US Soccer took their sweet time in firing unpopular former coach Jurgen Klinsmann, but they were swift in naming his successor. Bruce Arena was named the new USMNT head coach today, returning to a post he held from 1998 through 2006. Arena will leave the LA Galaxy with immediate effect and begin work on guiding the United States back up the table in the Hexagonal, CONCACAF’s final stage of World Cup qualifying. The US is currently at the bottom of the six-team group, and will need to finish in the top three to qualify for Russia 2018.
Arena’s appointment comes shortly after Klinsmann was fired after five years in charge of the US program, including three years spent as both head coach and technical director.