Why 2015 must go down as a failure for U.S. men's national team

Using Jurgen Klinsmann's own words, the United States men's national team program should consider 2015 a failure.

Back in January, on the first day of the U.S.'s annual camp to begin the new year, Klinsmann stood before a small gathering of L.A. media and explained why he had brought senior team veterans and promising Under-23 prospects together for training in Carson, Calif. He reasoned that the collective effort would prepare both squads for the immediate challenges ahead and allow each group to achieve the program's ultimate goals for the year.

Klinsmann referred to them as "the real picture."

[FC Yahoo: Disappointment from Mexico loss lingers for USMNT]

"We want to qualify in July with the Gold Cup for the Confederations Cup 2017 in Russia," he declared on an overcast afternoon at StubHub Center. "So along with all these games comes a lot of curiosity that we want to see young players coming through. But then, bottom line, will be the Gold Cup, where the strongest team will be the [senior] squad and we want to win that, obviously, against a very, very strong competition in CONCACAF."

"[There is] a lot of work ahead of us."

The early season schedule of friendlies that took the U.S. to Chile, the Netherlands and Germany bore the sole purpose of toughening up the Americans to make good on Klinsmann's stated top priorities for the senior team: 1) winning the Gold Cup and 2) qualifying for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. Success had been defined. Failure ensured.

In July, the U.S. was surprisingly ousted from the Gold Cup in a semifinal loss to Jamaica. Last Saturday, the Americans watched Mexico celebrate its Confederations Cup berth thanks to a dramatic extra-time victory in a one-game playoff at a sold-out Rose Bowl.

Klinsmann's other 2015 goal – qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – looks like a long shot after the U-23s missed automatic qualification in Saturday's dispiriting loss to Honduras. Now, the road to Rio passes through the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament's third-place game – against Canada on Tuesday – and a daunting playoff against a stacked Colombia side in March, likely staged in Rio de Janeiro.

Chances are, Klinsmann will go 0-for-3 on his 2015 goals for a men's program that looked to take significant steps forward.

"Do you want to win those games? Yes," Klinsmann said in January. "But will you win all of them? Probably not. But you will learn a lot."

[FC Yahoo: A night at the CONCACAF Cup, from a USMNT supporter's perspective]

Even in defeat, there are lessons. And if there's one thing that Klinsmann should take away from these 10-plus months of ups and downs and downright disappointment it's that the confused tinkering must stop and the incessant experimentation must end. It's time to put his energy behind one of the basic tasks of a national team manager and, for the first time since the 2014 World Cup, start building a team.

Out of necessity, this has to happen. World Cup qualifying begins next month, and while Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and St. Vincent and The Grenadines (the latter is one country for the geographically challenged) don't require America's "A" team, it's important for Klinsmann to actually know who represents his best XI. Playing players out of position on a whim would not be in his or the program's best interests, especially along the backline where there has been a revolving door at all four spots.

It appears Klinsmann will stick with whom he can trust. The same aging veterans he counted on for one last hurrah against Mexico figure to be brought back to help the U.S. reach its eighth straight World Cup, at least initially. "Outstanding" is how the coach described the performances of elder statesmen DaMarcus Beasley, Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman – all three at 33 years of age.

"There is no reason for us now to cut the cord with any of these guys. It’s not necessary," Klinsmann said after Saturday's loss to Mexico. "But our responsibility also at the same time is to give fresh blood more opportunities. To give fresh players an opportunity to break in."

The transition needs to begin up front. Until Jozy Altidore proves he can consistently contribute at club level, there's no reason to give him more opportunities to disappoint, so it's time to see which promising prospect can produce at senior level.

For one, super sub Bobby Wood deserves a chance to prove he can score as a starter. If the U.S. fails to qualify for Rio 2016, Jordan Morris should be given more time up top, too. The leadership of Michael Bradley and Tim Howard (yes, it's time to give him his old starting job) should ensure enough results to get the Americans through this first phase of World Cup qualifying before it really heats up.

For Klinsmann, it'd be wise to embrace change now rather than make hurried decisions later. That way, the promise of a better 2016 can remain intact, offering new hope for a U.S. men's national team program in desperate need of optimism. Because, after the lost year of 2015, it's really all Klinsmann and his USMNT have to look forward to.