USA head coach Bruce Arena quits after failure to reach World Cup finals: 'We didn't get the job done, and I accept responsibility'
- Arena resigned as head coach of the U.S. after failing to qualify for World Cup
- Defeat at the hands of Trinidad & Tobago dumped the States out of qualifying
- Arena began his second stint with the U.S. men's team last November
- Previously, Arena guided the USMNT to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup and helped America rank as high as fourth internationally in 2006
Bruce Arena has resigned as the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team head coach following his country's ignominious failure to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
A 2-1 defeat at the hands of 99th-ranked Trinidad & Tobago, coupled with Panama's victory over Costa Rica,eliminated the States from qualifying earlier this week without the possibility of a playoff.
This ends Arena's second stint as head coach of the USMNT, which began in November when Jurgen Klinsmann was fired in November.
Bruce Arena has resigned as head coach of the USA following their World Cup failure
He confirmed the news in a statement released by US Soccer on Friday.
'No excuses,' his statement read. 'We didn't get the job done, and I accept responsibility.
'This certainly is a major setback for the senior men's national team program, and questions rightly should be asked about how we can improve,' he continued. 'No doubt this process already has started and will continue so that U.S. Soccer can progress.'
A former Cornell goalkeeper, Arena made one appearance as a player for the USMNT before becoming a coach and ultimately taking over the U.S. program in 1998. In 2002, the U.S. reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup where the team ultimately lost to Germany.
The U.S. was ranked as high as fourth in the world under Arena in 2006 - the highest the team has ever been ranked - but after the team finished last in its group at the 2006 World Cup, Arena fell out of favor and was replaced by Bob Bradley in 2008.
Between his two stints with the USMNT, Arena coached two MLS teams: The New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles Galaxy.
Arena replaced the German legend Klinsmann last November after the U.S. suffered a pair of ugly losses during World Cup qualifying. He went 10-2-6 over his second tenure with the U.S. team.
The U.S. entered their final qualifier in Trinidad with a World Cup place uncertain for the first time since 1989. The Americans have made each of the last seven World Cups.
Matt Besler cuts a dejected figure after the United States' shock defeat to Trinidad
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Home defeats at the hands of Mexico last November and Costa Rica left the Americans little margin for error.
They only needed a draw against Trinidad - the tiny island nation ranked 99th in the world who had lost their six previous qualifiers.
However, they conceded twice in the first half to lose 2-1 and slip from third place into fifth in the six-nation final round of CONCACAF qualifying.
Arena, who previously served as USMNT coach from 1998 and 2006, oversaw a total of 148 matches as , winning 81 times.
Recently, former U.S. Soccer star and current ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman declared that he had lost faith in the national program and demanded major changes.
'This is an utter embarrassment, with the amount of money that is in Major League Soccer and in this sport, you can't get a draw against Trinidad?' an exasperated Twellman asked after the U.S. was eliminated following its 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night. 'You don't deserve to go to the World Cup.'
U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati is also likely on the hot seat.
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