11 January 2008 - Yeah, It's All Smiles Now, But Just Wait

On 11 January 2008, Bayern Munich announced that Jürgen Klinsmann would replace outgoing manager Ottmar Hitzfeld at the end of the season, but it was a match that didn't last.

Klinsmann, who played briefly for Bayern during a career that also included stops at Stuttgart, Inter, Monaco, and Tottenham, had held only one prior managerial post, but it was an impressive one. Guiding the German national team from 2004 to 2006, he retooled the administration of the entire organization, from the youth team up. But after taking the senior side to the World Cup semifinals in 2006, he stepped down, citing his intention to rest and spend more time with his family.

But in 2008, Bayern lured him from retirement, announcing in January that he was going to take the team over in July, replacing Hitzfeld (who went on to win the league title--his fifth with Bayern--that year, as well as his third German Cup).

Klinsmann proceeded to restructure the club as he had done with Germany, starting with a new player development center. But toward the end of his first season, his relationship with the board of directors had soured. Even though Bayern had reached the semifinals of the Champions League and were sitting three points out of first in the Bundesliga with five games still to play, the board sacked Klinsmann.

After another two-year break, Klinsmann returned to football as manager of the United States from 2011 to 2016.

8 July 1990 - The Worst World Cup Final

On 8 July 1990, West Germany won their third World Cup trophy, beating defending champions Argentina in an ugly Final that saw the South American side reduced to nine men before the end. It was a rematch of the previous Final, in which Argentina had beaten the Germans 3-2.

Unlike the 1986 Final, however, the 1990 one was a dire, negative affair widely considered the worst Final in the tournament's history. Playing before a crowd of 73,603 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, both teams used a negative defensive style despite the presence of ordinarily dynamic playmakers such as Diego Maradona and Rudi Völler. After a scoreless first half, the match took a turn for the worse when Argentina defender Pedro Monzón, who had come on as a 46th-minute substitute, received a straight red card for a foul on Jürgen Klinsmann, becoming the first-ever player to be sent off in a World Cup Final.

The second was not far behind. After an 85th-minute Andreas Brehme penalty gave West Germany the lead, thanks to a foul on Völler by midfielder Roberto Sensini, forward Gustavo Dezotti earned his second yellow card of the night and was ejected in the 87th minute. The Germans held on for the remainder of the match to claim their third World Cup, tying them with Brazil as the country with the most World Cup titles.

With the win, German manager Franz Beckenbauer became only the second man (after Brazil's Mario Zagallo) to win a World Cup as a player and manager.

27 June 2006 - This Ronaldo Played For Real Madrid, Too

On 27 June 2006, Brazilian striker Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima scored in a World Cup match against Ghana. It was Ronaldo's 15th World Cup goal, breaking the previous record of 14 which had been set in 1974 by West German striker Gerhard "Gerd" Müller.

Ronaldo had already netted twice in the group stages of the tournament and was widely tipped to score the record-breaking goal in the Round of 16 against Ghana. Few predicted the speed with which he would score it, however. In the 5th minute, Brazilian midfielder/forward Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite ("Kaká") threaded a pass through to Ronaldo, leaving him one-on-one against the Ghanian keeper. Ronaldo sent the keeper the wrong way, slipped past him and prodded the ball into the empty net.

The goal also set another record - with his third of the tournament, Ronaldo joined German striker Jürgen Klinsmann as the only two people to score at least three goals in three separate World Cups.

Brazil went on to defeat Ghana 3-0, but lost to France 0-1 in the quarterfinals.

6 January 2011 - Maybe They Should Have Taken A Little Bit Longer

On 6 January 2011, following a complete shake-up, Toronto FC introduced their new management team, including head coach Aron Winter. The new regime didn't last very long, however.

The previous November, following a disappointing season that saw them miss the MLS playoffs for the fourth straight year, Toronto hired former Germany and Bayern Munich manager Jürgen Klinsmann to re-evaluate the entire club, top to bottom, over a six-month period. His tasks included identifying a suitable playing style and recommending someone to fill the position of Director of Soccer.

Just over two months later, the club announced the results of that effort, introducing former Ajax assistant coach Winter as the team's new boss, with his colleague Bob de Klerk following him from the Dutch club to be Toronto's First Assistant Coach. Former Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Mariner completed the trio, stepping into the Director of Soccer role.

Despite the re-vamp, Toronto's 2011 season was another disappointment; with a record of 6 wins, 13 losses, and 15 draws, the club again failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs (though they did reach the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League). The 2012 season was just as poor, leading the club to sack Winter in June and replace him with Mariner, who was then sacked in January 2013.

8 October 2011 - Klinsmann Gets Off The Mark

On 8 October 2011, the United States got their first win under new manager Jürgen Klinsmann, beating Honduras 1-0 in a friendly.

Klinsmann, whose previous managerial experience consisted of brief spells in charge of the German national team (2004-06) and Bayern Munich (2008-09), took the reins of the US team in July 2011. His first game was a 1-1 draw with Mexico, followed by losses to Costa Rica (0-1) and Belgium (1-0).

For his fourth match, the US hosted CONCACAF rivals Honduras at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, where light rain and high winds kept the crowd to a modest 21,170. But the home fans in attendance were rewarded with excellent defense from a back line consisting of veterans Steve Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra alongside newcomers Michael Orozco Fiscal and Tim Chandler. Tim Howard manned the posts and did well to deny Honduras an early lead before Clint Dempsey found the back of the net in the 36th minute.

Honduras came close to equalizing in the second half, but Howard again stood firm to preserve the 1-0 victory.

