EAST HARTFORD, Connecticut -- Bruce Arena said he would give himself a "C to a C-plus" for the job he's done so far during his second stint in charge of the U.S. national team.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday's pre-Gold Cup friendly against Ghana, Arena said: "We were sinking when I started the job, and now our heads are above water."

He added: "We have a long way to go to get through not only this game [Saturday] and the Gold Cup, but we have four critically important qualifying games in September and October which are really going to spell out the real grades then. Right now we're in the hunt, we've re-positioned ourselves where we can aspire to be part of a World Cup in 2018. However we have an awful lot of work ahead of us."

Arena also admitted that it hasn't been easy to balance short-term objectives with longer-term aspirations. He replaced predecessor Jurgen Klinsmann after the U.S. dropped its first two games of the final round hexagonal to Mexico and Costa Rica.

At that point, his sole remit was to qualify for the World Cup. After taking eight points out of a possible 12 in the ensuing four World Cup qualifiers, Arena says that is still his primary focus.

"I don't think anybody is going to be real happy if we don't' qualify for the World Cup and I discover players for the future," he said. "I don't think anybody is going to care. I'm working on the short-term plan, and if we get that right it's going to benefit the long-term planning."

As for Saturday's match, Arena called it "an excellent test" ahead of the U.S.'s Gold Cup opener against Panama on July 8. Of course, the two sides have met in each of the past three World Cups, with the Black Stars taking the first two encounters while the Americans prevailed in Brazil. Arena was in charge of the U.S. when the two sides met in at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, with Ghana prevailing 2-1.

Bruce Arena maintains his sole focus is on qualifying for the World Cup. Miguel Tovar/LatinContent/Getty Images

"I still have nightmares from the 2006 World Cup thinking of Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien, among others. I'm going to choke them when I see them," Arena quipped. "They're outstanding players and I think it's a great test for us to play against quality players.

"I think African teams play differently than teams in CONCACAF and South America, so it's good to see a different type of opponent and an opponent of quality. That's what they bring to us. It will be a challenge for our players."

The match presents a massive opportunity for this group of U.S. players, many of whom lack significant international experience. The team's Europe-based regulars are being given a deserved rest after lengthy club seasons, which has opened the door for 10 players who are working with Arena for the first time.

Thirteen players picked have fewer than 10 caps. For that reason, this group will be highly motivated to make an impression and prove to Arena that they deserve to be called upon when the full group is summoned for World Cup qualifiers in September. Saturday will constitute the first test in a month that will be full of them.

"When you play against teams like Ghana and show well that would be a good indicator that you can play international football," said Arena. "They're all going to get a test at some point during the month of July."

He added, "I think [the players are] well aware of the fact that we're towards the tail end of qualifying. And hopefully we qualify for the next World Cup. But players in their situation don't have a lot of opportunities. This is probably their best opportunity to show.

"Clearly they understand the fact that this competition not only tomorrow, but the Gold Cup is going to be important for them to indicate as players where they are in our pool and see if they're players that can continue to move forward with the U.S. team."

The match will take place at the University of Connecticut's Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. In attendance will be legendary UConn women's basketball coach Gino Auriemma, who will be there in support of his old colleague Arena.

Arena recalled how he and Auriemma started out as "young, punky coaches" at the University of Virginia, where Auriemma was an assistant coach with the Cavaliers from 1981-85. During that stretch, Arena was already serving as the head coach of the men's soccer team as well as an assistant with the men's lacrosse team.

Arena said: "We knew it all back then. Imagine now how much we know."

Arena added that the two men shared a lot of ideas about coaching over the years, but he lauded the accomplishments of his one-time colleague, a list that includes 11 NCAA titles as well as eight Naismith Coach of the Year awards.

"[Auriemma] is arguably the most successful coach in the history of sport," said Arena. "I think if anyone questions that, look at his numbers and accomplishments. It's great to see how well he's done in his career. I remember the conversations we had about whether he was going to accept this job at UConn or not. I think he made the right decision."