CARSON, Calif. – Bruce Arena will be watching Saturday's CONCACAF Cup (6:30 pm ET; FS1, Univision, UDN) from the comfort of his couch, but he questions the value of the tournament for which the United States and Mexico are battling for a berth.
Arena, the US national team coach from 1998 through the 2006 World Cup, took teams to the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999 and 2003, and he's not really a fan of the event.
“For the most part, the competition part of it is somewhat useless,” Arena said following the LA Galaxy's training session Thursday morning at the StubHub Center. “I guess the part about being in [the next World Cup host's] country and getting the lay of the land is important, but the Confederations Cup is one of these competitions where I'm sure the national teams and the players would rather not have it, because it's just another game or series of games at a time when players need a break.
“So the competition part of it is really insignificant. I guess the logistics part has some value.”
Saturday's CONCACAF Cup at a sold-out Rose Bowl is pitting the last two Gold Cup titlists for a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. The US have participated in four Confederations Cups – they finished second under Bob Bradley in 2009 in South Africa, stunning Spain in the semifinals and falling to Brazil in the final. Mexico have played in the tournament five times, winning the championship at home in 1999.
The Yanks finished third under Arena in 1999, dropping an electric semifinal in overtime to their rivals, then beating Saudi Arabia in the consolation game, and failed to advance from group play in France in 2003.
The tournament, which debuted in 1992 as the King Fahd Cup, was played every other year through 2005 and every four years since. It has been played in the site of the following year's World Cup in 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013. Russia is the World Cup's host in 2018.
CONCACAF previously sent to the Confederations Cup the winner of the biennial Gold Cup played two years before FIFA's event, which made every other regional tournament less significant, with teams often sending lesser squads.
The new format, with the CONCACAF Cup, ensures every Gold Cup winner can qualify for the Confederations Cup.
“It's an interesting concept,” Arena said of the CONCACAF Cup. “It's a money-maker. It's footing the bill of a confederation that, somehow, their books have not added up right over the years, and they're probably trying to get a little bit in reserve.
“I think it's a great concept, though, but if this happened between El Salvador and Mexico – no disrespect to El Salvador – I'm not sure it would bring [the kind of crowds and money that US-Mexico will].”
Former Galaxy captain Landon Donovan this week suggested in an interview with ESPN FC that Jurgen Klinsmann's job ought to be in jeopardy if the US, following the failure at the Gold Cup in July, fail to win at the Rose Bowl. Arena said that only certain national team results actually matter.
“The only judge as national team coach is World Cup qualifying and the World Cup. Nothing else,” Arena said. “All the other stuff is meaningless, to be honest with you. Your confederation championship is important as well.
“Friendlies are a waste of time, they're a complete waste of time. The scores, the results, who wins, loses or ties, it doesn't mean anything. They're played at a different level for a different purpose. ...
“There's always a focus on results, but you've got to know what results mean anything.”
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