‘A great accomplishment’
Bruce Arena’s U.S. squad was the revelation of the Confederations Cup, using outstanding defense to finish third in the eight-nation championship.
SOCCER AMERICA: How important is the third-place finish? BRUCE ARENA: I think it’s a great accomplishment. Coming into the tournament, I don’t think anyone would’ve believed we’d get out of our group, let alone finish third. We had a tough game with Brazil, which could’ve ended up in a draw, which would’ve been fantastic. I’m disappointed in how I prepared the team for the Mexico game. I think tactically I could’ve done a little bit better. Those are the things we’ll learn from it. The end result is we have a team with confidence, some momentum; the players are improving and learning, and the coach is improving and learning. That’s important. SA: It’s probably the best team defense we’d ever seen the U.S. play. BA: The defense did very well, and now we need to be a little bit more dangerous going forward. I think we have other players who can help us in our attack, and we can make other tactical adjustments that will help us improve. SA: What are the biggest things you’ve learned in Mexico? BA: I have a very clear picture of our players. I think I know where they’re at and where they need to go. I’ve learned that international soccer is not a whole lot different than coaching in a club team. And I think I understand where we need to go, tactically as a team, to get better. SA: What are the biggest differences coaching at the international level and in MLS? BA: First of all, there are a lot of similarities, the field being rectangular and the ball being round and playing 11 against 11. Tactically, technically, physically, the game is faster. You need to know that, know which players can deal in those environments, and train your team accordingly. SA: What do you like most about your job? BA: The day of the game. The camps – which are so infrequent – getting the opportunity to learn more about the players we have. SA: Is there anything you could do without? BA: Probably the development part; it’s a lot of aggravating work. I imagine it will eventually be rewarding. It’s important I’m involved in it, because I want to set a direction for future coaches and for soccer in the country. SA: How is being technical director different than you expected? BA: It’s a lot of work, and the politics – the way the Federation is structured – is something I don’t particularly enjoy, but it’s part of the job. It’s a political animal you’ve got to deal with every day. We have too many people involved in soccer in this country just out for carving out their piece of the pie. [They] really have no interest in the end result for soccer, just in protecting their little turf. It’s probably not going to change, not drastically. It can get better. It would be nice if one day people in soccer were just looking out for the welfare of the game. That would be utopia to U.S. Soccer. Interview by Soccer America Senior Editor Scott French in Guadalajara