Jurgen Klinsmann is Next U.S. Soccer Coach: Report

The United States has hired Jurgen Klinsmann as its next national team coach, according to a report.

TropiGol.com's Michael Lewis, who has covered soccer for decades, reports that Klinsmann has been tabbed as the next national team coach and an announcement could come as soon as Friday.

Klinsmann, best known for leading Germany to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, has twice rejected United States coaching overtures. Reports in the past have indicated that Klinsmann and U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati were unable to come to an agreement on the amount of power Klinsmann would have.

"The timing was just too difficult," Klinsmann said in a 2010 Sports Illustrated interview. "Because the Copa América and the Gold Cup were being played [in 2007], and we had discussions about who you can bring down there, and those discussions were not going in my direction. That's when I said it's not the right time for it."

He has been seen as the frontrunner in part because he lives in Southern California and has a strong command of the English language and familiarity with the U.S. soccer team's playing style.

The announcement comes a day after U.S. Soccer decided to fire coach Bob Bradley. The soccer team has struggled recently, most notably in the Concaf Gold Cup, leading many to speculate that the team had plateaued under Bradley. Bradley coached the team from 2007 to 2011, which included earning four finals trips out of six tournaments. The U.S. won its group in the 2010 World Cup, but failed to advance past the second round amidst high expectations.