WELCOME WAGON Players excited about playing for Arena
By Dylan Butler and Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editors
Chris Henderson said he expects an improvement from the New York Red Bulls now that Bruce Arena has named the new coach.
“With a new coach everyone is going to want to prove themselves and to make sure they make a positive impression so for me looking at the games ahead, I think it’s exciting that we all know who the coach is and that we have to step up our games,” the veteran midfielder said by cell phone in Columbus, where the Red Bulls will take on the Crew Wednesday night. “As a group, it’s going to help us.”
And if anyone should know it’s Henderson, who has been coached by 15 different people in his 11 years in Major League Soccer.
“It’s a good move. Red Bull wants to do things right and have a club that’s run professionally and one of the best in our league and I think it’s a good first step for us,” Henderson said. “Obviously he’s been successful on every level, I think he knows what it takes to build a team that’s successful in our league.”
Henderson isn’t the only one who has been through a bevy of changes. Mark Lisi is now on his fourth coach, third general manager and second owner in the last two years with the club.
“They told us they were going to bring someone in for a long-term stay here and if anyone’s here for a long time, it’s Bruce,” Lisi said. “That’s what we were looking for. In the past, with all the changes, it’s hard to win things when there’s constant change.”
Arena, who was formally introduced at a midtown Manhattan press conference, addressed the players before Tuesday morning’s training session. The brief meeting lasted about five minutes and was in the Red Bulls locker room.
“If anyone can turn this team into one of the league’s elite year in and year out, it’s going to be Bruce Arena so we’re fortunate to have him,” defender Todd Dunivant said. “It’s great to have Bruce in there give a sense of confidence in this team, which I don’t think has been there for a long time.”
Arena is the 10th coach in the 11-year history of the organization. And while others before him have had impressive resumes as well, the fact that Arena has had success in college, in MLS and with the U.S. National Team brings instant credibility to an organization that has been without it for so long.
"He brings instant credibility, someone who is going to say something and everybody's going to listen," said goalkeeper Tony Meola, who played for Arena at the University of Virginia. "Someone's going to tell you what to do and you're going to do it. You're going to do it his way or you're going to find some place else to do it.
"The one thing about Bruce is that he's the first always to say: 'Do it my way first. If you do it my way and it doesn't work, I'll take the blame for it.' He said that on every team I've been involved with him. I assume this will be no different."
Carlos Mendes has never played for Arena, but the second-year defender is looking forward to playing under the former Franklin Square, L.I. resident. Mendes hails from nearby Mineola.
"I am excited, really excited about having an opportunity to play for him," he said. "Hopefully, he's going to do a lot for this team and guys are going to work for him. Everyone's excited.
"Bruce has been a proven winner all over the place. Everyone's looking forward to the rest of the season and with this organization moving forward."
Star midfielder Amado Guevara, who had problems playing for former coach Mo Johnston, gave Arena a thumb's up.
“When a coach like him comes into the club, with his reputation and his success in the past, I’m happy and excited to play for him,” he said in a statement.
Added Dunivant: “It’s a good thing, without a doubt. Bruce Arena brings an amazing resume and he brings a lot of credibility to this organization that maybe hasn’t been there. He’s bringing that stability and above all else he understands the way MLS works, he understands the American player and that’s important. I think there’s been a lot of coaches in the past who have been in this organization who had impressive resumes but didn’t understand the way MLS worked and the way the American game is.”
