USA goalkeeper Tim Howard wrote a new autobiography, in which he described the strict ways coach Jurgen Klinsmann ran the team. Howard said the coach "micromanaged" them, controlling what they ate to how they breathed.
ESPN received an exclusive excerpt of Howard's new book. The excerpt had several fascinating details about how Klinsmann ran the team, including making them eat high-protein bars, practice yoga and do "empty stomach runs."
"I'd spent my whole life eating PB&Js; somehow, under Jurgen, the sandwich morphed into a natural version of the staple that was practically unrecognizable ... and to my taste buds, inedible," Howard wrote in the book.
Howard said Klinsmann had them go on cultural field trips for inspiration, banned cell phones in the locker room, mandated early curfews and even forced them to wear USA track suits when in hotels.
"None of the players argued with Jurgen, but you could sense misgivings from their body language, a kind of tension when they were around him," Howard wrote. "Jurgen was even determined to change our breathing."
While Howard wasn't shy about saying Klinsmann was strict, he seemed to understand why: Klinsmann's tactics worked in 2006 when he managed the German team that reached the World Cup semifinals.
It's uncertain if Howard will be available for the 2018 World Cup, largely because of his age. The 35-year-old is currently playing for Everton.
