It was a disappointing ending to the 2019 campaign for Bruce Arena and the Revolution as they fell to Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs, but the Revs' head coach still has his sense of humor.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Arena was asked whether reviving the Revolution's season after being hired in May "rekindled his love for coaching." Predictably, Arena had a perfect response.
“I’ll be coaching next year, I can tell you that. I know that much," Arena said. "Well, I’m hopefully coaching next year. I might get hit by a bus between now and then.”
Fair enough, Bruce.
The Revs were a last-place club when Arena took over midseason, then they rolled to a 9-5-10 record in 24 matches with Arena leading the charge. Arena took pride in his club's performance, even in its loss vs. Atlanta.
"I think the year was a good year for the Revolution," Arena said. "I was very pleased with our performance in Atlanta. Certainly disappointed that we didn't win the game, but that was a very competitive game and I think we showed well.
As for whether Arena is looking forward to the offseason, he makes his feelings crystal clear.
"No," Arena answered when asked if the offseason is fun for him. "Want me to expand on that? No, it is not. The fun part is in-season ... but we know what our needs are, and we'll try and fill those needs."
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