Jurgen Klinsmann, who was introduced as the new US national team coach at Niketown in Manhattan on Monday, believes now is the time for football in the North American nation to step up a level. After years of struggling to find an identity, the former Germany and Bayern Munich coach wants to formulate a style of play for the Stars and Stripes based on the culture of America. “One of my challenges will be defining how the US should represent its country,” explained Klinsmann. “What should be the style of play. “It’s not just about the players but the people who are surrounding them in this country, like the media and coaches. There is such a wealth of knowledge in this country that in Europe and South America is unheard of. “ Klinsmann believes there is a unique opportunity to utilise the diverse cultures of the United States to create a style of play that will be unique to the nation. The coach says that the progress will be built on the foundation laid over the past two decades. “I think you can be proud of what you have accomplished over the past 20 years,” said Klinsmann. "It’s come a long way, soccer in the United States. I am now getting the opportunity to move it forward, to build on what’s already been built.” While fans and media alike have positively reacted to the USSF's (United States Soccer Federation) decision to hire a foreign coach, Klinsmann doesn't see his arrival as a slight against domestic coaches. Having lived in the US for over 13 years, he doesn't look at his ideas as foreign, but rather acknowledges that his experience abroad will allow him to introduce something new. “There is a lot to do," said Klinsmann, who replaced Bob Bradley as the US coach. “Having played in Italy, England, France and Germany, I have my own ideas of how to move it further. I will step by step introduce the ideas that I have but will always be checking to see if it suits the American game.” After being linked with the job for almost five years, the excitement was apparent with the 46-year-old. He spoke glowingly about his interest in American soccer and how much Major League Soccer has grown. Additionally, he mentioned how he attended youth matches and how his children play the sport. But why did he choose to join the team now? Klinsmann explained that over the past few years, he and USSF president Suni Gulati were in constant discussions over the growth of the sport in the country. Sometimes, they saw eye to eye, and other times disagreed. After the team's subpar performance in the Gold Cup earlier this summer, Gulati believed that the team needed to make a bold decision to move forward, despite hesitating to agree with some of Klinsmann's requests during previous conversations about the position. Last year, Klinsmann was quoted as saying that he declined the US coaching position because Gulati wouldn’t be willing to put certain stipulations on paper. While neither party would confirm or deny that anything has changed, the German said that the two had an understanding, and Gulati acknowledged that the agreement was more than a verbal one. “We didn’t do this on a handshake,” Gulati said. "Over the years, there were different moments and maybe different opinions, which is normal," said Klinsmann. "So maybe it was never the [right] moment [previously]." Klinsmann says it will be a while before the US joins the Brazils, Spains and Argentinas of the world, but that the decisions that are made regarding youth development during his tenure will be pivotal in reaching that stage. He acknowledged that he will be working very close with youth technical director Claudio Reyna to formulate a strategy in that respect, and that he will have a hand in selecting the Under-23 and U20 coaches. “We have quite a way to go still before we break into the top 10 of the world,” said Klinsmann. “I’m glad that I have an opportunity to be a part of the future of US soccer." Source: Goal.com