Bruce Arena is a former coach of the
United States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
as well as a former professional soccer and
lacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
player. He is the
head coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of
Los Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
in
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
and a member of the
National Soccer Hall of FameThe National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Arena has had a long and distinguished coaching career, and is generally considered to be one of the most successful coaches in North American soccer history. He was head coach of the United States at the
1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, the
2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and the
2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, was head coach of the New York Red Bulls and
D.C. UnitedD.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, and coached the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
to several
college soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
championships.
Before beginning his coaching career, Arena was a goalkeeper for
Cornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and earned one cap with the
United States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
High school and college
Arena grew up in the
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
town of
Franklin SquareFranklin Square is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 29,320 at the 2010 census...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he attended
Carey High SchoolH. Frank Carey High School is a public high school located in Franklin Square, New York serving students in the seventh through twelfth grades from the towns of Garden City South, West Hempstead, Elmont and Franklin Square. The school's principal is Mrs. Valerie Angelillo. The assistant principals...
. While he excelled at several sports, he was too small for
American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, so he joined the school's soccer team as a defender. He moved into the goal when the starting goalkeeper was suspended after hitting another school's player during a game. While in high school, he also played a single season with local club Hota S.C. of New York City's
Cosmopolitan Soccer LeagueThe Cosmopolitan Soccer League is an amateur soccer league consisting of clubs based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatly to the nation's soccer history...
.
After graduation, he began his collegiate athletic career playing both
lacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
and soccer at
Nassau Community CollegeNassau Community College is a two-year college. It is located in East Garden City, New York, USA. The school is in Nassau County on Long Island. NCC maintains a nationwide reputation for academic excellence and ease of transferability to four-year institutions.- History :Created as part of the...
, a two year college near his home. Arena was a 1970 and 1971 Honorable Mention All American lacrosse player and an
All-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
soccer player. He was inducted into the National Junior College Hall of Fame in 2008. While at Nassau, he played soccer for head coach Bill Stevenson and goalkeeper coach
Shep MessingShep Messing is a former American soccer goalkeeper and current broadcaster. He played seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and six in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was also a member of the U.S...
, a future
New York CosmosThe New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
goalkeeper. At the end of his two years with Nassau, Arena transferred to
Cornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in upstate
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he was a 1972 Honorable Mention All American and a 1973 Second Team All American in lacrosse. He did not originally intend to play soccer, but injuries to the school's first and second string goalkeepers led to the men's soccer coach,
Dan WoodDaniel Phillip Wood is a former collegiate and professional soccer coach. He was also a professional golfer who was the top money winner on the 1996 Senior Series.-Youth:...
, to recruit Arena into the team as its goalkeeper. Arena backstopped the
Cornell Big RedThe Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports teams, and other competitive teams, at Cornell University. The university sponsors 36 varsity sports, as well as numerous intramural and club teams. Cornell participates in NCAA Division I as part of the Ivy League.The men's and women's hockey...
soccer team to the 1972
NCAA Men's Soccer ChampionshipThe NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
Final Four and earned Most Valuable Defensive Player honors for the tournament.
Professional
After graduating from Cornell, Arena was
draftedA draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
(but then cut) by the
New York CosmosThe New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
of the
North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. Arena then signed to play professional lacrosse for the
Montreal QuebecoisThe Montreal Quebecois was a team part of the original National Lacrosse League. They played their home games at the Montreal Forum. The roster included Major League Soccer coach Bruce Arena....
, spending a single season with the team in 1975. The
National Lacrosse LeagueThe National Lacrosse League was a box lacrosse league that lasted two seasons: 1974 and 1975. It is not related to the modern National Lacrosse League....
folded at the end of the 1975 season, leaving Arena unemployed. At the same time,
Dan WoodDaniel Phillip Wood is a former collegiate and professional soccer coach. He was also a professional golfer who was the top money winner on the 1996 Senior Series.-Youth:...
