*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 4, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 4, 2017
Jonathan Lee Klinsmann (born April 8, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian Serie B club Cesena.[3] He is the son of German former player Jürgen Klinsmann. He holds both German and American citizenship.[4]
Klinsmann spent most of his youth playing as a striker at FC Blades 96 and the Irvine Lasers. He transitioned to goalkeeper only with his move to the Bayern Munich youth academy. Upon his return to California, he became part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, and henceforth played for Pateadores FC and then at Irvine Strikers FC. In parallel, he played from 2011 to 2014 for his high school team MDHS Varsity Soccer. In the 2014 season, he completed 33 games for the Strikers in the Development Academy and reached the finals of the National Championship. From 2015 to 2017, Klinsmann played for the California Golden Bears, where he made 22 appearances.[3]
Club career
Hertha BSC
After having spent most of his school holidays between 2014 and 2017 with the youth teams of his father's home club VfB Stuttgart, Klinsmann completed part of his preparation for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup at VfB Stuttgart II, West Ham United, and Everton. After initial interest from Eintracht Braunschweig, Klinsmann completed a ten-day trial from July 3, 2017, with Hertha BSC.[4] Even before the ten-day trial was over, Klinsmann signed professionally on July 11, with the contract lasting until June 30, 2019.[6]
Klinsmann made his professional debut for Hertha BSC in the UEFA Europa League on December 7, 2017, in which he saved a penalty in a 1–1 home draw against Östersunds FK.[7]
Klinsmann has been active for the youth teams of the United States since 2014. From 2014 to 2015, he was a member of the under-18 team. In 2017, Klinsmann was included in the squad for the under-20 national team at the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[11] He played in all but one of the six tournament matches.[12] The United States were crowned under-20 champions of CONCACAF following a 5–3 win on penalties in the final against Honduras.[13] Klinsmann was awarded the golden glove as the best goalkeeper of the tournament,[14] and included in the team of the tournament. In addition, the United States qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea,[14] where Klinsmann started in all five matches.[12] The United States were eliminated from the tournament following a 1–2 defeat after extra time in the quarter-finals against eventual losing finalists Venezuela.