

|
U.S. player pool
Arena is developing depth, looking to fill roles for 1st qualifier.
Arena, Reyna set down for qualifiers because of actions against referee after loss
in Costa Rica.
Arena turns to veterans for Barbados qualifier and no room for error.
Arena terms late penalty 'disgraceful,' Medford's kick deep in extra time
sinks U.S. 2-1.
Ruiz goal in 88th minute gives Guatemala 1-1 tie, U.S. men must settle for
hard-earned road point.
Arena makes surprising choice, adding Ramos to qualifying roster.
Arena faces interesting options in picking team for Guatemala qualifier.
Americans show growing comfort in Arena system.
McBride, Hejduk, Razov score; Americans take own title 3-0 over makeshift
Mexico.
Razov’s gift goal allows Americans to tie Ireland 1-1, stay alive for title.
Two goals, two assists from Jones, too much for South Africa;
U.S. prevails with 4-0 rout.
Jones takes to heart Arena's plea for a finisher by providing dominant effort.
Arena enjoys luxury of unprecedented depth as U.S. prepares for Cup.
‘It’s time to get serious,’ Arena pronounces after first U.S. Cup practice.
Failed scoring chances lead to 2-0 setback to Russia in Moscow.
Olsen’s goal in injury time provides 1-1 draw with Tunisia in friendly.
United States can draw some positives from disappointing Gold Cup finish.
Colombia advances to Gold Cup semifinal with triumph in penalty kicks.
Jones nets 3rd straight winner, providing 1-0 win over Peru in Gold Cup.
Wynalda, Reyna turn in strong performances in 3-0 dismissal of Haiti.
Jones heroic strike in 88th minute provides 2-1 victory over Chile.
Arena calls in 16 to travel to Morocco for Wednesday friendly.
Arena lauds MLS for its role in the national team’s recent upswing.
Arena faces lineup decisions for Brazil match in Confederations Cup.
Arena has already left his mark on U.S. team with impressive wins.
Arena grades himself a "B" thus far; hoping to improve to an "A."
Arena plans to call in full side for June 13 Argentina match.
Arena returns to patrol RFK sideline in friendly match against Argentina.
Arena will miss the midfielder he left behind.
Arena’s move means major changes at D.C. United and U.S. Soccer.
Arena speaks out on MLS, D.C. United and American soccer in general.
|
Profile: Had there been any doubters to begin with, Bruce Arena would have silenced them after his first year on the job as head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team. After compiling a 7-4-2 record, which included two victories over Germany, a 1-0 triumph over Argentina and a come-from-behind win over Chile, not to mention a strong third place showing at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico, Arena has shown the confidence placed in him to guide the U.S. Men has not been misplaced. As the first U.S. head coach with the advantage of a complete four-year World Cup cycle to build his program, Arena has shown unwavering faith in the young American player, utilizing Major League Soccer players as well as the usual suspects of overseas American professionals. Since taking over in October, 1998, 47 players have earned at least one cap under Arena, including 17 players who have earned their first-ever international appearance. When the search for a new head coach began at the conclusion of the 1998 World Cup, some of the criteria that kept popping up included, among other things: a) an American coach, b) a coach with international experience, c) a coach that understands the American player, and d) a coach who knows how to develop American talent. With his incredible success at the professional level and the collegiate level, international experience with the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and a reputation as a great developer of talent, Arena was a perfect fit. With 18 seasons under his belt as the head soccer coach at the University of Virginia and three more in Major League Soccer with D.C. United, Arena spent 21 seasons at the highest levels of club soccer in the United States. At D.C. United the 48-year-old Arena has had the Midas touch. Despite winning the first two MLS championships and the 1996 U.S. Open Cup, perhaps his finest accomplishments came in international victories in 1998. First, United claimed an impressive victory in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final over Toluca, 1-0, on Aug. 16 in Washington, D.C. The victory crowned D.C. United as the club champion of CONCACAF, an amazing achievement for a team that didn't play its first game until 1996. The triumph put United into the Interamerican Cup, a two- leg battle with Brazil's Vasco da Gama which set the team up for the greatest triumph, a 2-1, two-game aggregate