, who had recruited Arena to play for the Cornell soccer team, had been named the new head coach of the expansion
Tacoma TidesThe Tacoma Tides was an American soccer club based in Tacoma, Washington that was a member of the American Soccer League. Although not long-lived, the club is remembered today for its backup goalkeeper--well-known American soccer coach Bruce Arena....
which played in the
American Soccer LeagueThe American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
. Wood contacted Arena and convinced him to move to the
Pacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
to play for him. While Arena was the second string goalkeeper behind starter
Jamil CanalJamil Canal, a native of Brazil, spent most of his career as a goalkeeper in the American Soccer League. From 1973 to 1975, he was the ASL All Star goalkeeper while playing with the New York Apollo. In 1976, he moved to the expansion Tacoma Tides...
, the move to Tacoma was significant in that it introduced Arena to coaching. That year, in addition to playing for the Tides, Arena coached the men's soccer team at the
University of Puget SoundThe University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States...
.
International
In 1973, he earned his only
national teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
capIn sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
as a second half substitute for
Bob RigbyBob Rigby is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper. Among the most talented soccer goalkeepers born in the United States, Rigby played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United...
in a 2-0 loss to
IsraelThe Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
. In addition to his single cap with the U.S. soccer team, Arena also played for the national lacrosse team which won the 1974
World Lacrosse ChampionshipThe World Lacrosse Championship is the world championship for international men's field lacrosse. From its inception in 1967 through the 2006 event, it was sanctioned by the International Lacrosse Federation...
and finished runner up in 1978.
College
In 1977, Arena moved back to teach at Cornell and act as the school’s assistant lacrosse coach. While he was there, the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
(UVA) advertised for two open coaching positions – head soccer coach and assistant lacrosse coach beginning the 1978 season. Arena took that opportunity and would go on to coach both the UVA lacrosse and soccer teams for seven years, before becoming the school’s dedicated soccer coach in 1985. Arena was the head coach of the Virginia program for eighteen years, during which he won five national championships (including 4 straight from 1991–94) and amassed a 295-58-32 record. Additionally, he coached and developed many players at Virginia who would go on to play significant roles in the United States national team, including
Claudio ReynaClaudio Reyna is a retired American soccer player and the current USSF US Youth Soccer Technical Director. He was the captain of the United States national team before retiring from international football following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is widely considered one of the...
,
Jeff AgoosJeffrey Alan "Jeff" Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team....
,
John HarkesJohn Harkes is an American former soccer player. Harkes was the first American ever to play in the English Premier League, and the second American to score at Wembley Stadium. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won two MLS Cup...
and
Tony MeolaAntonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
. In addition to coaching, Arena served as the ACC soccer coaches chairman as well as two three-year terms on the NCAA Division I soccer committee from 1989 to 1995.
D.C. United
On January 3, 1996, Arena left UVA to become the coach of
D.C. UnitedD.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
of
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. The 1996 season would be both the team's and the league's inaugural season, so Arena needed to build a team from scratch. To make his position even more difficult, he had agreed to coach the U.S. U-23 national team at the
1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
where it went 1-1-1. Despite the distraction of the Olympics, Arena managed to form his team and lead United to victory in the first
MLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
. In addition to the MLS Title, Arena also took United to the
1996 U.S. Open Cup- First Round :* El Paso Patriots 3-0 RWB Adria * Carolina Dynamo 5-0 Mo's Sport Shop * Fort Myers Manatees 6-0 St...
championship. Arena and United continued to experience success in 1997. The team won its second
MLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
defeating the
Colorado RapidsThe Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
2-1. Arena's success led to his selection as the 1997
MLS Coach of the YearThe MLS Coach of the Year Award is an award given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996.-Winners:...
. This year, Arena took United to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. In 1998, Arena took United to its third consecutive
MLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
only to see his team fall to the expansion Chicago Fire led by his protege
Bob BradleyRobert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
. However, while Arena failed to add another MLS championship to his resume, he guided United to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup title with a 1-0 victory over
TolucaToluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
on August 16, 1998. He followed that with a defeat of Brazilian club
Vasco da GamaClub de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
to take the
Interamerican CupCopa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
title. Arena was also the 1997 and 1998
MLS All-StarThe MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
head coach.
