Getting Back on The Bull
Ex-D.C. Coach Arena Eager to Guide New York

By Steven Goff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Bruce Arena was tired of it all, worn down from coaching the U.S. national soccer team for almost eight years, wounded by the stinging criticism of his World Cup failures this summer.

It was time to step away for a while, play a few hundred rounds of golf, listen to Howard Stern without interruption, give his incessant instant-messaging a rest and enjoy not having to memorize the midfield tendencies of the Czech Republic or Kazakhstan.

"I would have been very happy not doing anything until January 1, I can tell you that," he said this week.

Coaching, however, is what he does: 18 years at the University of Virginia, three with D.C. United, a summer guiding the U.S. Olympic squad and then an unprecedented two World Cup cycles with the national team.

So when the owners of a high-energy soft drink approached him about overseeing their latest investment, the MLS's New York Red Bulls, Arena was drawn to another coaching calling.

"I would have liked to have waited, but they made it so attractive to me, it was the right move," Arena said. "They are motivated to make something happen."

Tonight at Giants Stadium, two months since the United States crashed out of the World Cup and a month since the U.S. Soccer Federation let him go, Arena will make his MLS return against a very familiar opponent: D.C. United.

His New York debut actually took place Saturday night at the Meadowlands when his wayward club was pounded in a friendly by European champion Barcelona, 4-1. For all practical purposes, though, this evening will mark the beginning of Arena's reclamation project.

"Those guys will fight for Bruce," said United midfielder Ben Olsen, who played for Arena at Virginia, United and the national team. "You want to win for Bruce and please him and work hard for him. I have no doubt he will turn their ship around."

The Red Bulls (formerly the MetroStars) have faltered most of their 11-year existence, failing to reach the MLS Cup and going through 10 coaches before hiring Arena (United has had four coaches in its history). More significantly, the absence of a consistent winner in MLS's most important commercial market has seemed to stunt the league's growth and, on many game days, has left Giants Stadium 90 percent empty.

"It will be an interesting challenge because we have such a long way to go," said Arena, who declined to reveal specifics of his multiyear contract. "It's really surprising to realize that this team has been around for 11 years and to see where it is. We're going to be building from scratch.

"We're going to have to hustle to try to get something done this year. I don't know how much we can do, but by next year, hopefully we'll be a lot stronger."

With Arena in charge, the Red Bulls will have a distinctive Washington personality: Assistant coaches Richie Williams and John Harkes played for Arena at Virginia and United, and another former pupil, Jeff Agoos, has been mentioned for a possible front office position. (Williams was the interim coach before Arena's hiring, while Harkes, who lives on the same Fairfax street as Arena, recently resigned as United's director of youth development to join the Red Bulls.)

The top goalkeeper is Tony Meola, whose ties to Arena go back to their days together in Charlottesville in 1988 and '89. And last week the club acquired Ukrainian midfielder Dema Kovalenko, who played for United from 2003 through 2005, and former D.C. prospect Shawn Kuykendall.

Although his national team position drew him to dozens of MLS games each year, including many United matches at nearby RFK, Arena has not coached in the league since 1998, when D.C. advanced to the title game for a third consecutive year and later beat Brazilian club Vasco da Gama in the Interamerican Cup.

Since then, MLS has gotten itself onto firmer financial ground, but, in Arena's view, the quality of play has stagnated.

"I don't think it has moved along as well as I would've thought," he said. "It doesn't seem like it's that critical at the league level to produce top-quality teams. People want to see good soccer and I don't know if the league has given it to them. We've got to work harder toward that and take an aggressive approach to make it happen."

Replicating the early success he had with United will be difficult, Arena said, because "the rules concerning players and making moves are really tight. When the league got started, there were no rules, or the rules that were in place were meant to be broken."

While the Red Bulls formulate a plan to acquire major European or South American talent this offseason -- French superstar Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian forward Ronaldo have been rumored -- Arena will attempt to get the most from his current roster, which includes former French World Cup star Youri Djorkaeff and Honduran playmaker Amado Guevara, the 2004 MLS most valuable player.

Those who have played for Arena think the club's mentality, if not the talent level, will change right away.

"He wasn't a negative guy and he didn't berate you, but he was always the type of coach who left you thinking, 'Could I have done more?' " said United assistant coach Mark Simpson, Arena's starting goalkeeper in the inaugural MLS Cup in 1996.

"I could play a game and have a shutout and have 10 saves and he'd ask me about a cross I misjudged. He just left that question in your mind: 'What could I have done better?' That's how he motivated you to play, and then he would walk away with a little smirk on his face. That's the way he is. That's Bruce."

United Note: Argentine midfielder Matias Donnet, who has agreed to contract terms with the club, arrived in Washington yesterday to meet the team and undergo a physical. If the deal is finalized, it will take at least two weeks for his work visa to be approved.