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Goal.Commentary: Galaxy's Arena In Quotes
Zac Lee Rigg runs the rule over things Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has said at various points in the David Beckham saga.
Mar 3, 2009 3:29:37 AM
Los Angeles Galaxy head coach and general manager Bruce Arena has had
to suffer the ignominy of answering a bombardment of questions about
his two players away on loan for several months now. In any given press
conference or interview, the two dozen or so players left in California
and training every day are brushed aside quickly in order to discuss
the stars playing on European shores: David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
Through it all, Arena has remained prickly, evasive, and antagonistic. On one occasion when Beckham was referred to by surname only, he responded by asking, “Beckham? Who? Oh, you mean David Beckham.”
There is surely comedic value to his snide retorts, dished out in his New York drawl, but on many occasions the comedy is used to cover an almost willful ignorance about the situation of his two biggest-name players.
Back on October 23, 2008, when news of a possible loan move for David Beckham first surfaced, he steadfastly blasted the entire concept. At that point, the news circling was that the loan, to A.C. Milan in Italy, would extend until the end of the European season, in the summer.
“Any players that are part of your team in an organization or team that hasn't been successful and could be an important part of your team and you're loaning them out overseas, you look pretty stupid, I would think,” he said. “How would you like to be a person who is supporting the Galaxy and the organization is loaning out one of their best players for the first four months of the season? For me, personally, it doesn't make sense.”
Asked about a scenario in which the England international pushed for a move, he admitted that Galaxy's owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group, would have to consider it, but that it would be a “poor decision,” saying, “The league and the ownership would have to discuss that. If any of our starting players wanted to go away on loan for a good part of our season, I would think it would be a poor decision on our part to agree to something like that.”
Three days later, Beckham's loan deal to Milan was official, although England's former captain was expected back before the Major League Soccer season would kick off in March. At that point, Arena compromised on having his full squad together, highlighting the boost of having his international star for the season itself.
“We fully anticipate that David will be back for the Galaxy,” he said. “All of preseason isn't the end of the world.
“I think my word would be heard on this. I don't have a problem with that in principle. I would not at all be supportive of a long-term loan.”
Having Beckham back in March was still the idea on October 30.
“He's going to be available for our opening game,” declared the former coach of the U.S. national team. “The most important aspect of this loan, in our view, is that he's going to be back for our games in March.
“No, it wasn't my idea, but it was requested and we looked at the pluses and minuses.”
Asked about his earlier statements in opposition to a loan move, Arena clarified. He cited examples with his previous club, D.C. United, in which top stars left on loan for the offseason, but returned in time for the MLS season. Just this year, the Chicago Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco played with Santos Laguna during the lengthy MLS offseason.
“I said that it makes no sense for any MLS player to be gone on a six-month loan,” said Arena. “I have no problem with a short-term loan. I've done it before with Jaime Moreno and Marco Etcheverry.”
In the current, quite complicated deal, Beckham will rejoin the Galaxy in July, after the European season has ended and the international transfer window opens. Then, at the end of the year, Beckham and Milan will both chip in to meet a fee MLS and the Galaxy saw a fitting exchange for the league's biggest marketing tool.
This has left Arena scrounging for positives to the deal. Only having its highest-paid player for the second half of a season is rough, but Arena focused on the time when he will be able to deploy Beckham.
Speaking exclusively to Goal.com, on March 2, 2009, he said, “I've said all along, and I believe I've been consistent in this: it's not the worst thing to have David Beckham and Landon Donovan on your team. If we get one sooner than the other, great. If we get both at the same time, great. If we get one back halfway through the season, that's still a positive in my view, because they're both quality players.”
In the meantime, Arena will be looking to build a playoff-competitive team in Beckham's absence. He admits that missing Beckham for the first half of the season isn't the “best scenario” for the Galaxy, but refuses to be drawn into criticizing the move.
“I don't think that's the best circumstance of a loan,” he said. “It's not in the best interest of the Galaxy; that doesn't mean it's bad. The best interest would have been to have David and Landon here in preseason in its entirety. That's the best scenario, but we knew that wasn't going to be the case.”
When Arena joined the Galaxy, the team was in the middle of a 12-game winless streak. He knew he was in for a tough time of it, but was eager to dirty his hands in management again. Even now, he is relishing the trials of a coach: build a team, win games, and, yes, deal with media tussles.
“I've been in pressure situations before,” he said, “I'm not overwhelmed by the challenges here in Los Angeles. I'm excited by the challenges.”
