Guatemala vs. USA, World Cup Qualifying: What We Learned

Jurgen Klinsmann is searching for answers, and needs to find them quickly.

There's no positive spin to put on this result.

On Friday night, the United States lost a competitive soccer match to Guatemala for the first time since the Reagan Administration, a streak that had lasted 21 games over a 28-year span. An ugly start saw the U.S. trailing 2-0 after 15 minutes in one of its poorest played halves in recent memory.

Away qualifiers in Central America are notoriously challenging; this is well established. But a draw was always the minimum acceptable result in Guatemala. To drop all three points, to get shut out, and to play so tactically poor is beyond alarming. It's entirely unacceptable for…