404 Not Found
Now it has one. "We beat arguably one of the top teams in the world in the most important sports competition in the world and the most competitive one," the 50-year-old Arena told Time. "Does it say we have arrived? No, but it says we are headed in the right direction." His team stands a good chance of making the round of 16. A win in either of this week's games with South Korea or Poland could do it.
Like a chemist tweaking a formula, Arena constantly adjusts strategy and lineup to capitalize on the strengths of the players who are available against the next opponent. "His best quality is man management," says backup goalkeeper Tony Meola, who played for Arena at the University of Virginia in the late '80s. "You get chosen for a reason, whether you're a hard-nosed tackler or a playmaker. And those are the things you do." That's not the way many international coaches work it. Former U.S. and current China coach Bora Milutinovic, says Meola, makes players adjust to his system. Both approaches can win, but Arena's produced spectacular results last week. He surprised all by starting a pair of 20-year-old speed merchants, DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan, to take the attack to Portugal. "Beasley and Donovan were in top form," Arena says. "It was clear to me they belonged on the field." He told them at the last minute. He also picked Frankie Hejduk, a guy so rooted to the bench he was talking to termites.
Of course, all played superbly. That's part of the mind meld that has come to be known as Arenaball. He constantly talks to players, probes, prods and encourages. "That's what coaches do, what leaders do," says Arena. "You challenge people, treat them fairly, treat them with respect, try to position them to be as successful as they can be."
For all his intensity, Arena does not take a dim view of having fun. In Seoul, the team is staying at a downtown Marriott to be in the midst of the festivities. In previous Cups, they were soccer monks, isolated in country retreats. "Bruce understands the importance of enjoying the Cup," says midfielder Cobi Jones. "We feed off of all that positive energy."
The U.S. will need plenty of energy, not to mention a goal or two, to extend its stay. Clint Mathis and injured team captain Claudio Reyna, the squad's best player, seem like sure starters if healthy, but with Arena you never know. The one sure thing: the U.S. is a World Cup doormat no more.