Bruce Arena is waiving goodbye to the LA Galaxy and hello again to the USMNT.
By Ivan Yeo
Another era in MLS and LA Galaxy history has come to a close.
Bruce Arena, the most decorated coach in American Soccer history, is returning to one of his old posts. Arena will depart as head coach and general manager of the Galaxy and return as head coach of the U.S. men’s national team.
“Together, we brought championships to the LA Galaxy and the City of Los Angeles,” Arena said in a statement. “It is difficult to leave this great club, but I am excited for the opportunity to return as coach of the United States Men’s National Team.”
Arena returns to a post he last held from 1998 until 2006. During that time, Arena led the USMNT in one of its finest performances in decades at the 2002 World Cup. The U.S., led by up-and-coming stars such as Landon Donovan and DeMarcus Beasley combined with grizzled vets such as Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna among others, beat Portugal in group play, upset archrival Mexico in the round of 16 and gave eventual finalist Germany all it could handle to a point that the Germans had to benefit from a non-call on a handball by Tortsen Frings inside the penalty area to see Germany through.
Arena came to the Galaxy in the summer of 2008 at a time when the franchise was in its worst state. LA, despite boasting Donovan, who went on to win the Golden Boot that season and a still in-form David Beckham, were languishing near the bottom of the standings and had just saw head coach Ruud Gullit resign and general manager Alexi Lalas fired. The Galaxy’s struggles were pointed to a locker room that had been described by many as a toxic atmosphere, but also to a porous defense that wound up surrendering 61 goals. Arena could not work his magic that quickly, and LA missed the playoffs for a third straight season.
Arena however started to lay out a new foundation for the club, drafting two players out of the University of Maryland that would become the cornerstone on the Galax backline for the next seven seasons, the first in 6-5 center back Omar Gonzalez, the other in the 5-9 AJ DeLaGarza, a versatile defender who could play as both a CB and an outside back. Arena also acquired left back Todd Dunivant and keeper Donovan Ricketts, another two players that would form the basis for an eventual Galaxy resurgence.
2009 however didn’t get off to the greatest start for the Galaxy, as they went just 1-1-9 to start the season. Compounding matters that year, Beckham had went on loan to AC Milan, stated his desire to stay in Italy, but eventually worked out a deal in which he could stay at the San Siro until the end of the season, then rejoin the Galaxy at the midpoint. Arena however had to play peacemaker towards Beckham’s return, as quotes from Donovan critical of Beckham in Grant Wahl’s “The Beckham Experiment” threatened to cause more disruption in the locker room. Arena however was able to get both players back on the same page, and the Galaxy soon caught fire, soaring from the middle of the pack to first place in the Western Conference. The Galaxy then beat Chivas USA in the first round of the playoffs, then the Houston Dynamo in the conference final to advance to the MLS Cup, where they held a 1-0 lead, but injuries to Gonzalez and keeper Donovan Ricketts enabled Real Salt Lake to get back in the match, and RSL eventually won the title on penalties.
Still, Arena had vaulted himself back into the upper echelon of American Soccer coaches and the next few years would be smooth sailing for the Galaxy. The 2010 season saw LA roar off to a 10-0-2 start that eventually culminated in the Supporters Shield, though LA lost in the conference final to FC Dallas. 2011 finally saw the Galaxy reach back to the mountain top, as they won the Supporters Shield again, but were finally able to cash in that elusive MLS Cup title in front of its home fans at on a rainy and soggy Sunday November night at the StubHub Center, back then the Home Depot Center, as they defeated Houston 1-0 to claim the MLS Cup.
2012 was a little harder for Arena and the Galaxy, as they stumbled to a 3-8-2 start. LA however righted the ship, losing just four times the remainder of the season and although they ended up fourth in the West, the Galaxy showed its resolve, first by defeating Vancouver in the one-match playoff, then upsetting the Supporters Shield winner San Jose Earthquakes in the next round. The Galaxy held off Seattle in the next round, then defeated Houston in the final at home yet again to win its second straight MLS Cup. Arena led the Galaxy to another title in 2014.
“The LA Galaxy had a choice to make and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the club, for Bruce and for the betterment of soccer in the United States,” said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein. “We have been incredibly fortunate to have Bruce coach this team over the past eight years and will greatly miss him. Bruce has meant so much to this organization and helped make the LA Galaxy into what it is today.”
Arena will be inheriting a USMNT that is in a situation similar to the one he inherited with the Galaxy back in 2008. The U.S. has dropped its first two matches in the Hexagonal of World Cup qualifying, including its first loss to Mexico in Columbus in a long time, which was then followed by a 4-0 road drubbing at the hands of Costa Rica just days later. The two losses have left the U.S. with very little room for error with just eight matches to go in its quest to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
