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Bruce Arena's Eight-Year Tenure As U.S. National Team Head Coach Ends

Arena Closes Out Successful Stint with U.S .Soccer
as Winningest Coach in U.S. Men’s National Team History

CHICAGO (July 14, 2006) — U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced today that the contract of U.S. Manager Bruce Arena will not be renewed when it expires at the end of 2006, ending his eight-year tenure as the team’s head coach. Arena is easily the most successful coach in U.S. Men’s National Team history, compiling 71 victories and a .658 winning percentage, both all-time team records.

“Bruce Arena’s success on the field for the United States is unprecedented,” said Gulati. “But it is more than just the results he has achieved on the field. Simply said, no one has done more to lift the stature and respect of our Men’s National Team programs worldwide. We appreciate Bruce’s years of service to U.S. Soccer, and as we move forward we will be looking for someone to build on the success he has established for our men's program and our organization.”

The decision was made after a five-hour meeting on Thursday at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, between Gulati, Arena and U.S. Soccer Secretary General Dan Flynn. No timetable has been set for naming the team’s new head coach.

Originally hired on October 26, 1998, Arena guided U.S. Soccer through two successful FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns, highlighted by the team’s quarterfinal run at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and a first-place finish in CONCACAF qualifying in 2005. Arena also guided the team to two CONCACAF Gold Cup championships (in 2002 and 2005), and to a strong third-place finish at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup.

"I would like to thank the players, coaches and staff who have been with the program over the last eight years," said Arena. "Their tireless effort has helped transform the national team program into something we can all be proud of, and I am extremely grateful for their commitment. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and I would like to thank U.S. Soccer for the opportunity and their support throughout my tenure. I am proud of how far the organization has come over the last eight years, and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the sport in our country. As for me, I am planning to take some time off to weigh my future opportunities.”

With a record 130 games at the helm of the U.S. MNT, Arena’s teams set numerous records as he compiled a 71-30-29 record in his eight years in charge. Those marks include records for consecutive games unbeaten (16 in 2003-04) and most wins in a calendar year (13 in 2005), as well as for best winning percentage in a calendar year (.750 in 2005) and best goals per game average in a calendar year (2.00 in 2000).

Overall, Arena used 117 players throughout his time in charge of the USA and gave 80 players their first-ever international experience. The 54-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y., also coached the U.S. Under-23 National Team at the 1996 Olympics and is widely credited with accelerating U.S. Soccer’s player development while creating the blueprint for integrating the team’s international rosters with players from Major League Soccer and Europe.

so....its only a matter of time before klinnsmen is named head coach of the MNT...i could see an interim coach for a few months first though.

Who's next?

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=373106&root=us&cc=5901&cc=5901

I heard that Klinsmann will not take the job due to strong family commitments. The source that I spoke with said that Klinsmann doesn't need to work and simply wants to spend time with his young kids and wife in Southern California.

I think it may be wide open.

This is definetly the appropriate thread to flash my hot and sexy new avatar

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/15049292.htm

Red, white and bruised - America’s teams struggling across the board
By EDDIE PELLS, The Associated Press

On the Fourth of July, a 160-pound Japanese man overcame an American nearly 75 pounds heavier in a hot dog eating contest.

Silly? Sure. Symbolic, too.

Whipped at Wimbledon, whomped in the World Cup, beaten in baseball, Americans can't seem to win much these days — whether it's on the pitch, the court, the diamond or a ridiculous eating contest.

Soccer

The United States has rarely been competitive on the international stage. The Americans went 0-2-1 at the World Cup, and on Friday, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced it would not renew the contract of coach Bruce Arena.

"Eight years is a long period," federation president Sunil Gulati said. "I'm not saying we need to change direction, the direction Bruce set is very positive. But having a fresh approach, after eight years, which is a very long time, is the strongest factor."

Theories bandied about for America's most recent failure started with the most obvious: that while soccer is a big-time participant sport for kids, there is no significant audience for the sport in the United States, which in the long term, undermines participation at elite levels.

"They're making progress over time, but until it's as culturally important as it is in other countries, you're not going to have kids playing on every street corner," Scherr said.

Because pickup soccer isn't popular in America, kids who do play are taught in the team context, which some people say could stifle creativity needed to make stars.

"When I see youth soccer, I see too much organization, too many kids standing around in line waiting to shoot," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.

Basketball

The U.S. team is coming off two embarrassments, a sixth-place finish in the 2002 World Championships and a bronze-medal performance in Athens. Looked upon as selfish (players), disorganized (management) and unable to handle it all (coaches), USA Basketball had to rethink the way it does business.

In came Jerry Colangelo as the managing director and Mike Krzyzewski as coach. Their biggest change is that they will no longer go searching for teams from year to year. In place is a 24-man roster made up of players who have committed to the team through the Beijing Olympics.

From those 24, coaches will activate 12 for competitions, but the other players will remain on the roster and with the team. The hope is this system will build some continuity, which was sorely lacking in 2004, and help avoid the mad scrambles that took place when players dropped out because of injury or other reasons.

