USMNT head coach Bruce Arena won 71 games as National Team head coach from 1998 to 2006 and drove the US to a World Cup quarterfinal in 2002. But Arena’s return to the post last fall ended in disaster as the US failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. It’s the first time the US has failed to qualify since 1986. A crushing 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago — coupled with wins by Honduras and Panama — ended the US chances of a World Cup berth. To add insult to injury, Trinidad and Tobago was already eliminated from contention when they knocked out the US, which didn’t help its case with an own goal to start the scoring.
The United States Men’s National Team and US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said goodbye to Jurgen Klinsmann last fall, and welcomed back Brooklyn-born Bruce Arena to manage the USMNT. Five years of Klinsmann had produced some glory, but not enough for the hungry US squad. Gulati saw a brighter future in returning Arena. Now Gulati is on the hot seat, with calls for his resignation. The backwards-looking move to Arena, rather than to a young, less proven talent to replace Klinsmann was what’s known as a “win now” move — not a rebuilding effort. The results are pretty clear about whether that worked.
This tweet calls for @sunilgulati to resign tomorrow morning. Please RT if you agree.
Time’s up. #USMNT #SunilOut pic.twitter.com/A4cq4pFPF7
— Hows Ya Touch (@howsyatouch) October 11, 2017
“It didn’t have to happen… We have nobody to blame but ourselves.” — @AlexiLalas reacts to #USMNT not qualifying for World Cup pic.twitter.com/o6XGjpEGjD
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) October 11, 2017
