San Jose Earthquakes sign head coach Bruce Arena to contract extension
San Jose Earthquakes sign head coach for three more seasons
The San Jose Earthquakes have extended the contract of head coach Bruce Arena.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes have officially locked in head coach Bruce Arena for three more seasons.
Reflecting on his time with the club, Arena shared his appreciation for the organization and the local community.
"It’s been nice, a good group of people here, the fan base is good, the community is good," Arena said. "Maybe the best weather in the world."
Arena spoke at the Earthquakes’ training facility Tuesday after taking a bit of much-deserved rest.
He joked about his time off, noting that "they’re going to find a lot of golf balls with the initials BA on 'em."
The Earthquakes are currently on a break while the FIFA World Cup takes the soccer spotlight for nearly six weeks, but Arena emphasizes that he still has his eye on the ball. He admitted he spent his downtime staying active in club operations, saying, "I worked trying to bring players in for this next transfer window. A little too much."
Arena has a storied coaching career in U.S. soccer, and that eye for talent comes from a long history with the U.S. Men’s National Team. He led the national team to the World Cup Quarterfinals in 2002, which marked the team’s deepest run since the very first tournament in 1930.
The men’s team took home a win against Paraguay last week, and Arena believes they are off to a good start.
"On a piece of paper, they may have the most talented team, probably in many years," Arena said. "Probably close to challenging the 2002 team."
However, Arena warned that winning their group stage may be the easiest part of the journey for the squad.
"When you get to the round of 16 it’s all the big boys playing," Arena said. "If they can get through that and make it to the quarter finals, it’ll be very impressive."
Amidst the excitement of the World Cup, Arena is already looking ahead to the future of U.S. soccer. The coach says he remains a big fan of domestic talent, with one obvious exception.
"I’m a big believer in the American player, and having said that, if you offered me Lionel Messi, I’m going to take him in a second," Arena said.