Bruce Arena thinks Pochettino is not the right man for the USMNT coaching job

The United States men’s national team is racing against the clock as preparations intensify for next year’s World Cup. However, the recent disappointment in the Concacaf Nations League—marked by a semifinal loss to Panama and a defeat against Canada in the third-place match—has placed Mauricio Pochettino in the firing line.

Pochettino: fives wins and three defeats as USMNT coach

Bruce Arena, head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes and widely considered the most successful USMNT coach of all-time, was the latest to question the Argentine’s leadership. Arena criticized the absence of an American coach at the helm of the Stars and Stripes squad, fueling a debate about the direction of US soccer.

On the podcast Unfiltered Soccer, hosted by former USMNT players Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, Bruce Arena joined as a guest to discuss his views on coaching the US national team. Arena, who enjoyed two stints managing the national team (1998-2006 and 2016-17) and worked with both Donovan and Howard during their careers, highlighted how a lack of understanding of American culture contributes to a diminished sense of pride within the team.

Bruce Arena on the difference between international and club coaching

“If you look at every national team in the world, the coach is usually a domestic coach. When you have coaches that don’t know our culture, our environment, our players... it’s hard,” he began. “International football is different to club football. It’s a completely different job.

“I think when you are a national team coach, you need to know your environment, you need to know the animals you’re coaching. And we’re lacking that,” Arena continued. “If you’re an American coach in the US team, you know the culture, you know the pride and how important the national team is. I think when you bring in somebody from the outside, they don’t understand it - and especially in our country because we’re so different”.

United States racing against the clock

Arena added that he continues to follow the USMNT closely and expressed surprise at their underwhelming performance in the recent Concacaf Nations League.

“I’m watching and I’m shocked if we can’t beat Panama and Canada. It was shocking to me. I don’t want to be disrespectful—I want them to do great in the World Cup, there’s no question about it. But we only have a year left, time is running out and they’ve gotta get going,” Arena concluded.

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