![Former US soccer national team coach Bruce Arena during a past practice session with the team.[image credit; Jarret Campbell/wikimedia]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/10/13/660x290/b_502x220x82/former-us-soccer-national-team-coach-bruce-arena-during-a-past-practice-session-with-the-teamimage-credit-jarret-campbellwikimedia_1630141.jpg "Former US soccer national team coach Bruce Arena during a past practice session with the team.[image credit; Jarret Campbell/wikimedia]")
The US men's national soccer coach Bruce arena tendered his resignation on Friday after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup, for the first time since 1986, BBC reported.
The US finished bottom of the table in the qualifiers after losing 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago in their final fixture. On the final matchday of the qualifiers, the US was second in the table standings, but Honduras and Panama both won their respective matches, condemning the US to the fifth and last position.
The US only needed a point from their game with Trinidad And Tobago, to qualify for the 2018 World Cup final to be hosted by Russia.
Arena's statement
In a statement, Arena, 66, said he was honored, privileged and grateful to have coached the US national soccer team twice in his career. He thanked all those who worked with him for the past 11 months, saying they had given a hundred percent, but still 'came up short.'
Arena took full responsibility for not 'getting the job done' terming it as a 'major setback' for the senior men's soccer program. To improve America's soccer, Arena urged officials to look at why the team did not qualify and move on from there, to uplift the game.
The former coach apologized to fans of the US soccer team and said he still had faith in the American player and coach, adding that the future looked bright despite the current dark moment.
Gulati to stay put
US Soccer president Sunil Gulati ruled out any possibility of resigning, saying that he would stay in his position and announce in a few weeks if he will be seeking re-election, according to BBC reports.
The president added that Arena's replacement would be announced 'in the next week or so,' in time for the friendlies lined up for the team in Europe, next month.
The coach to be announced will probably be an interim caretaker coach, while the search for a permanent one continued. Gulati said that although it was not his sole decision to hire a coach, he had the final word on the issue.
During the Friday conference call with the media, Gulati said that while he also took responsibility for the team's poor performance, he was not going to resign.
Arena's record
Bruce Arena will go down in history as the most successful US national soccer team coach. The former LA Galaxy coach who is also an inductee of the National Hall of Fame was at the helm during the 2002 and 2006 World Cup Finals.
In 2002, the US team achieved its best finish ever by reaching the tournament's quarter-finals where Germany eliminated them.
Arena also leaves with the best US soccer coaching record of 81 wins, 32 draws and 35 losses. In 2017, he managed a 10-2-6 record.