Even so, Arena will undoubtedly be hoping for a little less of a challenge when his other marquee player, Landon Donovan, is expected to return from his loan on March 9.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor at Goal.com
Through it all, Arena has remained prickly, evasive, and antagonistic. On one occasion when Beckham was referred to by surname only, he responded by asking, “Beckham? Who? Oh, you mean David Beckham.”
There is surely comedic value to his snide retorts, dished out in his New York drawl, but on many occasions the comedy is used to cover an almost willful ignorance about the situation of his two biggest-name players.
Back on October 23, 2008, when news of a possible loan move for David Beckham first surfaced, he steadfastly blasted the entire concept. At that point, the news circling was that the loan, to A.C. Milan in Italy, would extend until the end of the European season, in the summer.
“Any players that are part of your team in an organization or team that hasn't been successful and could be an important part of your team and you're loaning them out overseas, you look pretty stupid, I would think,” he said. “How would you like to be a person who is supporting the Galaxy and the organization is loaning out one of their best players for the first four months of the season? For me, personally, it doesn't make sense.”
Asked about a scenario in which the England international pushed for a move, he admitted that Galaxy's owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group, would have to consider it, but that it would be a “poor decision,” saying, “The league and the ownership would have to discuss that. If any of our starting players wanted to go away on loan for a good part of our season, I would think it would be a poor decision on our part to agree to something like that.”
Three days later, Beckham's loan deal to Milan was official, although England's former captain was expected back before the Major League Soccer season would kick off in March. At that point, Arena compromised on having his full squad together, highlighting the boost of having his international star for the season itself.
“We fully anticipate that David will be back for the Galaxy,” he said. “All of preseason isn't the end of the world.
“I think my word would be heard on this. I don't have a problem with that in principle. I would not at all be supportive of a long-term loan.”
Having Beckham back in March was still the idea on October 30.
“He's going to be available for our opening game,” declared the former coach of the U.S. national team. “The most important aspect of this loan, in our view, is that he's going to be back for our games in March.
“No, it wasn't my idea, but it was requested and we looked at the pluses and minuses.”
Asked about his earlier statements in opposition to a loan move, Arena clarified. He cited examples with his previous club, D.C. United, in which top stars left on loan for the offseason, but returned in time for the MLS season. Just this year, the Chicago Fire's Cuauhtemoc Blanco played with Santos Laguna during the lengthy MLS offseason.
“I said that it makes no sense for any MLS player to be gone on a six-month loan,” said Arena. “I have no problem with a short-term loan. I've done it before with Jaime Moreno and Marco Etcheverry.”
In the current, quite complicated deal, Beckham will rejoin the Galaxy in July, after the European season has ended and the international transfer window opens. Then, at the end of the year, Beckham and Milan will both chip in to meet a fee MLS and the Galaxy saw a fitting exchange for the league's biggest marketing tool.
This has left Arena scrounging for positives to the deal. Only having its highest-paid player for the second half of a season is rough, but Arena focused on the time when he will be able to deploy Beckham.
Speaking exclusively to Goal.com, on March 2, 2009, he said, “I've said all along, and I believe I've been consistent in this: it's not the worst thing to have David Beckham and Landon Donovan on your team. If we get one sooner than the other, great. If we get both at the same time, great. If we get one back halfway through the season, that's still a positive in my view, because they're both quality players.”
In the meantime, Arena will be looking to build a playoff-competitive team in Beckham's absence. He admits that missing Beckham for the first half of the season isn't the “best scenario” for the Galaxy, but refuses to be drawn into criticizing the move.
“I don't think that's the best circumstance of a loan,” he said. “It's not in the best interest of the Galaxy; that doesn't mean it's bad. The best interest would have been to have David and Landon here in preseason in its entirety. That's the best scenario, but we knew that wasn't going to be the case.”
When Arena joined the Galaxy, the team was in the middle of a 12-game winless streak. He knew he was in for a tough time of it, but was eager to dirty his hands in management again. Even now, he is relishing the trials of a coach: build a team, win games, and, yes, deal with media tussles.
“I've been in pressure situations before,” he said, “I'm not overwhelmed by the challenges here in Los Angeles. I'm excited by the challenges.”
Even so, Arena will undoubtedly be hoping for a little less of a challenge when his other marquee player, Landon Donovan, is expected to return from his loan on March 9.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor at Goal.com
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