Klinsmann rallies USA: We must beat Guatemala

Jurgen Klinsmann acknowledged the United States face a must-win rematch against Guatemala on Tuesday.

USA suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat in Friday’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifier in Guatemala.

The loss, which snapped USA’s 21-game undefeated streak against the Guatemalans, saw the Americans slip to third in Group C, two points adrift of second place and the qualification positions for the fifth ‘Hexagonal’ round.

“Obviously we came back not with the result we wanted in Guatemala,” Klinsmann told reporters on Monday.

“It makes the situation very clear: We need to win this game.

“We had plenty of chances to turn the game around, to at least equalize the game.

“There’s a sense of urgency around tomorrow night because we need to get three points now.”

Klinsmann has been criticised following his selections for last week’s fixture, having deployed DeAndre Yedlin as a winger rather than a full-back.

Geoff Cameron also played at right-back instead of his preferred centre-back role, however, Klinsmann defended his choices ahead of Tuesday’s showdown in Columbus.

“I appreciate the discussion when you say, ‘Maybe Yedlin should play right-back,’ or, ‘Geoff Cameron should play centre-back,’ but it would be also helpful if you look back a second to where they play with their clubs and also their history with the U.S. national team,” the German said.

“I know Geoff Cameron can play right-back and centre-back; I know Yedlin can play right winger and right-back. This is a good thing for us to have, because we try to put the pieces together the best possible that they fit.

“So having that option with certain players – Fabian Johnson as a full-back or a midfielder, where he does the same thing, transitioning in either position with his club team – is good for us. So I’m not playing anyone out of position.”