National Team
Arena was hired by the U.S. national team to replace
Steve SampsonSteve Sampson is a soccer coach and the former head coach of the United States men's national team and the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer...
as head coach in October 1998 following the team's disastrous showing in the
1998 FIFA World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. He forged the team into a successful international side, and is undisputedly the most successful coach in United States history: most international wins; longest home shut-out; best World Cup showing since 1930, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup, before a defeat against
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
; and all-time best international
FIFA RankingThe FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
(4th place, April 2006). Arena also won two Gold Cup championships in 2002 and 2005, with a third place finish in 2003.
The 2002 World Cup was the high point of Arena's career as the U.S. coach. Heavy underdogs coming into the tournament, they stunned the world by beating a respected
Portuguese teamThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
3-2 in their opening game. Arena was lauded afterwards for instilling in his players the confidence to play aggressively against an international powerhouse. A hard-fought draw against host nation South Korea was enough to qualify for the second round, despite a poor loss against
PolandThe Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
in the final group game. Arena and the U.S. met old nemesis Mexico in the Round of 16, and Arena adapted his tactics brilliantly to secure a 2-0 victory and a quarterfinal berth. The U.S. switched from their usual 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2, and it paid dividends almost immediately when
Josh WolffJoshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
, who Arena had brought in to fill out the formation, set up
Brian McBrideBrian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
for the winning goal early in the first half. Arena switched the team back to a 4-4-2 for their quarterfinal against Germany, and the team continued to surprise many by dominating stretches of the game. However, they went on to lose 1-0 on a
Michael BallackMichael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
header.
The U.S. national squad fell short of expectations at the
2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, finishing last in Group E with losses to the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
and
GhanaThe Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
. The United States scored only twice in its three games, a draw against eventual champion
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on an
own goalAn own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
by Italian
Cristian ZaccardoCristian Zaccardo, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer, who plays for Italian Serie A club Parma...
and a goal from
Clint DempseyClinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey is an American soccer player who plays for Fulham and the United States national team. Dempsey usually plays as either an attacking midfielder, or a striker....
against Ghana. Some, including former team member and
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst
Eric WynaldaEric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
, have blamed the poor performance on questionable coaching decisions by Arena, including not playing
Clint DempseyClinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey is an American soccer player who plays for Fulham and the United States national team. Dempsey usually plays as either an attacking midfielder, or a striker....
and putting
DaMarcus BeasleyDaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
on the right wing instead of his favored left against the Czechs, and using a defensive 4-5-1 in the must-win match vs. Ghana which the U.S. eventually lost. Another questionable decision was made when
Claudio ReynaClaudio Reyna is a retired American soccer player and the current USSF US Youth Soccer Technical Director. He was the captain of the United States national team before retiring from international football following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is widely considered one of the...
became injured after the first goal when Arena subbed in defensive midfielder
Ben OlsenBenjamin Robert "Ben" Olsen is a former American professional soccer player and the current manager of D.C. United. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Olsen grew up playing for FC Delco, an elite club program near Philadelphia...
to replace Reyna.
During his time as national team head coach, the United States rose in the FIFA world rankings from being nineteenth to being fourth, though to the surprise of the U.S. players. Bruce Arena's 71 wins as national coach from 1998-2006 are by far the most in U.S. history, making him arguably the most successful Men's US National Team Coach in history. But three weeks after the Americans' disappointing first-round exit from the World Cup in Germany, the
U.S. Soccer FederationThe United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
announced that Arena's contract would not be renewed when it expired at the end of 2006. U.S. Soccer Federation president
Sunil GulatiSunil Gulati is the current president of the United States Soccer Federation and special advisor to The Kraft Group and the Kraft family...
explained Arena's dismissal, stating that the U.S. was seeking a "fresh approach."
