Tuesday's Column: Arenaball Arrives
Bruce Arena gets down to work at his first Galaxy coaching session.
Photo by Sean Hiller.
The former U.S. National Team coach was officially introduced as the Galaxy's coach Monday.
It's a move that suggests more than a few parallels with Arena's last MLS coaching job in New York, an angle I explored in Tuesday's column.
Fellow columnist Steve Dilbeck, meanwhile, articulates what many of us are thinking: Is this the prescient Bruce Arena of World Cup 2002 or the questionable coach from World Cup 2006?
One thing that struck me Monday about Arena (as well as other members of the press corps who know him) was the absence of the antagonistic Arena of the past.
He may have been on his best behavior on his first day on the job, but Associate Head Coach Dave Sarachan, who has worked with Arena for more than two decades said he is a changed - if not more mellow - coach.
"I think he's a little more patient with things, he's in a better place now," Sarachan said. "He has perspective."
Yes, this a more giving Arena after his months relaxing at a home as a self-described "couch potato."
"This game has been more than fair to me and I'm at the point now where I want to give back because this game has been so good to me."
Here's Sarachan on what the new coaching staff needs to change about the Galaxy:
"You change a mentality. If you have the right mentality as a collective you can defend better than what we've seen. ... It's unfair to say (the Galaxy's poor defensive record) is a product of bad goalkeeping or bad defending. It's a mentality of the whole group."
So what did the Galaxy work on at the first practice directed by Arena and Sarachan? Thankfully, defense.
I reminded Arena that he once derided Home Depot Center as a "glorified amusement park" because of all the activities held there. He took the question in stride:
"This is one of the reasons I'm here - because we have an outstanding (practice) facility."
At the Red Bulls, the team didn't have one, he observed.
Finally, Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein said the Galaxy's most inexperienced players will benefit the most from Arena:
"His best quality is as a man manager and as a team manager - he's always got the most from his players," he said. "We have some special players, but it's the younger guys who have to carry the day."
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Thanks for the Klein quote
Off Topic a bit, but just want to say that NBC's coverage of Olympic Soccer SUCKS!! This morning I was trying to watch Brazil v. Argentina. Can you believe it, NBC cut to a commercial DURING THE GAME!!!! And yes, Argentina scored the 2nd goal while NBC was showing a commercial for Vagasil. Can't NBC wait 45 minutes??? NBC, you SUCK!!
Nick replies: I thought those days were over. That's indefensible.
Nick:
I find it amusing that Bruce Arena has taken the blame he has for WC2006, and that many think he did a bad job.
Really?
Did he do a bad coaching job? Did he fail to select the best players, maximize their on field effectiveness, or not prepare them well enough?
Really?
Bruce has been pissed because he has taken the blame from sportswriters for WC2006, and no one has looked beyond the results. No one has said "we didn't have a good team", but they have said "we didn't have a good coach.
I call BS.
We were terribly thin at striker, missing any kind of left back, and some players failed to show well (like Landon Donavan). I don't see how Bruce Arena should take the blame for that but he did and he swallowed hard.
So now we have the best American coach in history to fix the Galaxy. With this group of players (sound familiar) it ain't gonna change soon. But if you give him time...
Joseph - I posted this elsewhere but wanted to know what you thought so pasted it here.
Joseph - Isn't it clear by now that Leiweke has no idea what he's doing in "sports-entertainment?" Not only has he created a team that can't win in the face of equal opposition, he's created a league that is absolute crap. They refuse to adopt the league standards that have succeeded in making football and basketball successful world-wide. They continue to sell franchises on an MLS that will never be compelling or interesting to anyone who knows what real football leagues are like. They are interested in profits, not sports, and they could likely destoy football's future in North America by going with the American Sports Model. If MLS fails, there wouldn't be a snowballs chance in hell of future investment in the sport. AEG is awful, but perhaps its really Leiweke's snow job on Big Phil A. and his billions that's the true villain.
Arena - Based on what I saw at WC2006 Arena has no control over the team and cannot make the decisions in crunch time to help his club. The Italy game displayed a naivete in terms of taking an advantage and punishing the other team. But then again, its only MLS here.
cheers
Hi, Cristobal. Thanks much for asking for my opinion.
Everything you say about Leiweke and AEG is correct, with these exceptions.
The American and European (and Latin American) sports models are practically irreconcileable. The U.S. relies on colleges to be reserve clubs and minor leagues, whereas the club system in Europe and Latin America is more integrated (the only similar examples in North America are baseball and hockey). Those respective sports models took decades (if not centuries) to develop. The only thing MLS can do is to buy USL clubs and run them as direct affiliates. I don't think MLS wants to spend the money for that, and I think most of the USL clubs want to remain independently owned.
