Who Replaces Arena?

Re: RE: Who Replaces Arena?

That's one of the things Arena mentioned after the debacle of the US performance this year.

Quoting http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/otherspor ... ena24.html and other places:

"If Arena is to stay on, he wants better "mechanisms" for success. In the short term, the United States needs to play in better competitions such as Copa America, South America's championship, to prepare for the World Cup. U.S. Soccer has been reluctant because it would take stars away from MLS for even longer periods and shorten the already slight vacation time European-based players have between their lengthy seasons. In the long term, he wants MLS to assume the role of player development."

Seems pretty weak to me of MLS. The US really does need to focus on playing, at a bare minimum, more friendlies vs the South American teams, the competition is much better than that in CONCACAF and would be a better gauge of how good the team really is. I'm sure all fans of the US team had a bad feeling about this WC after getting demolished by Germany a couple months back in Europe.

 

RE: Re: RE: Who Replaces Arena?

In that, he's right.
MLS has already assumed the player development mantle.. they are going to have to live up to it.
Otherwise what is the point of forging the ties they are building with various SA and European teams.. such as Barca and Galaxy/AEG

And in the long term we'll see better play (ticket sales) for the domestic clubs.

But key to this is the coaching the players receive at the club level... good tactical and skills coaches are rare, finding those isnt an easy task. Even in Europe.