Arena was eventually replaced by his close friend and former assistant at Virginia and D.C. United,
Bob BradleyRobert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
.
New York Red Bulls
On July 14, 2006, USSF announced they would not renew Arena's contract with the U.S. national team. As a result, he began to pursue other coaching opportunities. That led to his being hired by
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team the
New York Red BullsThe New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. Arena's first match with the club came on August 12, 2006, in a friendly against
FC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. On November 5, 2007, the New York Red Bulls and Arena decided mutually to part company. During his year-and-a-half with the club, he went 16-16-10. He had two years remaining on his contract with the club.
Los Angeles Galaxy
On August 18, 2008, the
Los Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
hired Arena to replace
Ruud GullitOON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
as head coach and
Alexi LalasPanayotis Alexander Lalas is a retired American soccer player who played mostly as a defender for the United States national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
as general manager. He inherited a team which had failed to make the playoffs since 2005 and would go on to finish the 2008 season at 8-13-9. The team finished thirteen out of fouteen teams and let in a league high 62 goals to 55 scored. During the off-season, Arena reshaped the defense, drafting
Omar GonzalezOmar Gonzalez is an American soccer player. He played youth soccer for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club. He currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-College:...
and
A. J. DeLaGarzaAdolph Joseph DeLaGarza is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
who became fixtures on the back line, and bringing in
Donovan RickettsDonovan Ricketts is a Jamaican footballer who plays as goalkeeper for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. He is also the vice captain of the Jamaica national football team.-High School and College:...
as goalkeeper. While the team scored only 36 goals in 2009, they also let in only 31. This led to a 12-6-12 record and second place finish in the league standings. The Galaxy went to the playoffs and Arena was selected as the
MLS Coach of the Year AwardThe MLS Coach of the Year Award is an award given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996.-Winners:...
.
The current
2011 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
is going extremely well for Bruce's Galaxy. His club won the Supporters' Shield for the second straight season and they are only the third team in league history to reach the 60 point plateau. The team has also progressed to the final of the MLS Cup and are through to the elimination round of the
CONCACAF Champions LeagueThe 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League is the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 26, 2011 and will finish with the second leg of the final April 24–26, 2012. Monterrey is the defending champion...
. The Galaxy were however eliminated from the
U.S. Open CupThe 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 98th edition of the oldest competition in American soccer, running from June through early October. Seattle Sounders FC, who entered the competition as the two-time defending champions, successfully defended their title again. They became the third team in...
in the quarterfinal stage. The club is undefeated in competitive matches at the Home Depot Center this year. Bruce's side even managed a 0-0 draw down a man with a midfielder in goal for 47 minutes against state rivals
San JoseThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
On November 20th, 2011 Bruce Arena led the LA Galaxy to the MLS Cup.
Club
D.C. United
- MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
(3): 1996, 1997, 2011
- MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
(1): 1997
- MLS Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chicago Fire*Columbus Crew*D.C. United*Houston Dynamo*New England Revolution*New York Red Bulls*Philadelphia Union*Sporting Kansas City*Toronto FC...
(3): 1996, 1997, 1998
- U.S. Open Cup (1): 1996
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1): 1998
Los Angeles Galaxy
- MLS Western Conference
The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chivas USA*Colorado Rapids*FC Dallas*Los Angeles Galaxy*Portland Timbers*Real Salt Lake*San Jose Earthquakes*Seattle Sounders FC*Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
(2): 2009The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
, 2011The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
- MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
(2): 2010The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...
, 2011The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
- MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
(1): 2011The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California...
Personal
Arena's son,
Kenny ArenaKenneth Scott "Kenny" Arena is a former soccer defender who is currently an assistant coach with the UCLA Bruins. Arena is the son of former United States men's national soccer team coach Bruce Arena....
, spent time with the U.S. youth national teams as well as in Major League Soccer.
External links