“I have nothing to redeem myself for.”



And so begins the return of Bruce Arena.



Eighteen months after he oversaw the biggest failure in the history of the U.S. men’s national team, the country’s most influential coach is back for what could be the mightiest challenge of his lengthy career: turning around the New England Revolution.



From the outside, the most tempting narrative is the one in which Arena signed on as sporting director and head coach of the lowly Revs in a bid to salvage a reputation that took quite a hit with his return to the national team. The 67-year-old is the most successful manager in the history of MLS and the coach who took the USMNT deeper into the World Cup in the modern era than anyone else, but his failure to qualify the national team for the 2018 tournament is a huge, indelible stain on an otherwise gleaming resume. Joining New England means his remarkable career won’t end with that miserable night in...