll be fine. He’s obviously going to move on and continue to coach. He eats, sleeps and breathes soccer, so I don’t see him staying too long out of the game.”
What will go into how Klinsmann will establish his relationship with the player? “With Coach Klinsmann, he is probably going to bring in a whole lot of different faces, give everyone a chance to show what they can do. He’s got [three] years now before the big stage, so I think he’s going to try to find out what’s the best formation, which players he thinks will be ready for that World Cup. Maybe some youth players won’t be in the best position to play right now, but maybe he sees they’ll be ready for that World Cup after a couple of years of experience. I’m sure for him it’s a lot of fun getting to experience a new position and getting to meet and see so many different players.”
On whether the coaching change affects Davies’ mindset: “No, same old thing. I’m very anxious to impress, that’s for sure. As far as my goals, I think it’s the same: I still have to perform on the field here and wait for my chance.”
Meanwhile, here’s Wolff, with a more sobering perspective:
“It’s time for our group to start moving forward. I think Bob did a great job with the team that he had. Clearly, the idea was going to be that they were going to make some changes at some point unless there was remarkable progress. I think Jürgen’s a good guy, he’s been in this country for a while now. He’s familiar with U.S. Soccer. He’s familiar with the players that are in the country as well as abroad. He’s done extremely well with the German team in the World Cup in Germany.
“It’ll be a little different coming to the U.S. and dealing with our region of world and our federation. It’s a big task. Obviously, we have widespread openings: under-17s, under-20s, under-23s and full men’s national team. It’s a big moment for U.S. Soccer to really step on the gas a bit. We’ve got to recharge and push back to where we were moving 10 years ago. We’ve flatlined a bit, I believe, and it’s a great opportunity. Jürgen’s a proven soccer player. He did well with Germany at the World Cup, and hopefully he’s able to get us going in the right direction.”
