The fork in the road is here.

The U.S. Soccer Federation faces a critical stage in the… The fork in the road is here.

The U.S. Soccer Federation faces a critical stage in the development of its men’s soccer program, which could be a worldwide juggernaut as soon as 2010.

Many people questioned the status of the team after the Americans crashed out of the 2006 World Cup in sloppy fashion. A penalty conceded in the waning moments of the first half against Ghana proved to be the game-winning goal, dashing the United States’ hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.

After an impressive 2002 World Cup, soccer fans and analysts placed lofty expectations on the shoulders of a young American team. The result was one blowout, one crushing defeat and one gridlocked, shoddy match that ended in a draw.

With only one point to show for its roughly 4,000-mile journey to Germany, the U.S. soccer program took a major step back. And, as is the case in any sport, the coach took the brunt of the blame.

United States head coach Bruce Arena parlayed blame toward the officiating after his team managed a gritty tie with Italy, the eventual world champions. But was it the officiating that dropped his team like flies?

The American team Arena fielded lacked tactical discipline. Arena thought a 4-5-1 formation would be well-suited for his team.

A 4-5-1 formation features five midfielders in an attempt to control the neutral area of the field. With three midfielders pushing forward and two holding off to assist the defense, Arena thought his attacking midfield could create enough opportunities with one lone striker.

But the Americans scored just twice, often missing the punch needed to generate goals in the World Cup. Even developing possession and scoring chances seemed too difficult for the U.S. midfield.

As a result, pressure mounted on American defenders and goalkeeper Kasey Keller. By the time the third match in pool play came around, the United States was done.

Sure, statistically the Americans still had an outside shot — if they beat Ghana and Italy beat the Czech Republic, the U.S. would’ve qualified for the next round. But almost everyone unfazed by the pre-World Cup hubbub buzzing around the United States knew the Americans were in trouble.

Ghana was no pushover, defeating the Czech Republic and the Americans in its second and third matches of the World Cup, respectively. The team pushed Brazil despite the final score of 3-0, hammering the Brazilian defense in the first half but missing several key chances.

So after the American media and many fans ended the World Cup and swallowed the bitter taste of disappointment, Arena took the heat. He requested that U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati terminate his contract before it expired.

What a nice way to say he resigned before he was let go.

In the aftermath of Arena’s failures at the 2006 World Cup, the United States desperately needs an improvement in its head coach position. It needs someone focused on youth and development.

Development is the most important factor of any national soccer team (see: Brazil, the Netherlands). A constant flow of young talent generates winning teams in every World Cup.

But training techniques and tactical innovation propel those younger players into stars, and the United States possesses several quality youngsters in its program.

So to whom can the American soccer program turn to teach the young stars how to blossom? Watch for former German national coach Jurgen Klinsmann and former Argentine national coach Jose Pekerman.

Klinsmann lives in the United States, embraces American training tactics and coaches with the pizzazz and zest Arena just didn’t possess. He also prefers a style more fitting for the American system, filled with fast-paced counterattacks and immensely sound technique.

Pekerman coached three Argentine under-20 teams to three FIFA World Youth Championships. His preferred style of play includes possession-intensive attack and flowing rhythm, something the United States can win with but has never utilized.

Nonetheless, both coaches would be considerable upgrades from Arena.

The decision-making process and ultimate choice couldn’t mean more for American soccer. Gulati can’t mess this one up.

Niels Bohr once said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” All jokes aside, it’d be tough to gauge how the United States will do with its new coach, but one thing’s for certain: It’s up to the new coach to see how high American soccer can fly.

Jeff Greer’s countdown to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has begun. E-mail him your choice for U.S. head coach at [email protected].