The bitterest pill is hard to take

Bruce Arena leaves not so quietly. He says no one could have prepared his team better for the World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Except that, well, 16 others did, and made it out of the group stage.


From here:

“I know Sunil likes those quick-fix, fancy type of things, but there’s not a foreign coach that will do any better than an American coach, or what I did.”

Arena was referring to Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation. After the United States was eliminated from the recent World Cup after the first round, Gulati did not renew Arena’s contract and began a global search for his replacement.

“I don’t think they will be able to attract a big-time coach,” Arena said. “If they could, he would have been here already.”

Klinsi, pick up the phone!