Bruce Arena and Team Chemistry in the MLS

I think we may have a problem when it comes to European ownership in the MLS. They just don’t understand how it really works in this great game of professional American soccer. See unlike over there in Austria we have this thing that levels the playing field and it’s called a salary cap, if you don’t like it well no one else really does either so deal with it.

I say all of this because the Bruce Arena leaving debacle. First off, I don’t really think he resigned, I think he was fired. The guy is a good coach but in this league it can be hard to succeed right of the get go. They played the team that almost had an MLS Cup in the first round, its not like they lost to a scrub. In European soccer I can understand when you put all the tools around someone to win and they don’t then it probably is the best idea to sack them. This isn’t really the case here. Every team is almost equal, any team can beat any team any given night. The Red Bulls seriously were going to be the team of the future if they would have stuck with Arena’s plan. Jozy is going to be a rock star! Reyna is a awesome field general. Then there is the rest of the talent on that team. Bringing in Juan Pablo Angel was genius because that guy still has it! Now you tell me that you ‘fire’ Arena because he doesn’t win a cup in the first year!

I believe that the Red Bull franchise just doesn’t know how to win in America. MLS soccer is about team chemistry, it’s about playing really good together and switching coaches every year and bringing in new players may get the job done every other year but you will not be a dynasty. Look at the Dynamo they just won their consecutive MLS Cups by sticking together. Look back to San Jose when they were the Earthquakes, they get relocated to Houston but they stick together and now they are the powerhouse of the MLS because they have stuck together and have the team chemistry that it takes to win in the MLS. So for all you European owners this is not the Euro leagues and as much as we would like it to be it just isn’t. One has to be patient and let the team develop and Red Bull has just hurt this New York team in the long run.

I’m sure Bruce will find another job, maybe go back to the NCAA where he is a god of a coach, maybe the Women’s team will take him, or maybe by some wind of fate he lands a Euro job because the guy is a great coach.

MLS Cup

So the table is set for the MLS Cup Finals on Sunday, November 18^th on ABC. The teams that will be playing are the Houston Dynamo and the New England Revolution; yes a rematch from last years final. That final saw the Dynamo take the cup but in a revenge game we could definitely see the Revs take it. At first look I think the Dynamo have the overall better team mostly cause of their spectacular defense and strikers though I do think that New England will win the midfield. The game is in Washington DC so that will give the advantage to New England because of the temperature but honestly it’s a final and with a team the caliber of the Dynamo it shouldn’t matter if the game was played in Antarctica. Throughout the week I will break down the Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders and Keepers so that we can really get down deep into this Final. Also sometime this week I will discuss in length the stupid removal of Bruce Arena away from a team that will be the best team in a couple of years.