Bruce Arena’s return to the MLS sideline came in Los Angeles, against the Galaxy, a team he once made a dynasty. The optics of that would probably have been pretty fantastic for Arena, and he could have counted on wholesale positive coverage…if the entirety of 2017 never happened.



But 2017 did happen. That’s the year Bruce Arena left the Galaxy to lead the U.S. national team to missing the World Cup, becoming probably the most-loathed man in American soccer with Richie Williams at his side. His protégé Curt Onalfo took over as coach in LA and drove the Galaxy into the ground. Now, all three made their debuts as members of the New England Revolution: Arena as head coach and sporting director, Williams as an assistant, and Onalfo as technical director.



Once upon a time, maybe Arena’s return to LA would have inspired some big, audible goodwill from the fans in Carson. No longer.



MLS Cup 2014 was the Galaxy’s last...