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Bruce Arena resigns as USMNT coach

 

Bruce Arena’s time as U.S. Men’s National Team coach is finished.

U.S. Soccer announced on Friday that Arena has resigned from his job following the team’s World Cup elimination. As of now, no replacement has been officially named.

Arena took charge of the USMNT back in January following Jurgen Klinsmann’s dismissal two games into the Hexagonal. After leading the team back into the qualifying race, Arena took an experimental team to the Gold Cup and won the summer tournament.

The wheels fell off from there, though. A loss to Costa Rica set the U.S. back before the team stole a late point in Honduras. A 4-0 win over Panama all but had the U.S. in the World Cup field before a 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago sealed the end of qualifying hopes and Arena’s tenure.

Here’s Arena’s statement in full:

It is the greatest privilege for any coach to manage their country’s National Team, and as I leave that role today I am honored and grateful to have had that opportunity twice in my career.

When I took the job last November, I knew there was a great challenge ahead, probably more than most people could appreciate. Everyone involved in the program gave everything they had for the last 11 months and, in the end, we came up short. No excuses. We didn’t get the job done, and I accept responsibility.

This certainly is a major setback for the senior Men’s National Team program, and questions rightly should be asked about how we can improve. No doubt this process already has started and will continue so that U.S. Soccer can progress. Having said that, it also is important to recognize the tremendous growth and accomplishments we have achieved over the past two decades in all areas, including player development, coaching education and a stable domestic professional league. This work is ongoing and despite the result in Trinidad, the sport is on the right path.  By working together, I am confident soccer in this country will continue to grow in the years and decades ahead.

Obviously the biggest disappointment is for our fans. As a person involved in the sport for more than 40 years, to see how support for soccer in the United States has grown is incredibly gratifying. I believe I speak for everyone involved in the game in thanking all of you for your passion and commitment, and I hope you maintain your steadfast support of U.S. Soccer.

While this is a difficult time, I maintain a fierce belief that we are heading in the right direction. I believe in the American player and the American coach, and with our combined efforts the future remains bright. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I can say this from the bottom of my heart: from the high of reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup to the low of a few days ago; I have appreciated every minute of being a part of this program.

Comments

  1. ” I believe in the American player and the American coach”

    That xenophobia likely cost us a trip to the World Cup. His arrogance and ignorance for everything MLS, along with Gulati’s refusal to resign, and the collusion with MLS/SUM are some of the many reasons we will not see sincere change and are simply repeating the failed formula.

    I’m as patriotic as they come, but our federation – from top to bottom – is getting pretty hard to cheer for with a straight face. It’s akin to entering a fight with both arms behind your back. Will I enter the fight out of pride? Absolutely. Am I a fool for entering the fight with both arms behind my back. Absolutely.

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  2. Many of us older fans had concerns when Bruce was hired as the replacement to JK. Myself and other clearly remembered how Bruce approached the 2006 WC….exclusively relying on “his guys” who were experienced veterans that were aging and under performing.
    Bruce’s statements and approach this year was exactly the same as pre-2006. He refused to bring in young option to replace/challenge the aging stars…and that is ultimately what lead to the failure.
    Another aspect I took exception of was his approach to the Gold Cup. While he did win it, he didn’t use it to really integrate new, younger players. Instead he used it to prop up MLS, and the Mediocre US players who ply their trade there. The few players who actually performed decently during the Gold cup were never given time during the Qualifiers…instead he stuck with the same players who failed to perform.

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  3. His last paragraph says it all, “I believe in the American player & the American coach”
    Why even say that…
    Is it any wonder why some players who could have helped weren’t called in…

    8 games=12 points…. nuff said…

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    • Bac-
      That did strike me as one last shot I guess at JK. Maybe he just didn’t want to use “our players” since he wasn’t in charge anymore.

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  4. David Wagner would be a good candidate, I agree.

    No more players taking for granted their place on the team. You don’t perform, you are out. You don’t want put in the effort, you are out. Period.