victory which crowned D.C. as the champion of the Western Hemisphere. Those titles, combined with his four NCAA titles, one U.S. Open Crown, and two MLS Cup victories, marked Arena's eighth and ninth championship of the 1990s. To earn his two MLS titles, Arena built the team from scratch after being hired on January 3, 1996 for the team's debut season. That summer, the native of Brooklyn, N.Y., not only led United to victory in the inaugural MLS Cup, but guided the U.S. Under-23 National Team for 44 games through the Summer Olympiad in Atlanta. With the Olympic team, Arena was widely credited with accelerating the development of a number of U.S. National Team players, including midfielder Claudio Reyna and defender Eddie Pope, both of whom became eventual starters on the USA's 1998 World Cup Team. In 1997, Arena duplicated his efforts with United, advancing D.C. to a second MLS Cup title to earn MLS Coach of the Year honors. When Arena took on the professional challenge of guiding D.C. United and the Under-23 National Team, it brought to a close an 18-year career as head soccer coach at the University of Virginia where he built the program into a perennial powerhouse, winning five NCAA Division I championships while amassing a record of 295-58-32. His winning percentage (.808) at UVa ranks among the best ever in collegiate sports, surpassing even legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden (.804). Arena took over the soccer program at Virginia upon his arrival in Charlottesville in 1978 from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where he was an assistant lacrosse coach. Inheriting a Virginia program that had enjoyed modest success, Arena ran up a 21-6-3 record in his first two seasons. In 1980 the Cavaliers finished one-game under .500, but the following year began a 15- year run of winning seasons under Arena. In that time, Virginia appeared in 15 consecutive NCAA tournaments, won the NCAA title five times (including four consecutive from 1991-1994), and dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference by winning the conference regular season and tournament titles numerous times. For his efforts, Arena was the recipient of numerous accolades, including seven ACC Coach of the Year honors and the 1993 National Coach of the Year award. Arena's previous soccer coaching experience came as head coach of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., in 1976, and as an assistant at Cornell in 1973. Until he relinquished his duties in 1985 to focus entirely on soccer, Arena was also an assistant men's lacrosse coach at UVa. Arena was an All-American in lacrosse at Cornell University, where he graduated in 1973. He earned All-American honors in both soccer and lacrosse while attending Nassau Community College from 1969 to 1971. His experience also extends to the playing field, where he competed professionally in lacrosse with the Montreal Quebecois in 1975. A year later he played professionally for the Tacoma Tides of the American Soccer League. In 1973, Arena earned a cap for the U.S. as a goalkeeper in a 2-0 loss in Israel. Personal: Married to Phyllis, the couple have an 18-year-old son named Kenny and reside in Fairfax, Va. ... Is a past chairman of the ACC soccer coaches and served two three-year terms on the NCAA Division I soccer committee from 1989 to 1995. ... Attended Nassau Community College (1969-1971) and Cornell University (1971-1973). ... Born September 21, 1951 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Collegiate Soccer Coaching Career: Assistant coach, Cornell University (1973); Head coach, University of Puget Sound (1976); Head coach, University of Virginia (1978-1995). Playing Honors: All-American in soccer and lacrosse at Nassau C.C.; All-American in lacrosse at Cornell; Most Valuable Defensive Player, NCAA Division I Soccer Championships (1972). Coaching Honors: 1997 MLS Coach of the Year; 1997 and 1998 MLS All-Star head coach. International Experience: One full cap with U.S. Men's National Team (as a substitute on Nov. 15, 1973, in a 2-0 loss to Israel in Beersheba, Israel). ... Head coach of the U.S. Under-23 National Team that competed in the 1996 Olympics. ... Led D.C. United twice to the CONCACAF Champions Cup (losing in the semifinals in 1997, and winning it all in 1998); also won the Carnival of Champions in Hong Kong and was runner-up in the Sanwa Bank Cup in Japan, both in 1997 ... Led D.C. to 2-1 aggregate victory in two-leg Interamerican Cup against Vasco da Gama of Brazil on Nov. 14 and Dec. 5 in D.C. and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., respectively.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||