Somewhere between San Pedro Sula and Salt Lake, a strange thing has happened to the U.S. men's national soccer team: They've gone German.

This is no coincidence. When head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the former German star, took over this band of oddly self-satisfied athletes two years ago, he promised to change the culture of U.S. soccer at the highest level. He aimed to build a side that played with both discipline and fury—one that could compete consistently with the best soccer nations. In other words, to turn them into......