While Red Bull New York unveiled new Sporting Director and Head Coach Bruce Arena to the media Tuesday, the team was traveling to Columbus in preparation for their match against the Crew on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. Below are reactions to the announcement.
Red Bulls Acting Head Coach Richie Williams:
On Bruce Arena's signing:
"I think it's a great time for the organization [to sign] the most successful U.S. coach there's been. He has an unbelievable amount of experience and I think he's going to be a great fit for the organization. I'm happy that he's here."
On Arena's credentials:
"Having coached at the college level, having coached in MLS, having coached the national team, knowing the structure of soccer in our country is very important, especially in MLS because it's a different setup in most other leagues in the world. He's a proven winner and that's what we need here in this organization which we haven't had."
On how he thinks Arena will approach the team:
"I think he's going to give everyone a chance and of course, he's not just going to come here and clean house. He wants to see what everybody's about."
"I'll be speaking with him about things and I've already told him we have a good group of guys here, everybody comes in, works hard and does a good job. We had a win the other day [against Colorado] and we were hoping to start going in the winning direction and I think he's just going to add to it and just evaluate as he goes on."
On how Williams will approach his job in coming weeks:
"I'm approaching it the same way I've been approaching it, that we're all here to do a job and we all ultimately want to win. I'm going to prepare the guys just like I've been doing and I'll speak with the guys and tell them it's great that Bruce is a part of the team, but while we're still here, we still have to do the same thing."
Red Bulls midfielder Chris Henderson:
On Arena's signing:
"It just shows Red Bull is looking out for the future of this club in trying to build something that's going to be a first-class organization. It takes time to get the pieces all in place."
On what Arena said to the team on Tuesday morning:
"Keep going on the same path we had been lately. We're close, we're still right there and our goal is still the same as it had been to make the playoffs."
On Arena's track record:
"When you look at American coaches and the success Bruce has had at every level here in America, he's the best coach we could get. He knows the league and he knows the players, so I think it's a good step for the club in hiring Bruce."
On focusing on the schedule ahead:
"Since Richie's taken over, we've been trying to climb back up the table. I think that our goal now is to keep moving forward. We had a good performance against Colorado [last Friday, July 14, 1-0 win], it could have been three or four goals for us, and that's the way we need to play. I think we need to go out and really focus and try and get our first road win [against Columbus on Wednesday night]."
Red Bulls defender and U.S. international Todd Dunivant:
On Arena:
"He's a coach who has a lot of experience in MLS, he's won two MLS Cup championships and obviously had a great run with the U.S. National Team through two World Cup cycles so he brings a lot of experience ... He brings instant credibility to this team and everyone's looking to him to take [New York] to a [higher] level."
On working with Arena:
"He gets a lot out of his players and he's done it at every level. Coming here, I think it's a great opportunity for him as it is for all of us because I think Red Bull is looking to invest a lot in this team, in this league. It's a good opportunity for all of us because this club and the New York area in general has been looking for a championship for 10 years now, and it hasn't come. If we can be the ones to bring it, then it's huge for all of us."
Red Bulls midfielder Mark Lisi (the longest tenured member of the club):
On Arena and the club's future:
"I think they're bringing in Bruce for long-term. They had [former coach Octavio] Zambrano and he wasn't around for long and then Bob [Bradley] came in and he was here for a short stint. The players who have been here always have said that it's very tough to win things when there's constant change and I think Bruce is the man who's going to be here for a long time and we're going to have some stability with the team, not only on the coaching side, but with the players [as well]."
On the Red Bulls:
"We do have a good team. There are good players in the locker room and Bruce mentioned that [this morning]. He's watched our games and we're just short of a few things here or there [but] I think with him on board, he can only make things better."
Red Bulls midfielder Amado Guevara:
On Bruce Arena's signing:
"I think it's good for the team. He's someone who knows the league, knows the players and is one of the better coaches that this country has."
On his eagerness to play for Arena:
"When a coach like him comes into the club, with his reputation and his success in the past, I'm happy and excited to play for him."
