Out with the old and in with the, well, older, tried and tested, again.
Bruce Arena was confirmed as the new manager of the US soccer team after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired from his position on Monday. The LA Galaxy coach, who was the US manager from 1998 to 2006, will now hope to revive the team's World Cup qualifying campaign.
Klinsmann was let go after USMNT suffered defeats in their opening two matches of the final round of qualifying, to Mexico, at home, and Costa Rica.
With the Americans currently lying bottom of the table, Arena, who led the US team to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, has been called to try and change the team's fortunes.
"When we considered the possible candidates to take over the Men's National Team at this time, Bruce was at the top of the list," US Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who fired Arena from the position the first time around, said. "His experience at the international level, understanding of the requirements needed to lead a team through World Cup qualifying, and proven ability to build a successful team were all aspects we felt were vital for the next coach.
"We all know Bruce will be fully committed to preparing the players for the next eight qualifying games and earning a berth to an eighth-straight FIFA World Cup in Russia."
Arena is a highly successful coach in the US, and led the LA Galaxy to three MLS Cup titles. He has also won two titles with DC United, and US Soccer had to convince the Los Angeles outfit to release Arena from a two-year extension he only signed earlier this year.
"Any time you get the opportunity to coach the National Team it's an honour," Arena said. "I'm looking forward to working with a strong group of players that understand the challenge in front of them after the first two games of the Hex.
"Working as a team, I'm confident that we'll take the right steps forward to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia."
Despite those two defeats, the Americans are still expected to qualify for the World Cup, considering the easier matches, at least on paper, that await them.
