The Glitter band played before games. Fans having fry ups outside of Croker. He is Italian-American (from Brooklyn) and knows his European football. No chance of getting the job.
As someone who follows US soccer closely and as a fan of the NY Red Bulls who just fired him, I would not recommend his hiring. I do credit him in rescueing the US after the disasterous World Cup in 1998 and doing well to get to the quarters in 2002. Portugal simply did ot take the US seriously and Arena employed a Jack Charlton approach to that first 2002 WC game by chasing after every Portugal player on the field, closing them down and not giving them an inch to move. But a closer look also shows that the US was just minutes away from being knocked out in the first round when South Korea scored a late winnter to beat Portugal and send the US through who lost 3-1 to Poland. And of course they got the team they KNEW they could beat in the second round in Mexico. Actually the best game the US played in 2002 was the Germany quarter final game, in which they should have won if only Landycakes Donovan put away one of his two chances in the first half.
Really, Arena should have gone after 2002. By 2006, his ideas had become stale and the team started flat against the Czechs, improved against Italy (but finished with 9 men) and were perhaps unluckly with a dubious penalty given against them against Ghana. But his selections expecially in the first game were very much like some of Stans e.g. Eddie Lewis at full back, not putting Donovan in midfield, Beasley on the right to accomodate Convey on the left, over confidence in over the hill players like Eddie Pope and Claudio Reyna. Arena is also prone to playing his favorites e.g. at the Red Bulls, he seemed intent on only getting college players out of Virginia. Also if not for an ACL injury Chris Armas would have been playing in 2002 instead of Pablo Mastroeni who had a masterful game against Portugal.
His appointment as Head Coach of NY Red Bulls was greeted with much fanfare in the area. But his 1 year in charge was mediorcre at best, started out well when Juan Pablo Angel joined the team but his over reliance on his favourite Claudio Reyna who was either constantly injured/dogging it during games led to a middle of the table finish. In the playoffs, his lack luster team went out tamely to Steve Nicol's New England Revs, and indeed only when Reyna went off injured again, and Potbelly Clint Mathis replaced him did the team so any signs of life. Indeed his ho-hum attitude after the exit irked the most. A few days later he was given the boot.
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
I'm not saying he's a terrible coach but I think he should try out maybe at Championship level first. I'd still take him over El Tel tnough.
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
Anyone know what the capacity of the Bruce Arena is?
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
He did really well with the USA. One thing you can say is that he'd make your boys competitive on a physical level, at least.
"Life is like a hair on a toilet seat. Sooner or later you are bound to get pi$$ed off."
"In this league, a draw is sometimes as good as a win" - Steve Morison
So what? If that upsets you then you can't have much to worry about.
Reminds me of a couple of guys in England shirts in a bar in Daytona Beach in 1994.
The USA were playing & they were cheering like mad for their opponents (can't recall who). "Listen wot dey call it, dey bleedin roon r bootful gaime"
To be fair to the Yanks, they could not give a toss, raised an eyebrow as if to say couple of strange guys hey.
Competing on a physical level is about more than just size. It's just getting them motivated enough to actually chase down the opposition.
"Life is like a hair on a toilet seat. Sooner or later you are bound to get pi$$ed off."
"In this league, a draw is sometimes as good as a win" - Steve Morison
Like the previous Irishman in the job was soooo much better?Bruce Arena's track record is excellent and our inability to keep '' shut-outs'' against Cyprus home and Away, Slovakia away, and Wales away did for our qualification hopes last time out.
But if you're so insistent on banning North American's from the gig out in Abbotstown here's a genuinely better alternative.
Fabio Capello is getting the English job,let's appoint Lippi NOW! I believe he is at least 10% a better coach than Capello and I have total respect for the latter's record in case people don't understand where I am coming from with this.
Last edited by CollegeTillIDie; 13/12/2007 at 6:25 AM.
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