i feel like everyone that cares for u.s. soccer (in fact, it seems like everyone that also hates the u.s.) are bashing bruce arena. i hope that after this all settles, we can all at least appreciate what arena's done for u.s. soccer.
as idiotic as his substitutions, lineups, selections, formations seem, he has done a lot for us. so i do wish him the best of luck in the future. remember some blame has to fall on the players, too.
(however, that doesn't excuse him blaming his players to the media...especially naming names, which is a big no-no in my book.)
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i've been thinking about this for the past 20 minutes for so...the enigma of landon donovan. never did we need him more than today.
for one, i ALWAYS defended landon especially in regards to his decision to choose mls and his family, fiancee, and "comfort" over europe. i emphasized who are we to say what's better for him. if he's happy and comfortable and that makes him a better player, then i'm all for it. if that benefits the national team, then great. in fact, i argued with many that the team should have been built around him and not reyna.
but i feel like he's let us all down. during the italy game, he was spectacular. with all the players red carded, he had so much space to run and attack. but in a real match, he's disappeared. i don't believe the excuse about playing out of position. you're a professional...you deal with it. he is our captain (or stand in captain) and he is supposed to lead us, and he's disappeared. when we needed him most to lead us, he was nowhere to be seen.
some players just can't cut it in the big games. it happens in all sports. people bring up the 2002 world cup where he did play well, but he was really an unknown..this time, he was scouted and marked. but that's what separates the good players from the great ones, and now i, too, am really questioning his desire to be a great player. because i think he can be.
for the sake of the national team, i really wish that he'd want to be that great player and that leader. he is still very young but experienced. with reyna retiring (i'd assume), he's gonna be the player to build around. good luck to him, and i'll be looking forward to following his progress the next four years.