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How to show U.S. Soccer you want Jurgen Klinsmann fired

The one tool the supporters have to use against the federation

By Rob Usry
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

After one of the worst performances in United States Men's National Team history against Guatemala on Friday night, Jurgen Klinsmann's seat gets even hotter. Does it really though? Logic tells us that after all of these poor performances the national team manager's job security should be in question. The fact is, we have no idea what Sunil Gulati and the rest of the hierarchy at U.S. Soccer are thinking.

As much as we want to believe that there is some accountability for poor results, there doesn't seem to be any kind of pressure on Klinsmann from anyone other than the supporters. Gulati has done nothing but smile and say that Klinsmann is his man for five years now. Not one semblance of doubt in his mind that he's got the right man for the job.

It doesn't matter how much scrutiny and backlash the fans or the media throw at the USSF and Klinsmann, there doesn't appear to be any real threat of a managerial change. Here we sit, one unfavorable result on Tuesday away from likely not qualifying for the Hex and we still haven't heard a peep from U.S. Soccer's governing body or president. All is glorious in their world and everything is rainbows and unicorns it seems.

So, what can the fans of U.S. Soccer -- the heart and soul of the sport in the country -- do to get their message across to the USSF that they won't tolerate the current leadership any longer? Writing e-mails won't work. Starting an online petition would be like throwing a pebble into the Pacific. No amount of public outcry is going to get U.S. Soccer to reassess the USMNT manager position. There's only one tactic that the fans have in their arsenal that can get the guys in suits to take notice: Stop buying tickets

That's right. It's a very simple notion. Our money is what built U.S. Soccer into the powerful establishment that it is today. Back in 2002 when we were just a measly soccer nation the boom occurred. The USMNT's run to the quarterfinals in Korea/Japan sparked an entire generation's interest in the sport. U.S. Soccer and the USMNT have been on the rise ever since. Fan interest has doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc. Stadiums across the country sell out at the drop of a hat no matter if it was a friendly against an obscure country or a World Cup qualifier against Mexico. The USMNT have been the federation's golden faucet of money.

The only way to turn off that faucet is to stop giving them your money. Stop blindly buying tickets to matches just because it's expected of you. If you are truly fed up with Jurgen Klinsmann as the manager of the USMNT, use the one power you have as a supporter and stop filling their pockets with your hard earned money.

Perhaps this idea is starting to catch on. The sentiment around the American soccer universe lately has been that the USMNT is no longer fun to watch. Reports last week stated that Tuesday's return qualifier against Guatemala in Columbus isn't selling out as expected.

This could also be due to the fact that the federation has jacked up the prices of tickets for these games. They figure that if supporters are going to come no matter what, what's the harm in making some extra money, right?

This is even more of a reason to stop buying these tickets. The USMNT simply is not worth the price of admission currently whether it's the normal ticket price or the jacked up price.

The USSF isn't going to notice a bunch of outrage on the internet or in their e-mail inboxes. What Sunil Gulati won't be able to ignore is a bunch of empty seats in a high profile match such as a World Cup qualifier or even a Copa America Centenario match.

Public protests have always been the most effective form of showing your displeasure for something. No protest towards U.S. Soccer and Sunil Gulati would be more effective than not showing up to watch their awful performances.

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