Don’t get me wrong. Bob Bradley is a good coach for this current version of the team. But we need someone who can take the US team to the next level. More US players than ever are plying their trade in Europe. Our development system is improving, as is Major League Soccer. Soccer is growing as a sport in our country.

Players like Jozy Altidore, Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, and Landon Donovan show that we have progressed as a soccer nation and that our development system is producing players with world-class potential. We now need a coach that will bring the technical knowledge and strategic prowess to make our team successful beyond just getting to the World Cup. Getting to through World Cup qualification is a simple process for the US, it’s getting through the group stages and deep in the tournament that we haven’t done often (ok, 2002 is an exception).

Our players need to learn how to work together and to develop the technical knowledge and skills. No, a coach won’t make the team world beaters overnight, but they’ll have the confidence to attack, work better off the ball, and have a better tactical mindset. I think a coach, given 3-4 years, can instill some more awareness and better understanding of the game and what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of soccer. If anything, the USA won’t feel intimidated by anyone, anywhere.

So who can help us do this, take us to the next level? There are a few coaches out there who can help us. Getting Juergen Klinsmann for this cycle would have been tremendous in my view. You don’t have to look much further than the matches at the Euro 2008 to see the mastermind of the Russian team in Guus Hiddink at work. He is an amazing coach. Every team he manages, he turns to gold. South Korea in 2002. Australia in 2006. Russia at the European Championships. He speaks English. He would have to learn our system here, but he’s a quick study and he’s as sharp as a tack.

Ok, I know about his downside. Yes, he is a bit of a mercenary. But he gets results. And he would instill the swagger and product on the field to back it up. He would make the US side a respected one in the world. An appointment of his name would bring instant credibility and attention to a program and sport that desperately needs it. And attacking, beautiful soccer. He could transform our team into a much more offensively based squad and put our players in better situations to succeed. All that, just by the appointment of one man.

Come on Sunil Gulati (US Soccer President) – hire Hiddink after the 2010 World Cup!