New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena says he’s yet to seriously think about his future in the dugout following his side’s MLS Cup Playoffs exit to New York City FC.
After winning the Supporters’ Shield with a record points total, the Revs had to wait 23 days to play their next match, hosting NYCFC in the Eastern Conference semi-final.
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An entertaining game saw the sides end 120 minutes level at 2-2, forcing a penalty shootout which New York won 5-3, with Adam Buksa being denied by Sean Johnson for the only missed spot-kick.
As well as his role as head coach, Arena also serves as the Revs’ sporting director. With the dust still settling on New England‘s 2021 season, the 70-year-old admits he’s yet to evaluate his next move.
“I didn’t think about it after the game ended, to be honest with you, but we’ll see,” he told reporters. “We’ll see what makes sense. Every day I coach is sort of a blessing. If it ends today, it ends today. It’s not the end of the world.
“I’m really comfortable with the number of years I’ve been able to coach, and we’ll see if it continues. We’ll see what makes sense. We’ll think about it a little bit, let the owners think about it a little bit, and then we all move forward.”
The immediate future will likely be spent reflecting on the 2021 season. Though they exited the Playoffs at the first hurdle, the campaign will be remembered fondly by their supporters thanks to winning the Supporters’ Shield for the first time.
“I think any sensible, reasonable person would say that. If you think otherwise, I think you need to have your head examined,” Arena responded when asked if this season would still be viewed as a success without winning MLS Cup.
He continued: “We had a very good year, and you could argue that maybe we played a little bit in over our heads. I think it was a good year.
“We don’t have the best roster in the league. It’s got to get a little bit better, for sure. But I think, if you look at the year on the whole, it was a really good year.
Thank you for an unbelievable 2021 campaign. #NERevs pic.twitter.com/yaBuk9k2N3
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) December 1, 2021
“Certainly, we would’ve liked to have won the MLS Cup, but you know, those things happen when you get into the postseason with single elimination. Then you go to penalties, and you position yourself for that, it’s a crapshoot. Anyone can win. And give New York City credit for winning the shootout.”
While the Revs go home, NYCFC now have an Eastern Conference final clash with the Philadelphia Union to look forward to this Saturday.
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