Bruce Arena is a man whose words are generally measured with wisdom and clarity.
For proof, look no further than his comments on L.A. Galaxy and USMNT upstart Gyasi Zardes. The attacker has gained fame via good performances for club and country, but still needs plenty of refinement.
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Arena sees him often, of course, as the Galaxy’s manager. And though Zardes just turned 24 and was linked with myriad clubs in Europe this summer, he’s still merely three years removed from his collegiate career at Cal State Bakersfield.
In other words, perhaps rather than dog every down and high-five every up, we should follow his coach’s advice to, “Chill”.
From MLSSoccer.com:“For all of these young players, everyone in our country overreacts, because we’ve not had enough good players. When there’s a hint someone will be good, everyone overreacts.
“So I’d say in the case of Gyasi, as would be the case with other players in his category - where they’re young and just kind of starting their professional career -- my advice it to give it time. Don’t draw any conclusions over one season or one game. Let’s see what happens over time.”
It’s a solid reminder for those of us who get keyed in on the USMNT games, especially with the heightened tension brought about by the pro-Klinsmann and anti-Klinsmann crowd.