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  5. So when he first came in, he said he was older and had “learned a lot more” compared to his first term in charge….Uh huh….Here’s hoping they try and lure David Wagner….He saved Huddersfield from relegation and gained promotion to the Premier League on a tiny budget…Great at getting the best out of his players…

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  6. About 2 days too late but better than never. I have to believe they asked him to resign or be fired. Sunil has no honor and will not do the same though he should. His time will come in February

    No MLS coaches, no lower level NAT coaches, No Klinsmann (lol)…. it has to be somebody totally unattached to any current players and someone that is willing to bring in young players and retire the older ones. We all know the names. Plus maybe now younger players that werent on LA, will get a chance to tryout for real. For many current players, I think we have seen the end of them with Arena gone

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  7. I thought it was interesting reading Ives’ take on Arena and the Trinidad match. It was about as “gloves off” as I’ve ever read from him. Ives put the heaviest blame on Arena for failed tactics and player selection.

    I can’t argue with the point that leaving out 2 of your best five field players for the most critical matches was a mistake. But hindsight is 20-20, and the same exact team put in one of the two best performances in the hex 3 days earlier against Panama. My heaviest blame has to be on the players, who just couldn’t get it done. They came out flat, then froze, then could not summon the energy to fight their way into the game. The only one who did was the youngest player on the team. It was a shocking lack of on-field leadership, especially from a group that has been to World Cups and had some success there.

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  8. What gets me about comments on this site and others is the self loathing through whining…..Arena is a very good coach.

    I was ticked too. Put in some other players that would show them how to go all out…..But in the end, we lost a game we shouldn’t have. It is soccer…..margins are razor thin. The team hustles more and comes back next thing you know you win some WCup games and it was an unbelievable four years.

    The US has a VERY good future. If someone doesn’t see that, I guess they need to find another sport or quit whining while being wrong.

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  9. This had to happen. Hopefully this will be one step back to take two steps forward. It’s unrealistic to put all of the blame on a guy that was in charge for 11 months for four years of failure. Gulati needs to own this and step down. His poor decisions over the last decade have more to do with this than Bruce’s last four games in charge.

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  10. Another big loss for the Nat team, but completely expected. He was hired to save and then have a great WCup cycle. That didn’t happen.

    US soccer needs to reboot anyway, let’s find some answers. Players that will play the American way, full speed. Coaches that will lead them. Not the first country to have the four years end badly….pick up move on, and in our case move up.

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  11. “While this is a difficult time, I maintain a fierce belief that we are heading in the right direction.” And that is why we are out and you are gone. If he had more concern, a tougher hand with his players, and a deeper respect for the rest of CONCACAF, we would not be here.

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  12. Here’s the line from his quote that I have the biggest issue with: “Everyone involved in the program gave everything they had for the last 11 months”. That is total BS, at least from the players perspective. Does he really believe that? Does anyone who watched the T&T match, especially the first half, believe that? This is one of the huge issues with this team. When motivated they played well, at least well enough to easily qualify. When they were bad, and they were bad often, there was a clear lack of effort.

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  13. Bruce did the inevitable..but at least he disnt drag it on. He really not responsible for the “missing years” players. Sunil is and should be resigning also, it’s the right thing to do.

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  14. The same people that anointed him a tactical genius for pulling off a draw against Mexico are now falling all over themselves throwing shade on the man.

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  15. We need a coach who can grow the USMNT with new players willing to work hard for their places on the team, not some guy with no tactical savvy, an inclination to use older, slower players and xenophobia to top if off.

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  16. Good. Sorry dude, but after 2006 your time expire with USNT. Now Gulati just needs to be man & do right thing (resigned).

    Maybe Ramos for now & until Osorio contract expire with forces of evil (Yes, there’s talks with Osorio), & program at least 15 friendlies with 23’s core group with dash abroad players.

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    • You realize he lost 2 games his entire tenure right? Yes one of them resulted in the worst fate possible for our team but still… 2 games… and the 3rd and 4t place Hex Finishers… He was unbeaten against and we won 12-2.

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      • games that mattered he was 3-3-2 (w-d-l). 12 points out of 8 games that 1.5 pt/g.

        he brought about rampant complacency in the national team. his teams were either falsely overconfident or completely unprepared. everything we love about US Soccer, we saw the exact opposite under his time.

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