{"id":36803,"date":"2017-07-26T06:28:59","date_gmt":"2017-07-26T06:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=36803"},"modified":"2017-07-26T06:28:59","modified_gmt":"2017-07-26T06:28:59","slug":"gold-cup-title-would-keep-bruce-arena-led-usmnt-headed-on-right-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/gold-cup-title-would-keep-bruce-arena-led-usmnt-headed-on-right-path.html","title":{"rendered":"Gold Cup title would keep Bruce Arena-led USMNT headed on right path"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gold Cup title would keep Bruce Arena-led USMNT headed on right path<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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The CONCACAF Gold Cup, which the United States will win if it beats Jamaica on Wednesday, is the second-most important tournament the men\u2019s national team regularly plays in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of two.<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. coach Bruce Arena said before the competition started that lifting the trophy confers little in the way of tangible benefit, most Gold Cup games played across America over the past three weeks have been doubleheaders to boost attendance, and the opponent at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., is ranked 76th in the world. The game begins at 9:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1, Univision).<\/span><\/p>\n

Most U.S. fans would swap Gold Cup glory for a mere pocketful of good luck at next year\u2019s World Cup in a heartbeat, and success Wednesday wouldn\u2019t create much of a ripple even in domestic soccer circles, let alone the wider sporting spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n

But winning is winning, and to borrow from Arena\u2019s no-nonsense brand of pragmatic phraseology, it sure as heck beats losing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI could care less who are playing in the final,\u201d Arena said. \u201cWe want to win a trophy. We could be playing (any team) for all I care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Losing is what happened with concerning frequency toward the end of Jurgen Klinsmann\u2019s ill-fated reign, sparking a mini-crisis and paving the way for Arena to return for his second stint in charge.<\/span><\/p>\n

There has been a steady diet of forward progress since, so much so that unless Jamaica pulls an upset in the final, the USA will remain unbeaten in its 14 games since Arena took over.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFour months ago we were rebuilding a program that was in dire shape (in terms) of qualifying for a World Cup,\u201d Arena added. \u201cWe have made great strides, and this is a great opportunity to continue to make progress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Life for a men\u2019s national team coach in the CONCACAF region, composed of North and Central America and the Caribbean, is largely one of process and formality, interspersed with brief windows of interest and importance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Performing well at the World Cup is the only barometer that counts in the court of public opinion, and no amount of Gold Cup hardware could ever make up for an early exit from soccer\u2019s biggest spectacle.<\/span><\/p>\n

In between World Cups, the biggest and most vital task is qualifying for them, a target far easier to attain in CONCACAF than, say, Europe or South America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Find trouble in doing so, however, and scorn and employment peril beckon, as Klinsmann discovered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under Arena, things have been righted in that department thanks to eight points from four qualifying games, and when the qualifiers start again in September, only a serious meltdown could stop the USA from securing a spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

To reach that point with the Gold Cup stashed safely in the trophy cabinet would be a neat little boost and further proof that things are headed the right way.<\/span><\/p>\n

The middle of summer has proved generally pain free for the Americans, who are unrecognizably more settled now than under Klinsmann. Arena, a 65-year-old who thought he\u2019d be retired a decade ago but has found fresh humor and is having the time of his life, can be credited for the uplift in energy and results.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBruce has come in and taken the edge off a bit,\u201d veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard said. \u201cThat\u2019s who he is and how he man-manages us. He is more relaxed off the field and more demanding on the field \u2014 and that\u2019s a very good thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been a fairly straightforward plot line, devoid of drama and crisis, low on controversy and nail-biting suspense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stability might not be sexy, but it was exactly what was needed. A Gold Cup title won\u2019t make or break the perception of Arena\u2019s tenure \u2014 but he\u2019ll gladly accept one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source-\u00a0https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/2017\/07\/26\/gold-cup-usmnt-bruce-arena-focused-trophy\/511476001\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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