Also, relegation and promotion wouldn't solve anything, given the vast disparity between MLS and USL clubs in resources. If an MLS team gets relegated, it probably wouldn't stay down long. If a USL club gets promoted to MLS, it probably wouldn't stay up long. Promotion and relegation battles are fascinating in and of themselves but I don't thing they generate massive interest outside of the fans of the clubs involved.
You do raise a great point when it comes to selling franchises. Who's going to play for these teams? What's the quality of the play going to be like? Since a lot of players taken in the SuperDraft want to play overseas for far more money than MLS wants to pay them, how will MLS adapt?
As far as Arena goes, I don't think you can compare 2006 with now, basically because Arena now has something that he never had as the national coach: total control over all aspects of soccer. Everything, including the reserve teams, now comes down to him. I also think that, unlike the past few Galaxy coaches, Arena will get the time he needs to implement his approach. He will get that time because he's perhaps one of the few people in American soccer who make Leiweke soil his underwear. Leiweke is a bully, and bullies like to prey on weaker victims. But Arena is the kind of man you don't screw with. He will chew up and spit out obnoxious, incompetent suits like Leiweke, and make them like it. Also, Leiweke knows that his professional future is tied to Arena. If Arena doesn't work out, Leiweke's gone. Count on it.
Leiweke knows he screwed up big time by allowing 19 Entertainment essentially to hire Gullit for him. This is his last chance so he will give Arena all the support he needs.
What was it Arena said during '06 about Ghana? Something about how none of the African teams were any good so he didn't need to scout them? Really Bruce?
Who is this Bruce Arena? I am Bora! I am greatest coach in entire world! Just ask Alexi. Just ask my friend, Steve Sampson. Why did Galaxy Football Federation not call me? I would love to work with great English player, David Beckman. How many teams did this Arena take to World Cup? How many years has he gone to World Cup? I have been to every World Cup from 1986 to 2002. That is not good enough for Galaxy Football Federation? Ptui! I know MLS! I coach in New York for MetroStools and I had perfect record! This is most disrespect! Esos hijos de la hinchada putamadre no saben de lo que hacen! I shall go back to Mexico and coach Correcaminos to title! That will show Galaxy Football Federation. I am Bora! Ptui!
Joseph - thanks for responding. I disagree that MLS and promotion/relegation wouldn't work, however. I believe it could work in almost all American sports with the exception of the NFL. I also believe that it creates compelling sports throughout the season, for all teams in the league. I do understand your point about resources, however, but then again, all the resources for MLS came from AEG in the first place. Really MLS is mistakenly trying to run before it can walk.
I know that attendance before Beckham wasn't good in some places like NY, and that its been buoyed by Beckham. But, the risk is present that MLS could fail completely. And if you are correct that Leiweke could be fired (I personally think this is an impossibility, but I want to apply for the job) the MLS would be left hanging by a thread as I'm sure that all investment from AEG was coerced out by Leiweke.
As a big fan of the Kings, I don't think there is any possibility that Leiweke could be fired. He's already failed multiple times there and I see no evidence to suggest his job is in any sort of jeopardy.
Tell me about it Cristobal. I'm a season seat holder for the Galaxy and the Kings, have been for years. I guess I'm just a sucker for punishment. Kings fans have long been calling him Lieweekly.
Cristobal, you're probably right about Leiweke's permanence within AEG's organization, unfortunately. My contempt for Leiweke and Lalas comes from something that happened to me last year as a sportswriter (which Nick knows about and which I won't go into here; it would take too long). I suppose I'm speaking with my heart more than with my head when it comes to Leiweke.
Joseph - I'm all ears if you want to tell about the "incident" and there don't seem to be too many readers to spread the story. hehe. I don't see how Leiweke could be gone, it would just be impossible. He's the CEO of AEG. Unless Big Phil does it, he'd in essence have to fire himself. I'd love to meet the guy, though. I detest arrogant people who don't understand what they are doing and I love calling them on their lies and ignorance. By the way, for whom or what do you write?
S - my suggestion to you is give the money to charity and support the team through television and hope instead of your presence at the match. I've given up on Kings games and even regretted going to the game i got free tickets for. Really, the Galaxy and MLS should be begging people to come in numbers with 3-5 dollar general admission prices. I won't even comment on concessions, especially for the Kings where the game takes nearly 3 hours of your time in the building alone. At least football doesn't have tv timeouts dragging out the game and holding you hostage to concessionaires.
Personally, the thought of giving my money to AEG makes me vomit in my mouth.
Cristobal, please give Nick your e-mail address so Nick can give it to me, and I'll forward to you all the details. Believe me, this is a *long* story.