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Klinsmann and US Soccer Fed close to agreement

German soccer star, who has led the national team in last summer`s World Cup games to the semi finals while playing an aggressive, offensive style of game, has been in negotiations with the US Soccer Federation for several months. Rumors around the sports world have the two sides close to an agreement that will have Juergen Klinsmann coach the US national team.

Klinsmann lives in Los Angeles, and continued to live there even as he was coaching the German team. This raised some protest by the German fans, but is not expected to pose a problem in his next job, if indeed an agreement is reached. His coaching, managing and playing styles have been typically foreign to the German system, but might be key for some long awaited American success.

Bruce Arena will leave the head coach position after a failed 2006 World Cup campaign. Klinsmann was the leading name in the search for his replacement. Soccer great Pele endorsed Klinsmann for the job, saying: "He`d be good for the U.S. boys." The US national team has a training camp planned for January and a January 20 match against Denmark.