Bruce Arena is an American association football coach who is currently the head coach and sporting director of Major League Soccer (MLS) side New England Revolution.
Arena is most famous for his coaching career, however, and particularly his success at club and international level in the USA. Arena has won five MLS Cup titles - two with D.C. United and three with Los Angeles Galaxy.
In two stints in charge of the USMNT, he won three CONCACAF Gold Cup titles, picking them up in 2002, 2005 and 2017.
On January 3, 1996, Arena left the University of Virginia to take over as coach of MLS side D.C. United. This was the league and the team's first season, so Arena had to build D.C. United from scratch while also focusing on the US U-23 side, which he had agreed to coach at the Atlanta Olympics.
In 1998, Arena took over as coach of the US men's national team from Steve Sampson after a poor World Cup campaign in France. It did not take long before Arena turned the USA's fortunes around and he led them to their best-ever World Cup finish - reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 tournament.
Arena led USA to the Gold Cup title in 2002 and again in 2005, as they climbed to an all-time best FIFA World Ranking of fourth in April 2006.
Arena, however, received criticism for the USA's poor showing at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, which saw them lose to Ghana and the Czech Republic and draw with the eventual champions, Italy. After the tournament, the USSF announced that Arena's contract would not be renewed.
After his first spell as USMNT head coach, Arena took over at New York Red Bulls in August 2006. His stint in charge lasted just short of a year and a half, during which time he failed to inspire a significant improvement in his charges.
Los Angeles Galaxy breathed life back into Arena's coaching career after he took over the team in 2008 and he returned the favour after inheriting a team from Ruud Gullit, which had failed to make the play-offs since 2005 and was severely struggling. As well as being appointed head coach, Arena also replaced Alexi Lalas as general manager.
Arena turned LA Galaxy's fortunes around after a much-needed defensive overhaul and was awarded the MLS Coach of the Year prize for presiding over a team which made the play-offs in 2009.
In 2014, Arena led LA Galaxy to a third MLS title on his watch, with victory over the New England Revolution clinching the prize. Arena stayed with LA Galaxy until 2016, the year he took over the USMNT for a second time.
While at the New England Revolution, Arena oversaw an 11-match unbeaten run which helped them qualify for the 2019 MLS Cup play-offs - their first appearance on this stage since 2014. In the first round, they were eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Atlanta United.
Arena has a twin brother, Michael. He also has a son, Kenny Arena, who works as an assistant coach at Los Angeles FC, having previously represented the USA at U-20 level.
In 2020, at the height of Black Lives Matter protests, Arena questioned why the US national anthem was played before domestic sporting matches. This came amid a debate about whether or not to kneel during the anthem out of solidarity for the movement - a contentious topic.
"I question why we're playing the national anthem at sporting events in our country," Arena told ESPN's Taylor Twellman. "I think it puts people in awkward positions. We don't use the national anthem in movie theatres, on Broadway, or other events in the United States. I don't think it's appropriate to have a national anthem before a baseball game, an MLS game."
Arena added: "As a national team coach at times with the national anthem, I was in tears, honoured to represent the United States in World Cup and international matches. And I think playing the national anthem is clearly appropriate at those levels."
Inter Miami own arguably the best player the world has ever seen. They also own the worst record in the Eastern Conference and should struggle against New England Revolution.
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