USMNT Fires Klinsmann, Eyeing Arena As Replacement

Jurgen Klinsmann made a lot of promises to American soccer fans, and he didn't deliver. After going through a period of underachievement, the USMNT decided to fire Klinsmann.

When Klinsmann arrived, many fans fantasized about a new era, where the USMNT would compete with international powers like England, Spain and Germany, and break their way into the exclusive world of futbol excellence. Instead, they saw players put in awkward positions, early exits from large competitions and a lot of excuses. The leadership of the USMNT saw enough, and they decided to fire Klinsmann.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati praised Klinsmann for moving the program forward, but one paragraph of his public statement explained why Klinsmann had to go.

While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction. With the next qualifying match in late March, we have several months to refocus the group and determine the best way forward to ensure a successful journey to qualify for our eighth-consecutive World Cup.

After the 2014 World Cup, the program started moving backward, and Gulati and the rest of the USMNT's overseers wanted to stop the slide.

Klinsmann was 55-27-16 in his time at the helm, but the recent struggles cost him his job. After the firing, most fans asked, "Who is going to replace him?" It appears the USMNT already knows who they want to take the reins.

Bruce Arena is currently the manager of the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS, but he's a familiar face to U.S. Soccer fans. Arena coached the USMNT from 1998 to 2006, and he got them farther in the World Cup than any other coach. His run to the quarterfinals in 2002 has never been beaten by another manager of the red, white and blue, and it might be his job to get them there again.

It didn't even take 24 hours for Arena's name to surface on the USMNT's wish list. He appears to be the next man up, and he's taking over a team that isn't lacking for talent.

The numbers don't lie. It was time for Klinsmann to go. Hopefully, Arena can make USMNT fans cheer this again: "I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!"