After taking a half day sabbatical (as much because I was super busy as anything) i'm able to put the loss into perspective. Realistically, outside of our blowout of Cuba, this was the best USMNT performance of the tournament, outside of the "hoof it into the final third and hope for a miracle" last 10 minutes or so of the match; Jamaica got lucky and it does happen sometimes. How often would that weird and wobbly header have gone off the post or been scooped up by Guzan? When was the last time a ref actually called a handball on a keeper just outside the box like that? Credit to Jamaica for playing (mostly) good defense and counter-attacking football to get some chances, but sometimes the sports gods decide to take a dumb on you.
The people calling for Klinsmann to be fired on various message boards are, quite frankly, insane. International football is a game played out over years, not months like club football; and unlike club football you can't just hire the sort of talent you want. I don't expect that US Soccer will fire him, and except for the virulently anti-Klinsmann crowd (something that I think is largely rooted in the fact that he's German) most people will forget about it as long as qualifying goes well (though if we lose the Confederations Cup playoff, then maybe not). This, I think, is the last hurrah for the guys that aren't 25 or under that aren't showing Klinsmann what he wants to see, I think the next 2-3 years will be a better indicator of what sort of progress Klinsmann brings.
Oh, and **** Mexican soccer fans.
I say sack him and send him back to Tottenham I kid, I kid.
I did watch the Cuba match, and only caught the last of the Jamaica match (the "hoof it and hope" part, I take it), but it sounds like from what I've seen, heard, and read, your analysis is pretty spot on.