Since then, the United States have amassed a record of 25 wins, 6 draws, and 9 losses under Klinsmann, including a record 12-game unbeaten streak that saw them win the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

29 July 2011 - The USSF's Five-Year Plan Comes To Fruition

On 29 July 2011, the United States Soccer Federation announced the hiring of Jürgen Klinsmann as the national team's new manager.

Although a successful player with Germany, Inter, Bayern Munich, Klinsmann had served as a manager only twice before, and for brief spells. He guided the German national team to a third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup, but left that summer after only two years at the helm. He then took charge of Bayern Munich in July 2008, but left the following April after a disappointing spell.

Despite his lack of experience, the USSF had been keen to hire Klinsmann since 2006, reportedly offering him the job twice before, only to have negotiations break down when the federation would not agree to give him the broad degree of control he demanded. But after their dismissal of Bob Bradley in July 2011, they finally reached terms with Klinsmann.

His tenure started poorly, with the team losing four of their first six matches, but the situation improved by 2012, when the US enjoyed a run of success including their first-ever away win over rivals Mexico. The team continues to shine under Klinsmann, having just won the 2013 Gold Cup on the back of a team-record eleven-game winning streak.

17 June 1994 - To Be Fair, I Always Pictured Her As A Defender

On 17 June 1994, Diana Ross opened the World Cup with one of the worst penalty kicks ever.

To celebrate hosting their first World Cup, the United States brought in a host of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Daryl Hall, Jon Secada, and Ross for the opening ceremonies at Chicago's Soldier Field before a match between Germany and Bolivia. The day got off to an inauspicious start when Winfrey fell on stage after introducing Ross, but the former Supreme managed to outdo that flub.

After her introduction, Ross performed her hit single "I'm Coming Out" while jogging across the field. Just before taking the stage, she was supposed to score a penalty kick against a waiting goalkeeper, then the goalposts would split apart, allowing her to run through the goal and onto the stage.But when she got to the spot, she sent her kick wide to the left. The posts split as scheduled and she ran up to the stage under a chorus of boos from the crowd of over 63,000.

The crowd was rewarded with a close game, though, as Germany edged Bolivia 1-0 with a 61st-minute goal from Jürgen Klinsmann.

11 January 2008 - Yeah, It's All Smiles Now, But Just Wait

On 11 January 2008, Bayern Munich announced that Jürgen Klinsmann would replace outgoing manager Ottmar Hitzfeld at the end of the season, but it was a match that didn't last.

Klinsmann, who played briefly for Bayern during a career that also included stops at Stuttgart, Inter, Monaco, and Tottenham, had held only one prior managerial post, but it was an impressive one. Guiding the German national team from 2004 to 2006, he retooled the administration of the entire organization, from the youth team up. But after taking the senior side to the World Cup semifinals in 2006, he stepped down, citing his intention to rest and spend more time with his family.

But in 2008, Bayern lured him from retirement, announcing in January that he was going to take the team over in July, replacing Hitzfeld (who went on to win the league title--his fifth with Bayern--that year, as well as his third German Cup).

Klinsmann proceeded to restructure the club as he had done with Germany, starting with a new player development center. But toward the end of his first season, his relationship with the board of directors had soured. Even though Bayern had reached the semifinals of the Champions League and were sitting three points out of first in the Bundesliga with five games still to play, the board sacked Klinsmann.

After another two-year break, Klinsmann returned to football as manager of the United States.

8 July 1990 - The Worst World Cup Final

On 8 July 1990, West Germany won their third World Cup trophy, beating defending champions Argentina in an ugly Final that saw the South American side reduced to nine men before the end. It was a rematch of the previous Final, in which Argentina had beaten the Germans 3-2.

Unlike the 1986 Final, however, the 1990 one was a dire, negative affair widely considered the worst Final in the tournament's history. Playing before a crowd of 73,603 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, both teams used a negative defensive style despite the presence of ordinarily dynamic playmakers such as Diego Maradona and Rudi Völler. After a scoreless first half, the match took a turn for the worse when Argentina defender Pedro Monzón, who had come on as a 46th-minute substitute, received a straight red card for a foul on Jürgen Klinsmann, becoming the first-ever player to be sent off in a World Cup Final.

The second was not far behind. After an 85th-minute Andreas Brehme penalty gave West Germany the lead, thanks to a foul on Völler by midfielder Roberto Sensini, forward Gustavo Dezotti earned his second yellow card of the night and was ejected in the 87th minute. The Germans held on for the remainder of the match to claim their third World Cup, tying them with Brazil as the country with the most World Cup titles.

With the win, German manager Franz Beckenbauer became only the second man (after Brazil's Mario Zagallo) to win a World Cup as a player and manager.

27 June 2006 - This Ronaldo Played For Real Madrid, Too

On 27 June 2006, Brazilian striker Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima scored in a World Cup match against Ghana. It was Ronaldo's 15th World Cup goal, breaking the previous record of 14 which had been set in 1974 by West German striker Gerhard "Gerd" Müller.

Ronaldo had already netted twice in the group stages of the tournament and was widely tipped to score the record-breaking goal in the Round of 16 against Ghana. Few predicted the speed with which he would score it, however. In the 5th minute, Brazilian midfielder/forward Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite ("Kaká") threaded a pass through to Ronaldo, leaving him one-on-one against the Ghanian keeper. Ronaldo sent the keeper the wrong way, slipped past him and prodded the ball into the empty net.

The goal also set another record - with his third of the tournament, Ronaldo joined German striker Jürgen Klinsmann as the only two people to score at least three goals in three separate World Cups.

Brazil went on to defeat Ghana 3-0, but lost to France 0-1 in the quarterfinals.