Bruce Arena, the former USMNT coach from 1998 to 2006, recently criticized the US Soccer chiefs for giving adequate support to the current head coach Bob Bradley. Although, the federation has extended Bradley’s contract until 2014.
Despite the fans wanting to see a foreign coach and despite the fact that Jurgen Klinsmann’s name was up there to be the successor of Bradley after the 2010 World Cup exit at the hands of Ghana in the Round of 16, Sunil Gulati, US Soccer president, and Bradley agreed to an extended deal last Monday.
The signing brought a fresh wave of criticism from the fans. And Arena, now in-charge of the MLS team LA Galaxy, thinks that the federation should accept their share of the blame for the public antipathy aimed at Bradley.
He told Yahoo! Sports in his office at the Home Depot Center:
“That criticism comes if you are not given the right support from top to bottom. You need to support your guy and that comes from the top. When that support is not there it brings questions.
“Whether you like the decision or not, England said ‘Fabio Capello is our guy’ and didn’t deviate from it.”
After the World Cup in South Africa, Bradley was said to be exploring new horizons in Europe whereas Gulati was said to have met with Klinsmann. The former Germany coach was also a potential candidate for replacing Arena after the 2006 World Cup.
Arena and Bradley had previously worked together at DC United and Arena has expressed his displeasure at the criticism Bradley currently suffers. He added:
“It was the kind of fortunate draw that we will never get again, but I still rate it as a good World Cup. And I will say until I am on my death bed, the USA should be coached by an American coach.
“Bob Bradley is the right guy. The worrying thing is that again I think we came close to throwing big money at a foreign coach and I think it would have been a mistake.
“You need an American coach. You save some money, a lot of money, and you get someone who understands the American way. This country, and soccer in this country, is different to anywhere else.
“Our players don’t suddenly get better with a foreign coach. They don’t suddenly become Superman. It is a bunch of crap to think otherwise.”
Maybe Arena is failing to understand the power of the philosophy a new ‘big money’ coach brings with him. The ruthless Germany we saw the 2010 World Cup is still running on the same system that Klinsmann left Jaochim Loew with. We all know what they did to the golden generation of England and to the Hand of God and his Messiah.
However, Bradley’s finest performance came during the Confederations Cup in 2009 when US ended, the current world and European champion, Spain’s streak by beating them in the semifinals only to lose to Brazil in the final.
Since the Confed Cup ended, Bradley and his men were expected to perform really well when the World Cup was to come around.
Which they did. Topping their group ahead of England was quite a feat but the African might of Ghana proved too much for them as the lost out in the first round of the knockout stage.
USA’s early departure from South Africa led to speculations of Klinsmann being the man to replace Bradley who had led Germany to a third-place finish four years earlier. Since, Klinsmann had already moved to the US, it was an ideal situation for both the coach and the USMNT.
As many supporters were waiting to see a big name coach taking over the national side, Arena warned of the possible consequences. He said:
“There are some very special players who don’t know how to coach. I think we saw that pretty clearly this summer. It is a bunch of baloney to say you need to have a great ex-player as your coach.
“Second time around, Bob will be better. He will learn from it. He has the experience of going through the process. There are challenges in CONCACAF that are different to anywhere else. The travel, the field conditions, the officiating – it is second to none in terms of difficulty.
“Bob can put 11 players on the field as well as anyone and get the best out of them. I will tell you now: We are not winning the World Cup in 2014, whoever is in charge.
“People need to be realistic. The best thing [the critics] can do is shut up. A bunch of people get on the internet and start stirring things up and it snowballs. Just let him do his job.”
Thanks to Steve Amoia for the heads up. Steve is a freelance writer, editor and translator from Washington, D.C.
look, we all hate bradley, pretty much. again, in a crucial moment, another us manager makes an absolutely insane decision regarding our lineup. in 06 arena could have used his last sub vs italy, and possibly have won the match. but, no! this time round, bradley started the worst lineup he could imagine vs ghana, and it paid off….for ghana. again, the biggest match, the wrong decision.
klinsmann has lived in the us for YEARS. he was living there in 06, and before, presumably, with his AMERICAN WIFE. jesus….the german press ridiculed him as being american now. that’s how long he’d been here. it was joked that he’d forgotten about football, and then turned around and took germany to third place. he’s not some has been player, he’s the real deal, and for arena’s stupid fucking nuttery about big money players not being good blah blah blah….that’s why arena manages the galaxy, and not ruud guulit. arena was trash, and so is bradley. the ussf couldn’t make the right decision, if there was only one choice. they’d still fuck it right up.
what was the nickname the german media gave klinsmann? california klinsy….or some such nonsense.
First of all, we don’t all hate Bradley, in fact I don’t now anyone that does. Just because there’s web chatter against him, doesn’t mean it represents more than those relatively few USMNT followers who engage in web chat.
As far as referring to the Germany we saw in the 2010 WC, are you kidding me? That team did so well because of the system Klinsmann left behind? Really? I love our players, in fact think they did fantastically in South Africa, but lets just say you can’t compare the two groups and that it wasn’t a “system” that was responsible for their performance.
Bob did great, our guys did great, and unlike other years we can very fairly say they left it all on the pitch. With very little depth, still competitive amongst top 32 teams in world, and never gave up when luck turned against — pretty impressive work from any coach.
This xenophobic anti-European rhetoric has got to stop! Especially when it comes to soccer. Can you imagine a country like, say, Finland saying, “No way to Pat Riley as National Basketball Coach! We need to stick with a Finnish coach, preferably with no international playing experience!”
Who does Arena think he is? A world expert on soccer? What a jackass! I moved to Huntington Beach in 1999. Klinsmann was living there then! This guy is a legend. Arena talking crap about Klinsmann? What a farse! Go to Youtube and search for Bruce Arena Highlights. Then try for Klinsmann. I can’t believe the audacity of these people.
It is true about the chaotic, useless structure of soccer in America. It is true that European players and coaches are better than American coaches and players. The reason being: You can’t play or say stupid garbage like Arena and expect to keep your job! Not even at the local level. Arrogant and stupid. Is this the American way? As I recall, America had no problem hiring the German Nuclear Physicists after the second World War, but apparently soccer is too insignificant!
Lets keep soccer in America..umm…cute! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m in it to win it. These dorks are crampin’ my style.
The USMNT is a fairly deep and versatile squad. They’re hard working, and generally play as a team. But what it lacks are flair and attacking prowess. American soccer has always lacked technicality, which was made up with brute force and speed. At the highest level brute force and speed can’t compete with technical ability.
Brazil is made up of a bunch of midgets, but somehow manages to control a game? Amazing!
Klinsman has always been my favorite player, and he would have been a good fit for the US. Who cares what country the coach is from, we need coaches that can take us to the next level faster.
Bruce it is no wonder that with your defeated attitude the LA Galaxy will never win a championship. I realize that the USA has still some distance to win a World Cup, but to come out in public with the defeated attitude four years ahead of the WC 2014 shows what a true loser you really are. This defeat comment by you will give our USMNT the motivation needed to play well for the next four years under your buddy Bob. It is no wonder that the USA soccer program went stale culminating with last place in WC 06 under your command. We do need the best coach at this moment which means a foreign coach to take us to the next level. Bob is just like you whom will stick to the same player selection hoping for a positive output. Bruce you are a big loser and if LA Galaxy was any wise they will get rid of you.
Arena is full of crap. Klinsmann could have gotten us to the necxt level. At least he would have garnered more media attention than boring Bob. And the US needs needs that right now.