Serenity, and a Few Sly Smiles, for the US

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - At its core, soccer is a game of rhythm and flow. But the international version is fundamentally stunted.

There is no continuity to a season. There is no pacing. There is no opportunity for teams, which gather for just a few days every few months, to sustain any sort of cohesion. Developing a legitimate narrative for a group becomes challenging, too.

That is why it may be difficult to grasp what has happened to the United States over this World Cup qualifying cycle. Six months ago, the team seemed in a shambles. Landon Donovan, the midfielder once seen as its cog, was off paying penance for his surprising decision to take a hiatus from the sport. Carlos Bocanegra, the longtime captain and stalwart of the defense, had been unceremoniously dropped. And Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach, appeared to be under fire after an article in The Sporting News, quoting a number of anonymous people who were said to have connections to the team, questioning his leadership. It did not help that the United States also turned in a dreadful performance in February against Honduras in its first qualifying match of the final round.

Klinsmann and other officials with the United States Soccer Federation spent the days leading up to two qualifiers in March on damage control. There were awkward denials and uncomfortable media briefings. There was talk of chemistry and team-building, of perseverance and perspective. And then the Americans beat Costa Rica in the famous snowstorm game outside Denver before traveling to Mexico City and earning a draw with their biggest rival.

As it turned out, those results started a run of success that stretched through the summer. And now, as the United States prepares for its last home qualifier against Jamaica in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday, the tenor has completely changed. The United States, once seen as a team in turmoil, has already qualified for the World Cup. Donovan has returned with aplomb. And Klinsmann, who previously had to defend himself against allegations including jingoism (because of how many German-Americans he chose for the team) and poor tactics, looks more entrenched than ever.

Considering that the United States has played a grand total of seven meaningful games with its top players since then, it is a stark switch. It is also the nature of the game at this level, in much the same way that N.F.L. teams and their fans can flop from excitement to despair after one particularly emotional weekend.

Asked about the team's swings during this cycle, Donovan shrugged. 'The only thing that's consistent is that it's unpredictable,' he said.

The United States' switch from controversy to contentment has been tame compared with what has enveloped Mexico. The Mexicans also struggled at the start of the cycle, but have not rebounded, falling to fifth place in the six-team qualifying tournament with two matches remaining.

If Mexico does not beat Panama on Friday, it will be in serious danger of missing out on the World Cup. If the Mexicans finish fourth, they will have to win a two-game series against New Zealand to earn a bid to Brazil.

United States players say they have followed Mexico's travails, and several give winks or wry smiles when asked for their feelings. Donovan took a larger perspective on Thursday, though, when he said that 'at the end of the day, it's better for us and it's better for Concacaf if Mexico is in the World Cup.'

That is a magnanimous sentiment (and also a realistic one), but even Donovan might admit that there is a measure of satisfaction for the Americans in being in this position. They have no such worries over whether they will take part next summer. Instead, they can revel in a spirited send-off from the soccer-hotbed community in the Kansas City area and use these final two games, as well as a few exhibitions scheduled before Brazil, as a way for Klinsmann to gauge his roster.

Several players cited these games as a chance to 'audition' for Klinsmann, but those words are a bit of athlete-speak. Yes, there are some young players like Aron Johannsson and Mix Diskerud who will hope to continue pushing their way onto Klinsmann's radar, but even Klinsmann said that 'I don't see a lot of surprises around the corner.'

The spine of the team, as Klinsmann likes to call it, is set: Tim Howard in goal; Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler in the heart of the defense; Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones in center midfield; and Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore leading the attack. There may be changes or adjustments because of injuries, but in all likelihood that is the core that will take the United States team into Brazil.

So now they get a break, and it is deserved. While Mexico tries to claw its way out of disaster, the United States can look over its shoulder at its momentary moment of peril. Strange as it might seem, March seems like a long time ago, and next June feels not so far away.

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