U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann won't collude with Germany

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said last night that there will be no gentleman's agreement with his friend, German coach Joachim Low, on a strategy that would allow both teams to qualify for the round of 16 in the World Cup.

When Klinsmann directed his native Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, Low was his assistant.

Both teams can clinch a spot in the knockout round with a draw in Recife on Thursday.

Klinsmann said that he had no plans to talk to his friend before the game.

"There's no such call. Yogi's doing his job," Klinsmann said. "We're such good friends. I'm doing my job. There is no time to have friendship calls. It's about business right now."

The upcoming United States-German situation recalls the 1982 World Cup in which West Germany played Austria in a controversial game, the result of which many termed "disgraceful." The West Germans needed to win and Austria needed to lose by one or two goals for both to move on. The result was a 1-0 West German win that denied Algeria a spot in the second round.

"It is a draw that is decades away, only a part of Germany history," Klinsmann said.

Klinsmann said Americans don't play for ties. "I don't think we are made for draws, unless it happens like tonight," he said. "Both teams want to win the group. We want to . . . win the game, get seven points and be in the driver's seat for the round of 16. That's our goal."

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gualti seemed insulted when a reporter brought up the possibility of collusion. "That might have been the mentality in 1982, but that is not the mentality of the U.S. team," he said.