"Continuity is the key," said Krzyzewski, who has won three NCAA titles with Duke. "And unity also. Before, it was a different team every time. You took 12 guys. There was no contingency plan, no alternate. This way, you get to know people for an equal period. It's an advantage international teams had over us for the last decade."

The first major test of the new system comes next month at the World Championships in Japan.

Tennis

America's downfall at Wimbledon — no players in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1911 — was stunning, though maybe it shouldn't have been.

"The Williams sisters probably delayed the notable downslide we're experiencing right now," said Steve Roush, chief of sport performance at the USOC.

Over the past decade or so, the United States has had a smattering of players at the top — Sampras, Agassi, Roddick, Davenport, Capriati and the Williams sisters — but not enough depth or developing players.

Currently, there are four Russian women among the top seven. The United States, meanwhile, has only one top-10 man (James Blake) and one woman (Lindsay Davenport).

At Wimbledon, Donald Young, long viewed as the next great U.S. tennis star, lost in the third round of the boys' tournament. U.S. players went 2-6 in the girls' event.

John McEnroe has questioned the drive of American tennis players. Meanwhile, the U.S. Tennis Association announced it was retooling its player development program and moving it from Key Biscayne, Fla., to the Chris Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla.

"We're just trying to figure this out," Billie Jean King said. "It's not easy in the landscape of the United States. We have a huge area, first of all, compared to other countries. We also have young people in our country who most families want them to go to school, whereas in other countries they don't care. So we have to create a very hungry culture."

Baseball

The U.S. team, a team loaded with All-Stars, didn't reach the semifinals at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March.

Of course, the day is long gone when baseball was a sport dominated by Americans. Still, Team USA's early loss in that event raised eyebrows and had many people questioning whether it was a good bet to play those games before spring training had really kicked in and players had regained their timing.

Then again, shouldn't America's best have been able to beat the rest of the world under any circumstances?

"I believe that if it happens again with this kind of tournament, some of the people including the players who didn't believe it was serious will have to believe now that it is serious," said Giants manager Felipe Alou, a native of the Dominican Republic.

There are problems lurking elsewhere, like in golf, where the U.S. Ryder Cup team could be faced with bringing unknowns Brett Wetterich, Vaughn Taylor and Lucas Glover to Ireland to join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson against Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington.

And in women's sports — especially team sports — where the Americans are now being drawn back to the pack after giving up their big head start. The U.S. women's softball team lost its first international game in three years last year and its first championship game since 1997. The team is seeking redemption this month at the World Cup in Oklahoma.

"We know competition has significantly increased across the board, and in almost every sport," Scherr said. "Certainly in sports in which we've been dominant."

That would, it seems, also include hot dog eating.

Arena to leave job as United States coach

Bruce Arena is to leave his position as coach of the United States at the end of the year.

US Soccer president Sunil Gulati has confirmed that Arena's contract will not be renewed this winter, bringing to a close his eight-year reign.

Arena is the most successful national team coach in United States history, having won a record 71 games out of 130 in charge.

His finest achievement was guiding them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2002, exiting after a 1-0 loss to Germany.

However, the United States struggled at this year's tournament, failing to get out of the group stage after losing to both the Czech Republic and Ghana, and drawing with Italy.

Gulati paid tribute to a coach who, if nothing else, has changed perceptions about the United States around the footballing world.

'Bruce Arena's success on the field for the United States is unprecedented,' said Gulati.

'But it is more than just the results he has achieved on the field. Simply said, no one has done more to lift the stature and respect of our Men's National Team programs worldwide.

'We appreciate Bruce's years of service to US Soccer, and as we move forward we will be looking for someone to build on the success he has established for our men's program and our organisation.'

The announcement followed a five-hour meeting between Gulati, Arena and US Soccer secretary general Dan Flynn in New York.

There is no timetable to announce a replacement.

'I would like to thank the players, coaches and staff who have been with the program over the last eight years,' said Arena.

'Their tireless effort has helped transform the national team program into something we can all be proud of, and I am extremely grateful for their commitment.

'I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and I would like to thank US Soccer for the opportunity and their support throughout my tenure. I am proud of how far the organisation has come over the last eight years, and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the sport in our country.

'As for me, I am planning to take some time off to weigh my future opportunities.'

Arena was hired in October 1998 with a record of success both at college level and in Major League Soccer.

He guided the team to two CONCACAF Gold Cup titles in 2002 and 2005.

Arena era had run its course

We weren't so hot in WC2006, but Arena was still the best coach we ever had. Arrogant? Sure, but why would you not want your coach to be such? Confidence is very becoming and a must to perform on this level. Hard to argue with his track record. Highest ranking, quarterfinals, CON trophies, first point in European tourney. That said, though, it is most definitely time for him to go. We need new blood to take the next step and he needs a new challenge to restore his charisma.

He's baaaacccckkkk!

7/18/06

Red Bulls Hire Bruce Arena As Coach
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/07/18/sports/s061635D91.DTL