The topic of where US players choose to ply their trade at club level was a recurring hot button for the US national team under Jurgen Klinsmann, who made clear his preference that his charges pursue opportunities in Europe's biggest leagues.
His successor, Bruce Arena, has spent most of his coaching career hunting trophies in Major League Soccer. But Arena professed to be agnostic about his players' club and league addresses in an interview with ESPN FC after his hiring was made official on Nov. 22.
“I don't think the numbers matter. It could be 11 players playing overseas, or it could be 11 players in Major League Soccer,” Arena told ESPN's Dan Thomas. “We want the best players on the field, the best players that give us the right balance to be successful. Where they're playing their club soccer is not that important.
“Are you the best player? Are you a player [whose] position would help our team be successful and help us win games? That's the criteria.”
Amending previous remarks that gave some the impression that he preferred Stateside-born players over those who grew up overseas, Arena also emphasized that he wants commitment, regardless of origin.
“If they're good enough and they have the right passion, want to play for the US team, we certainly want them on our team,” he said. “Passion has nothing with being born in the US or not. It's the mentality of the player. We have to have the right kind of players that want to play for their national team, understand the challenge of playing for a national team and will give everything they have to be successful.”
Arena termed the USMNT's next Hexagonal qualifying match, a home date with Honduras at a location still to be determined on March 24, as a must-win game that could springboard their return to the upper reaches of the Hex. In that light, he plans to continue the customary January camp made up primarily of MLS players in their club offseason.
“In the month of January we have to have a good camp with our domestic players, identify maybe a couple of players that can help us in qualifying,” he said. “We've got to move those players along so when they begin the MLS season the first week in March, they're close to full fitness, and by the time we start qualifying March 24 against Honduras, we have some players in MLS that are ready to play as well as our foreign-based players.”
