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Bruce Arena guided the United States national team to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, then was not retained as coach after a first-round exit at the recent World Cup in Germany. His new challenge is rebuilding the Red Bulls. A transcript of an interview conducted Thursday follows.<DIV id=articleInline><DIV id=inlineBox><DIV class=image>
<DIV class=credit>Bill Kostroun/Associated Press</DIV><P class=caption>Bruce Arena guided the United States national team to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. </DIV><DIV class=doubleRule></DIV><H4 class=promo><SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>It is roughly a month into your tenure with the New York Red Bulls. Has it been difficult dealing with someone else’s hand?</SPAN></H4></DIV></DIV>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. I knew it was going to be difficult. There’s no question that we need to improve our roster. No question we need to improve every aspect of our organization on the technical side. It’s good that I stepped into this position now so we have an understanding what has to be corrected and we can get it done for next season. At the same time, I’m optimistic we can make the playoffs. I realized what I’m getting into. I know this player pool and this league as good as anybody, and I realized where we stood there.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>So there’s no sense of frustration over the team’s performance.</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. No. There’s always frustration. In terms of every day, the environment. The Red Bull organization is doing everything it can. But the previous ownership group did not attend to the technical side at all. We’re trying to correct that, but it can’t be done overnight and it will take time and a lot of resources.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>Has it been 10 lost years for the MetroStars/Red Bulls?</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. It’s 10 years with a poor vision and understanding how to do things. But at the same time a gentleman like Phil Anschutz has kept this team alive in this market. But I think there needs to be a vision of how to make it successful on the field. Not just the organization, it’s the league as well. Hopefully, over the winter we will come up with some new strategies to improve the product on the field.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>M.L.S. named you to its new technical committee, but you said when you were still the national team coach that you had yet to attend a meeting. Are you still on that committee?</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. Actually, my first meeting will be a conference call today. On the technical side, I think we need to make decisions how to deal with 13 teams {F.C. Toronto will enter M.L.S. next season}, scheduling, rosters, what have you. Certainly to improve rosters and the product in the league is going to mean more dollars and more quality foreign players in the league.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>There has been lot of talk of the Beckham Rule and providing for a way to bring in marquee players.</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. The notion of a Beckham here is more of a notion of marketing. We need some of that, but we also just need better players and to work real hard to find better players that fit into our budgets really. There are not going to be the big stars you see in Europe. Players from Central America, players from South America, Asia and Africa. But it’s not going to be players from these big leagues in Europe. It’s cost prohibitive.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>Has the team and this league done enough to find Hispanic players?</S
<DIV class=credit>Bill Kostroun/Associated Press</DIV><P class=caption>Bruce Arena guided the United States national team to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. </DIV><DIV class=doubleRule></DIV><H4 class=promo><SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>It is roughly a month into your tenure with the New York Red Bulls. Has it been difficult dealing with someone else’s hand?</SPAN></H4></DIV></DIV><SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. I knew it was going to be difficult. There’s no question that we need to improve our roster. No question we need to improve every aspect of our organization on the technical side. It’s good that I stepped into this position now so we have an understanding what has to be corrected and we can get it done for next season. At the same time, I’m optimistic we can make the playoffs. I realized what I’m getting into. I know this player pool and this league as good as anybody, and I realized where we stood there.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>So there’s no sense of frustration over the team’s performance.</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. No. There’s always frustration. In terms of every day, the environment. The Red Bull organization is doing everything it can. But the previous ownership group did not attend to the technical side at all. We’re trying to correct that, but it can’t be done overnight and it will take time and a lot of resources.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>Has it been 10 lost years for the MetroStars/Red Bulls?</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. It’s 10 years with a poor vision and understanding how to do things. But at the same time a gentleman like Phil Anschutz has kept this team alive in this market. But I think there needs to be a vision of how to make it successful on the field. Not just the organization, it’s the league as well. Hopefully, over the winter we will come up with some new strategies to improve the product on the field.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>M.L.S. named you to its new technical committee, but you said when you were still the national team coach that you had yet to attend a meeting. Are you still on that committee?</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. Actually, my first meeting will be a conference call today. On the technical side, I think we need to make decisions how to deal with 13 teams {F.C. Toronto will enter M.L.S. next season}, scheduling, rosters, what have you. Certainly to improve rosters and the product in the league is going to mean more dollars and more quality foreign players in the league.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>There has been lot of talk of the Beckham Rule and providing for a way to bring in marquee players.</SPAN>
<SPAN class=bold>A</SPAN>. The notion of a Beckham here is more of a notion of marketing. We need some of that, but we also just need better players and to work real hard to find better players that fit into our budgets really. There are not going to be the big stars you see in Europe. Players from Central America, players from South America, Asia and Africa. But it’s not going to be players from these big leagues in Europe. It’s cost prohibitive.
<SPAN class=bold>Q</SPAN>. <SPAN class=italic>Has the team and this league done enough to find Hispanic players?</S