The U.S. national team will have a new man in charge for the international friendly against Portugal next month: Dave Sarachan.
That’s right, Bruce Arena’s long-time assistant coach who has vast experience both in MLS and with the USMNT by Arena’s side.
Sarachan will be joined by the rest of the current USMNT coaching staff put in place by Arena for the game in Portugal.
“U.S. MNT assistant coach Dave Sarachan and the remainder of the current technical staff will guide the MNT for the final match of 2017, a friendly against third-ranked Portugal on Nov. 14 in Leiria.”
It is expected that Sarachan will take charge of just the game in Portugal next month, with no other friendly scheduled for the other FIFA match window in November.
This decision will give U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati extra time to find a long-term successor to Arena who stepped down following the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in embarrassing fashion earlier this month after they lost 2-1 at Trinidad and Tobago.
Current U.S. Soccer youth technical director, and former USMNT star, Tab Ramos, had been linked with the job on an interim basis but Gulati and Co. have decided to keep Arena’s staff on for the final game of a hugely disappointing 2017.
It is expected that Sarachan will call up plenty of youngsters for the friendly with several veterans coming towards the end of their USMNT careers after the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.